Lucid Athlete
Lucid Athlete gives endurance athletes who use the Apple Watch the metrics that they need to train smarter without having to buy another bespoke wearable device.
Overview
I used evaluative research methods and iterative prototyping to ideate new features that Lucid’s primary and secondary user groups would find valuable. I pitched my findings and recommendations to the Lucid Athlete founders.
KEY DELIVERABLES
PROCESS WORK
MY ROLE
UX Researcher | UX Designer
Competitive Audit | Stakeholder Interviews | User Journey Mapping | Feature Concepts | Low-Fidelity Wireframes | Tech Scoping | Kano Analysis | High-Fidelity Wireframes | Annotated Wireframes
METHODS
Figma | FigJam | Google Slides | Google Sheets | Google Docs | Slack
TOOLS
Problem Statement
The current metrics in the Apple Watch ecosystem do not give endurance athletes the information that they need in order to maximize the limited time they have for training.
Lucid Athlete is developing an app to fill this gap so that Apple Watch users do not have to buy another wearable to keep track of the metrics that they need. Their slogan is: “Because smarter athletes are better athletes.”
Lucid Athlete asked my team to identify and prototype new features that would make the Apple Watch more user friendly for endurance athletes.
Lucid Athlete wants endurance athletes to get the most out of their Apple Watch. The founding partners thought it unnecessary to pay a premium for another wearable just to track metrics.
Lucid Athlete uses proprietary algorithms and insights based on peer-reviewed scientific studies. This helps endurance athletes trust the platform.
Scoping the market
Before my team and I could recommend new features to Lucid stakeholders, we had to identify what features were present within the existing space.
Our competitive analysis helped us understand what features were important to fitness users and what features were typically “expected”; i.e., most competitors offered the feature or something very similar.
Training Today is a direct competitor to Lucid using Apple Watch health data to determine the user’s “readiness to train.”
A brief interlude
I have a unique perspective on this project personally. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I went from going to the gym to workout and play pick-up basketball to running outside most days of the week. I had played a lot of soccer in the past, but I wasn’t accustomed to rigors of daily high-impact aerobic exercise. Having gained a lot of experience in this area over the past 3 years—from exploratory research, anecdotal evidence, and personal experiences—I decided to create a comprehensive journey map to better conceptualize the runner’s experience.
My very first race in July 2021. A hot, humid half marathon but worth it.
This current state user journey map helped me identify the various steps in the runner’s journey, their thoughts and feelings, and I was able to identify pain points and opportunity areas.
Finding meaning
It’s no secret that running can be challenging, both physically and mentally. People have a lot of demands in their everyday life and carving out time for dedicated exercise isn’t always practical. Therefore, as I looked at my user journey map, I found it imperative that users could not just run for the sake of running, but they needed metrics and goals that would indicate logical progressions and make this journey meaningful.
Client Interviews
My initial ideas and our client interviews gave me better clarity as to what features runners would find most useful.
We met with the software developer and presented her with our feature concept cards. The Fibonacci sequence was used to assign numbers to a feature card based on complexity and time required; each individual had a budget of 30 for this particular sprint.
A client interview with Lucid cofounder and lead software engineer.
Agile teams use the Fibonacci sequence to estimate the size of tasks and user stories for upcoming sprints.
Scientific Inquiry
In order asses the desirability of features, a Kano survey was sent out to 13 participants who fit the primary user group. The participants gave honest responses to what they thought of each feature; 13 features were sent in total. My group and I analyzed the survey results to make sense of the data.
A template Kano Model table that my group and I used together in Figjam.
Kano analysis responses to the 13 features. We used this data to plot data points on the Kano model table.
The data that we found when analyzing the survey results was really interesting. We were able to see quite quickly which features were well received by users and would enhance their experience.
Users responded well to my lactate threshold feature; the results showed that they viewed it as “Attractive.”
This feedback gave me insights into how to budget my time for this sprint and which features to prototype. This made it clear to me that users were looking for reliable metrics that would indicate fitness and could be used to also achieve a goal in the future. Runners who cram in runs before or after work have goals in mind, besides the mental health and physical wellness benefits.
I selected 5 features that totaled to a score of 29. My goal with these features was to stay true to my initial journey map and prototype features that would enhance the user experience. This was consistent with the data findings I discovered with the Kano analysis.
Final Solutions
Having selected my features, I was eager to begin prototyping into higher fidelity wireframes.
I spent the next couple of days fine-tuning my designs so that I could present them to Lucid stakeholders.
I constructed a deck with Google Slides and annotated my wireframes so that I could share all of the impactful insights I had found.
The biggest thing that I wanted to emphasize with these designs was progress over time.
Nothing is going to be perfect, and you can only improve by showing up each day, and I wanted these key features to illustrate that. By having metrics that are valuable and specific, and by also giving the user the ability to set goals, Lucid can help guide the runner on their journey, wherever that may lead them. It may lead to the user having a better grasp of their aerobic fitness, a new PR on race day, or an appreciation for the progress they have made since they first started.
My future journey map illustrates how the Lucid app can help the runner through the ups and downs of the journey with smart metrics and goal-setting.
Next Steps and Learnings
The fitness space can be a tough space to be in. There are many companies and brands interested in developing the next big thing that can capture user interest.
Because of the complexity of this space, I would like to ideate my prototypes and concepts in more depth. There is no doubt improvements that can be made for the user experience, and there are plenty of engaged users who are leaning on technology to improve their health and wellbeing in a world that doesn’t necessarily prioritize physical and mental health as it does productivity.