iSchool Capstone

Gymfluence, habit centered design for a fitter world

Project tags:

information behavior & user research

social media

ux & interaction design

Project poster

The fitness industry is currently worth $27 billion, and has grown less than 2% over the last 5 years. Gyms have abysmal retention rates ranging from 40-70%, and spend nearly 9 times as much in acquisition costs. At the same time, more than 200 million Americans today are considered overweight. How is a growing problem not matched by an industry specifically designed to solve it? Because people fall into the TRIBE – Time, Results, Interest, Body Image and Energy, the top five excuses for not working out. Gymfluence uses habit-centered design techniques to help people mitigate the TRIBE. We analyze user behavior, anticipate excuses, inform gym staff and enable the staff to influence users through data and a positive reward cycle. Additionally, we help users document their commitment to their personal wellbeing. And the kicker? Half our app can only be opened inside the gym!

Project participants:

Hayagriv Sridharan

MSIM