Overview

GoalMates is a social fitness app that helps people find compatible workout partners based on shared goals, location, and preferences. Unlike typical fitness trackers or social platforms, GoalMates is designed to build real connections through movement. Whether you're new to an area, training for a race, or just looking to stay active, the app makes it easier to find support, stay accountable, and reach your goals together.  

Process

I applied the Double Diamond framework to guide my process from research to final design. This structured approach helped me explore the problem space deeply, define key insights, ideate solutions, and iterate based on user feedback.  

Competitive Analysis

To explore how other apps connect people through fitness, I conducted a competitive analysis of both direct and indirect competitors. This included apps that focus on friend-matching, fitness tracking, goal setting, and community engagement. While many excel in their own categories, none combine these elements into a single experience designed to connect people through movement.

This analysis revealed a clear opportunity. Users want more than solo workouts and passive tracking. They need a space where they can find like-minded fitness partners, stay accountable, and feel motivated through shared progress. GoalMates aims to fill that gap by combining compatibility-based matching, real-time availability, and social connection in one focused app.

Interviews

I interviewed 5 people (ages 22–56) who regularly work out or want to start. Questions focused on their routines, motivators, challenges with staying consistent, and features they would like to see within a fitness app.  

Affinity Map & Insights

• Users are more committed and perform better when they share fitness goals with a partner, highlighting the need for a platform that fosters accountability. 
• All participants expressed that the difficulty of aligning free times is a significant barrier to exercising with a partner. 
• Safety is a top priority, especially for women. Users are looking for clear and reliable ways to verify who they're meeting up with, which helps them feel secure when connecting with new people for fitness activities.  
• Users prefer an app that helps them connect with others not to compete, but to collaborate and motivate each other. They are looking for a platform that facilitates building relationships through shared fitness goals, where the focus is on mutual support and encouragement to achieve those goals together.  

Persona

I envision the scope of GoalMates to accommodate anyone engaged in physical activity who is looking for a workout partner. This includes individuals from various age groups, fitness levels, and interests: from gym enthusiasts and runners to yogis and those just starting their fitness journeys. I summarized the most prominent frustrations, goals, and values from our interview data into a single, cohesive persona to represent our target user.

Feature Roadmap

Based on the four major insights from user interviews, I outlined four corresponding features that GoalMates could have. 

Based on everything I uncovered during the Discovery phase, the core problem seems to be that users need a simple and trustworthy way to find workout partners who share their fitness goals and schedules. With the right connection, they’re more likely to stay motivated, build consistency, and feel supported throughout their fitness journey.  

User Flows

With the research and problem clearly defined, I began mapping out how users would interact with the app to accomplish key goals like creating an account/profile, searching for fitness partners, and connecting with matches. This helped shape the foundation for the user flow and the overall app experience.  

Low-Fidelity Sketches

Once the research and user flows were mapped out, I started sketching out rough ideas to explore how the app might take shape. These early lo-fi sketches helped me quickly test layouts, think through the user journey, and start building the core experience around matching, messaging, and scheduling.  

Paper Prototype Testing

I used my initial hand-drawn sketches as a paper prototype to test the early concept of GoalMates. with four participants (ages 24–33). The goal was to validate the app’s core structure, navigation, and task flows before moving into digital wireframes.

Participants were asked to walk through four core tasks using the sketched screens:

• Create or edit a fitness profile
• Browse and filter potential workout partners
• View a profile and send a connection request
• Chat with a matched partner to schedule workout

Participants

• 4 users (ages 24–33) with varying fitness experience
• All had previously used at least one fitness or social app

Key Feedback

• Two users were unsure what would happen after sending a connection request and expected a confirmation screen
• Users liked the idea of seeing partner availability, but preferred time blocks instead of exact times
• A few users expected to see mutual interests or goals highlighted more clearly in profiles

Mid-Fidelity Wireframes

After testing the early sketches, I moved into mid-fidelity wireframes to get a clearer sense of layout, structure, and how the app would actually work. This step helped me fine-tune the flow and make sure everything felt smooth before adding visuals.  

What I Adjusted

• Add confirmation after request sent
• Changed time selection from specific slots to flexible blocks (e.g. "Evenings")
• Updated profiles to include shared goals or interests at a glance

More User Testing

Between the mid and high fidelities, I decided to do another round of testing with five participants (ages 23–52) to evaluate how well the app’s structure and key features supported user needs around connection, scheduling, and motivation. 

 Key Findings

• Onboarding felt too limited — users wanted more control when setting up their fitness profile, including goals, preferred activities, and lifestyle choices, and more.
• Availability input was unclear — along with the time blocks, users preferred selecting which days they’re free as well. 
• Daily motivation was missed — several participants suggested adding a motivational message or fitness tip on the home screen to encourage consistency.
• Scheduling via chat felt more natural — users agreed that figuring out specific times can happen through messaging, not in advance.  

High-Fidelity Wireframes

After refining the core experience in mid-fidelity, I moved into high-fidelity wireframes to apply visual design and integrate feedback from usability testing. This stage focused on improving clarity, adding personality, and bringing the experience closer to its final form.

Changes from Mid-Fidelity 

• Expanded the onboarding flow to include fitness goals, preferred workout types, lifestyle choices, and more
• Introduced a calendar-style interface for selecting available days on home screen
• Added a daily motivational message or tip to the top of the home screen
• Made the calendar viewable within chat, so availability is private and easy to coordinate with matches
  

SIGN IN / SIGN UP

ONBOARDING

HOME PAGE AND PROFILE

FEED AND GROUPS

PARTNERS

CHATS

Future Work

There are still a few things I’d like to improve and explore. First, I want to define the verification process more clearly so users feel confident meeting up with someone new. I’m also planning to test the calendar inside the chat to make sure it feels helpful and intuitive. Another priority is figuring out what content makes the most sense on the home screen, whether it’s partner suggestions, motivational tips, or upcoming workouts. I’d also like to put more emphasis on the achievements feature, since users responded positively to the idea of tracking shared milestones and streaks.  

What I Learned

GoalMates taught me how important it is to design for motivation as well as functionality. Through research and testing, I saw how subtle decisions, like how availability is shared or when users feel acknowledged, can deeply impact engagement. I also learned the value of leaving room for flexibility in social features. Letting users coordinate timing through chat felt more natural than relying on rigid scheduling tools. Most importantly, this project strengthened my ability to turn user insights into focused, iterative design decisions grounded in real behavior.