Couch to 5k
Agency: Vidatec
Client: Public Health England
Role: Lead UX Consultant
Empowering Healthy Habits - A Case Study on the Public Health England App
Introduction
A case study of the Public Health England (PHE) Couch to 5K app, focusing on the creation of a product that fosters positive habits through incrementally increasing the distance a person can run to promote better health. The key objectives of this stage of the project was to reward user achievements, provide comprehensive support throughout the running journey, and involve stakeholders in the development process.
Project Background
The PHE Couch to 5K app was developed to address the challenge of helping individuals transition from a sedentary lifestyle to becoming regular runners capable of completing a distance of 5K. By celebrating achievements and providing ongoing support, the app aimed to instil positive habits and improve overall health.
Key Objectives: Rewards the Positives and be supportive
The primary objectives of the Couch to 5K app project were to reward user achievements and maintain motivation over time by celebrating both small and significant accomplishments. This was achieved by making the running experience enjoyable, encouraging users to progress through the Couch to 5K program. Additionally, the app aimed to offer comprehensive support at every stage of the user journey, from considering the Couch to 5K program to completion and beyond.
Key stages I was responsible for:
The project comprised several key stages which I was responsible for :
In-depth User Interviews:
I conducted interviews with current app users. These interviews provided insight into users' running habits, goals, and fitness aspirations. By understanding their pain points, desires, and expectations, valuable qualitative data was gathered to inform the app's design and features, ensuring they resonated with the app's users.
Extensive User Testing:
I conducted user testing sessions with interactive prototypes to gather additional feedback and validate the app's features, usability, and overall user experience. Subsequently I incorporated user feedback from these tests to refine features, enhance the user experience.
Features tested
Discover screen
Along with the new navigation bar a new screen was added ‘Discover’ which gave the user the ability to view their fitness goal and see available runs in their area.
Goalsetting
During the onboarding phase, users were given the option to select a goal or create a personal goal in order to help them stay motivated.
Completing a run
Surprise and delight through animation gave helped users realise and celebrate their progression and felt acted as a mini motivator.
Users were given the option to track how they felt after each run.
Conclusion
The PHE Couch to 5K app successfully addressed the challenge of promoting positive habits and supporting individuals on their running journey. The app's reward system celebrated small achievements, providing motivation and reinforcement to users. With comprehensive guidance and support, users were able to make steady progress, build their running capabilities, and adopt healthier lifestyles.
User research, in-depth interviews, and extensive user testing played pivotal roles in refining the app's design and functionality, ensuring it met users' needs and expectations. The involvement of key stakeholders throughout the project facilitated alignment with PHE objectives and ensured successful collaboration between different teams.
What people said
-
Think it's great. Lots of encouragement and it's great way of keeping fit and achieving your goals.
-
Perfect for starting running, it's like having a running buddy. It's much more than just a running app.
-
This will change your life. When I started I couldn't get through week 1 run 1 but I persevered. Now I can run 30 minutes.