Mountain West Martial Arts Mobile Web Application
The project in ~100 words
During my initial user research and interviews, I discovered that many users who research martial arts gyms experience some level of difficulty and/or frustration during the sign up process.
Based on user responses (gathered from user interviews and usability tests), this is because they either cannot find the relevant information they need to make an informed decision, or they do not feel comfortable signing up and committing to attending in person classes until they see what it looks like inside the gym first.
My main goals were to simplify the Sign Up process, get feedback from users, and redesign the user interface to further enhance accessibility and practicality.
Pain points involving cost, accessibility, value + trust
Users consistently reported pain points in four main areas. They are: cost, accessibility, value, and trust.
In terms of cost, users expressed that they wanted to see some level of price transparency (without having to talk with someone at the gym).
Users also felt that most martial arts gyms’ websites had clunky navigation and lacked important information.
How I addressed user pain points
In order to address each of the four main pain points users provided, I used a variety of methods to assist in solving their problems including: user research, user interviews, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing.
Using sketches + low-fi wireframes as the launch pad
Quick iterations
When I started the design process, I began sketching wireframes on paper. I was able to get quite a few different iterations to use as a starting point for the design process.
Digital wireframes
Next, I began transferring paper wireframes to a digital format in Figma. Once I felt that the basic layout was dialed in, I began the prototyping process.
Low-fi prototype
At this point, I had a low fidelity digital prototype that I used for moderated usability testing.
Methodology used to refine the prototypes
Then, I began planning and conducting a Usability Study. First, I created a 6 part study outline to use as a research guide. After the study outline was complete, I recruited 5 participants for my Usability Study and conducted moderated usability tests.
Now, I had valuable data from real people that I needed to organize and synthesize. I used Affinity Mapping to distill the information and create actionable insights.
Insight alchemy (data is gold)
Using the actionable insights gleaned from the usability testing, I went back to the low fidelity prototype and began making updates.
After I made the necessary changes to improve the user flow, I began refining the user interface design. This process involved making quite a few changes that were all based on improving the user flow while ensuring brand consistency.
High-fidelity prototype usability testing
The high fidelity prototype was ready for more testing. For the second round of testing, I decided to conduct unmoderated usability tests.
First, I created a System Usability Scale. Then, I used testing software to recruit participants and record both their actions and responses.
Once again, I utilized affinity mapping to organize and synthesize the new data. It was time to make a few minor improvements to the high fidelity prototype.
Knowing when the design is done
The designs answered questions like:
"Are participants or users able to interact with and interpret the designs without external guidance?”
“Is there an escape hatch for users if something goes wrong?”
“Is the design accessible?”
Post project reflection
Upon completion of the entire UX design process, I was able to go back and reflect on what I’ve learned, compare early iterations to the final product, and prepare the designs for development.
It’s nice to see how each step in the design process leads to a well-refined and accessible design, but it’s even more rewarding to know that users will value and enjoy the final product.
Iterating after the live launch
When the Mountain West Martial Arts web application has been developed, I will continue to monitor performance data and make adjustments as needed. Products are rarely perfect when they’re released to production and this web app is no exception
After all, design is an iterative process that involves constant refinement in order to remain adaptable and relevant.
