The research phase began by defining the user, business, and product strategy that would ground the design decisions already made. A primary persona — Michelle, a 32-year-old corporate professional and avid runner — was developed to anchor every UX consideration. Key insights emerged around a single tension: the target audience is highly health-motivated, yet consistently abandons apps that add cognitive load rather than reduce it. This shaped the product's core principle: speed and clarity above all else.

The analysis and ideation phase involved developing user personas to represent primary and secondary users and better understand their needs. A clear tone of voice and visual direction were established through moodboarding to guide the overall experience. Product and user flow diagrams were created to map out app navigation and device interaction. This phase translated research insights into a structured, user-centered framework for both the app and wearable device.

The early design phase focused on low-fidelity wireframes to explore layout, features, and how users would navigate through the app. These rough designs allowed for experimentation to identify what worked without worrying about visuals. Testing and iterating on these wireframes helped uncover usability issues and opportunities early on.

High-fidelity wireframes involved refining the initial layouts and applying an established style guide to simulate the finished app. Visual elements, typography, and colour were integrated to create a realistic representation of the final product. The app was also prototyped to test usability, interaction, and overall ease of use.