Problem
Context and Pain Points
As people increasingly prioritize health and fitness, existing calorie counter apps often fail to provide seamless and personalized experiences. Users frequently encounter issues like inaccurate food databases, limited workout customization, disconnected health tracking, and clunky interfaces.
This app addresses these challenges by integrating calorie tracking, fitness monitoring, and AI-powered tools into a unified, user-friendly experience. It aims to serve both fitness novices and enthusiasts with tailored solutions that adapt to individual goals.
User Insights
• Accurate Food Logging (78%): Users find current food databases inconsistent and demand precision with minimal manual input.
• Goal-Based Customization (72%): Users need tailored plans for calorie goals, weight loss, or muscle gain.
• Lifestyle Integration (83%): Combining calorie tracking, workouts, and sleep data into a cohesive system is highly valued.
• Demographic Reach (Ages 16–50): The app must appeal to tech-savvy younger users and working professionals alike, balancing simplicity and depth.
Personas
Nina
• Profile: 35-year-old manager and fitness enthusiast with over 10 years of experience in healthy living.
• Motivations: Prefers structured yet flexible approaches to diet and exercise, with detailed nutritional insights and motivational features.
• Needs: Accurate calorie tracking, fitness challenges, and educational content to maintain a well-balanced lifestyle.
Saba
• Profile: 19-year-old fitness beginner focused on muscle gain and consistency.
• Motivations: Simple tools for calorie counting, hydration reminders, and motivational features to build sustainable fitness habits.
• Needs: Beginner-friendly guidance, seamless tracking, and gamified engagement to stay motivated.
Gogona
• Profile: 24-year-old architect balancing a busy lifestyle with weight-loss goals.
• Motivations: Convenience, wearable device integration, and reminders to stay on track despite time constraints.
• Needs: Vitamin tracking, sleep monitoring, and a straightforward app design to support her goals.
Lika
• Profile: 26-year-old English mentor and nutritionist seeking an advanced tool for holistic health management.
• Motivations: Scientific insights, personalized guidance, and emotional well-being tracking to refine her fitness journey.
• Needs: AI-driven recommendations, intuitive navigation, and sharing options to motivate herself and others.
Process
Research and Discovery
Interviews with 4 target users and surveys with 30+ respondents highlighted frustrations with existing tools like MyFitnessPal and FatSecret. Competitive analysis identified gaps in holistic integration and usability.
Key Findings:
1. Apps lacked motivational tools and seamless health tracking.
2. Food databases were often inaccurate or incomplete.
3. Interfaces were either too overwhelming for beginners or too basic for advanced users.
Defining Problems and Goals
Key objectives were shaped by user insights:
1. Simplify food logging with an AI-powered scanner and localized database updates.
2. Introduce goal-driven plans for calorie management and fitness progress.
3. Unify health metrics (calories, workouts, steps, and sleep) to provide an all-in-one experience.
4. Design an intuitive interface suitable for both beginners and advanced users.
Competetive Analysis
MyFitnessPal and Fatsecret apps were studied for opportunities. Investment options and information architecture informed StarBank’s design decisions, ensuring a more intuitive user flow and better navigation clarity.
Wireframes and Inforamtion Architecture
Wireframes were created for key features:
• Home Dashboard: Displays core metrics (calories, workouts, sleep, and steps) with quick navigation.
• Meal Logging: A one-step process featuring an AI food scanner and predictive search.
• Workout Builder: Drag-and-drop interface for custom routines with an extensive exercise library.
• Progress Tracking: Visualizes fitness trends through daily, weekly, and monthly charts.
Usability tests identified improvements:
• Clarify labels in the workout builder.
• Simplify meal logging for faster input.
Prototyping and Testing
Prototypes focused on workflows for meal logging, custom workout creation, and progress tracking.
Key Feedback:
• The AI food scanner impressed users with its ability to identify complex meals, including homemade dishes.
• Beginners needed more guidance in the workout builder.
• Gamification elements, such as badges and streaks, motivated users to stay consistent.
Refinements
1. Improved onboarding with guided tutorials for new users.
2. Enhanced workout builder with clearer instructions.
3. Introduced visual progress indicators, like calorie balance bars and streaks
Solution - Plntegrated, User-centric Design
AI Chat Assistant
This AI Chat handles complex tasks for users, such as creating a personalized workout routine or providing optimal meal planning based on the user’s budget, along with many other helpful features.
The final app delivers a holistic experience tailored to user needs:
AI-Powered Meal Scanner: Automatically calculates calories and macros with accuracy.
Custom Workout Creator: Enables users to craft personalized routines for specific goals.
Integrated Dashboard: Combines all health metrics (calories, steps, workouts, sleep) into a single view.
Gamification & Motivation: Features badges, streaks, and milestone rewards to encourage consistency.
Personalized Insights: Offers tailored suggestions and reminders to help users stay on track.