App for a Pilates studio in Tokyo
Design an app, going through all stages of development — from competitor analysis and research to concept and prototype.
I attend reformer Pilates in Tokyo, and they have their own system for booking classes and notifications in the form of a mobile version on the web. I used this system as the basis and developed the concept for an app with expanded functionality (the name "pulse.fit"is fictional)
The current booking system has several issues:
A website that requires repeated logins;
A long path to the barcode that must be shown at every class check-in;
Too much unnecessary information spread across multiple scrolls, making it harder to access key actions;
Unclear which elements are interactive or clickable.
During the research phase, I analyzed both direct and indirect competitors, created persona models with JTBD, empathy maps, and developed the CJM.
I also conducted in-depth interviews with three clients and a trainer from the studio I attend, as well as with a client from a Pilates studio in Russia.
I decided to expand the functionality of the app by adding a section with online classes and exercises from the studio's trainers, as well as a dedicated studio block in the format of a social page. Users will be able to catch up on news, watch stories, participate in challenges, and more.
This will solve the issue of limited space and slots for class bookings and help attract new clients. It will also allow the studio to stand out from competitors, as online lessons can be made available to non-members as well.
I designed three visual concepts for the future app and conducted a survey among Japanese and Russian audiences using Pathway.
The survey results were mixed: in Russia, option 3 was the most popular, but option 1 was just three votes behind. It seems that dark themes might be less familiar, but they catch the eye, and option 3 aligns more with the typical design of sports apps — a light background with bold accents.
In Japan, option 2 received 50% of the votes, which was less popular in Russia. This may be due to cultural differences: Japanese aesthetics tend to favor natural, calming tones over the bright, bold colors seen in option 3. Additionally, the Japanese audience often prefers clearer associations, and option 2 resonates better with imagery related to yoga, pilates, and femininity.
Based on the results of concept testing, I decided to combine concepts 2 and 3, creating a visual style that’s both minimalist and feminine, with a more subtle shade of green as the accent color.
I created a class booking prototype in Protopie.
Highlighting the following key features:
a dashboard showing the number of available slots for booking;
easy access to the barcode for class registration with a single swipe;
class reminders: to allow the user to see both, the time remaining before the class starts and the exact time and date when the reminder will be sent, I designed it as an interactive wheel;
calendar integration.