Intro

The pandemic had a major impact on businesses that relied on in-person services, including those in the exercise industry. Siclo recognized this challenge and created a new solution called Siclo+ during the pandemic. However, users still missed the social aspect of exercising at a studio and needed motivation to continue their workout routine at home. They felt lonely and realized that the at-home experience was not the same as the one in the studios.

Problem

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Business problem

The objective of the business was to establish a community that would attract more users to enroll in Siclo+, while providing them with added value that they would appreciate.

User problem

The user needed motivation to maintain their exercise routines and continue working out with their friends amid the pandemic.

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I began the process with the team after understanding our goals.

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Phase 1. Understand the user

I interviewed Siclo+ users to gain insight into their context, needs, and main barriers when exercising during the pandemic. I also wanted to understand the impact of these challenges on their daily routine and life.

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Insights

• Users who were already familiar with Siclo had two options during the pandemic: either use the Siclo+ app or purchase the biSí, but they still missed the experience of attending classes in Siclo's studios.
• To continue doing activities with friends, many resorted to video calls while following online classes through resources like YouTube or testing apps.
• Having friends to keep them company during online classes can motivate and help you maintain a positive mindset.
• Although some users are open to meeting new people, they typically prefer to share their experiences with their close circle of friends, unless they find a common interest or relevant information to learn new routines or classes.
• Generally, users rely on social media to stay informed about new classes and to coordinate with others to participate or share results.

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Phase 2. Define

The main goal of the Síclo Plus app is to create a sense of community among its members and motivate them to maintain their fitness routines. Users can connect with their friends and make new ones who are also members of Síclo Plus. This helps them track each other's progress and share their experiences.

Here are some of the tasks that users can do on the app:

• Find friends on the app to take classes together.
• Add other users as friends to keep an eye on their progress.
• Check out other users' profiles to learn more about their interests.
• Identify fellow members taking the same class to feel more connected to the community.
• Learn about the classes that other users have taken to discover new options.
• Communicate and interact with friends to stay in touch.
• Share experiences with friends.
• Discover new information about favorite instructors and disciplines.
• View the profiles of members and instructors who pique interest.

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Phase 3. Design

We had a series of ideas to recreate the experience, so I started brainstorming on paper, bouncing ideas with the rest of the team, and then creating high-fidelity screens to show to stakeholders.

About the design:

• I created a dedicated section to showcase the social aspect of the app, using design patterns commonly found in other social networks.
• Changes were made to the profile to show the most relevant information for each user, adding interesting data to meet new people with common interests.
• Within the profile, they find all your information related to their progress and the achievements of each week, so they can share it with their friends.
• The new Activity section allows them to look at the actions carried out by the people they follow and that they can carry out the same activities as their friends.

Learnings and conclusions

• Incorporating a social aspect has received positive feedback from users who enjoy sharing their activities on social media. 
• Testing both before and during implementation revealed some enhancements to usability. 
• Users deemed metrics crucial as it permits them to monitor their activities. 
• Communicating the project's goals from the outset with the team improved communication and enhanced the ideation phase.