ROLE
Product Designer
TIMELINE
September- January 2025
TEAM
Sweat and Game
A mobile role-playing game (RPG) where your real-world workouts power your battles.
Ash Dinh
Travon Dao
Derek Quach
Jackie Chen
SKILLS
User Research
Interaction Design
Visual Design
Concept Ideation
TOOLS
Figma
Procreate
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Sweat Saga is a mobile RPG that transforms fitness into an interactive journey, motivating users to achieve their workout goals through gamified monster battles. By integrating real-world exercises with turn-based combat, the app encourages players to stay active while progressing through an immersive journey.
Traditional fitness apps often struggle to maintain user engagement, relying on static tracking methods that fail to inspire long-term commitment. Many users struggle to stay motivated without dynamic rewards or engaging gameplay. Sweat Saga bridges this gap by turning workouts into an exciting RPG experience, where every squat, push-up, or sprint translates into powerful attacks, character progression, and epic battles.
I designed this app from start to finish, incorporating a full-scale design system and detailed documentation to ensure long-term sustainability. The intuitive interface, engaging mechanics, and customizable workout plans make Sweat Saga a solution for fitness enthusiasts and gamers looking for a fun way to stay active.
WHAT’S THE BACKGROUND?
The rise of digital fitness solutions has made workouts more accessible, but many users, particularly adults aged 18-35 struggle with motivation due to repetitive routines and uninspiring tracking systems. Gamification has shown promise in enhancing engagement, but most fitness apps lack storytelling and interactivity beyond basic rewards.
A survey of 12 individuals revealed common frustrations with traditional workout apps, including a lack of variety and weak community features, while a competitive analysis showed gaps in personalization and engagement.
Sweat Saga offers a sustainable and enjoyable fitness experience that keeps users motivated through adventure-driven challenges by prioritizing game-driven interaction, adaptive workouts, and social connectivity.
The Research Process
HOW DID WE FIRST APPROACH THE PROBLEM SPACE?
We began the project with the aim of better understanding our target users through a variety of research methods. As the research lead, I oversaw the making of our research resources, including interview guides, and survey drafts.
Secondary Research
Conducted competitive analysis and reviewed related readings
Online Survey
Gathered insights + motivations from a pool of 50 diverse users
Ethnographic Interviews
Conversed with 12 users of varying engagements for 30 minutes
What did we uncover?
THE INITIAL THEMES ABOUT WHY PEOPLE GAME AND WHAT THEY LOOK FOR WHILE IN “GAME”
WHY USERS FIND CURRENT WORKOUT APPS DIFFICULT TO USE
After conducting research, we observed the different patterns and categorized them into groups. We found that when gaming, although varying from player to player, people game because of three main principles: immersion, interaction, and identity.
We found that gamers look for play experiences involving at least one factor.
We found that when using workout apps, users often disengage due to lake of motivation, variety, and limited personalization. Additionally, overwhelming interfaces and minimal social interaction contribute to this disengagement.
Incorporating gamification, intuitive design, and community-driven elements can significantly enhance user retention and overall app effectiveness.
Forming Insights…
How can we motivate users to stay consistent with their workouts by integrating fitness and gaming into a single, engaging experience?
Before moving on to ideation, I led the team in synthesizing our research findings into top insights to better guide our next steps.
1/ IMPACT OF GAMIFICATION
Integrating RPG mechanics, such as character progression and battle rewards, enhances engagement and makes exercise feel like an exciting journey rather than a chore.
2/ PERSONALIZATION & ADAPTABILITY
Users need workout plans tailored to their fitness and goals, balancing challenge and accessibility.
3/ SEAMLESS INTEGRATION OF EXERCISE & GAMEPLAY
The transition from physical activity to in-game actions must feel natural, rewarding users in real-time for their efforts. While allowing users to interact with others in the community.
4/ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSIVITY
Accommodating different fitness levels, including modifications for users with mobility limitations or beginner-friendly workout options.
UI Ideations
HYPOTHESIZING THE DESIGNS
Informed by our research findings, we began exploring innovative approaches to designing an engaging workout RPG experience. I developed a persona from the data research to help me define the user group and a basic user journey map to represent the customer experience.
A usability study revealed specific areas in the app’s workflow that needed improvement. The insights helped refine the experience, leading to new ideas that better align with users' fitness goals, engagement preferences, and overall expectations.
User Persona
The First Ideas…
The initial ideas we drafted shaped the core vision of the app, serving as a starting point for the design and functionality.
Concept Testing
After reviewing our insights, we refined these concepts to create a more intuitive, engaging, and motivating fitness experience, we spoke with 10 users and conducted testing on our mid-fidelity prototype.
Final Implementation and Development
The Product:
Sweat Saga: A gamified fitness app that transforms workouts into interactive battles, motivating users through challenges, rewards, and social interactions.
After refining the initial prototype based on user feedback, I conducted a final usability test to fine-tune the app’s flow and layout to prepare for the development of high-fidelity designs. Before proceeding, I established a visual identity that would give the app its unique look and feel, that would give the app a distinctive look and resonate with users. Inspired by the excitement of role-playing games and fantasy worlds, this app adopts a visually engaging, immersive aesthetic that enhances user interaction and enjoyment.
Sweat Saga is an innovative fitness app that combines the thrill of gaming with the benefits of exercise and creates an engaging interactive workout experience. It blends intuitive navigation with, adventure-themed visuals that immerse users in an exciting fitness journey. The app motivates users to reach their fitness goals through interactive challenges and social competition. Through iterative design, Sweat Saga provides a dynamic experience that drives users to reach their fitness goals while enjoying a fun and rewarding adventure.
Sign In
Intro Screen and Onboarding
Home
The users can access their profile, calender, workouts, and battles directly from their homepage.
Profile
In the users profile, they can track their progress, view achievements, customize their avatar and see their battle records.
Users can select a muscle group to target and choose from a variety of workouts to match their fitness goals.
Calendar
In their calendar, users can log notes record body logs, and track the monsters they’ve defeated on specific days.
Workout
During workouts, users can customize the number of sets, weights, and reps to fit their fitness needs,
In the versus mode, users can compete in private matches with friends or challenge random opponents.
During battle, users can perform their workouts as attacks to fight the monster.
Battle
During battles, users have the option to choose between solo missions or competitive versus mode.
In the solo mode, users can select beginner, intermediate, or advanced battles, then choose the monster they want to defeat.
Conclusion and Reflections
Sweat Saga emerges as a solution for individuals seeking a more engaging and motivating fitness experience. By integrating gamification, personalized workout options, and social competition, the ap addresses the common challenges of workout fatigue, lack of motivation, and user disengagement. Insights from my usability studies and user feedback played a crucial role in refining the experience, ensuring that the app not only meets fitness needs but also stands out in the competitive fitness app market.
As both a designer and someone who understands the struggle of maintaining a consistent fitness routine, I recognized the importance of user-centered design in creating a product that keeps users engaged. Conducting research, gathering feedback, and iterating on the prototype allows me to create a more intuitive and rewarding experience. This process allowed continuous refinement and ensured that this app resonated with its audience.
Looking ahead, I am excited about Sweat Saga’s potential to transform fitness into an enjoyable, long-term habit for users. This project has deepened my passion for designing meaningful, interactive experiences, and I look forward to applying these learnings to future designs.