GR2 - Additional Needfinding, POVs, HMWs, and Experience Prototypes

Momentum

CMPSC 185

GR2

Team 13 - Motivation for progress (T5)

Team member

Team member

Team member

William Lau

Jay Joo

Evania Cheng

Team 13

Interviewees

Observations

Key Learnings

A 4th year computer science student at UCSB, from San Leandro, CA.

A 3rd year Computer Science student at UCSB, from Anaheim, CA.

A 4th year computer science student at UCSB, from San Leandro, CA

Goals

Original Domain Selection

• What is the best thing for motivation?
• What can track progress?
• Is it relatable?

Gym Users

Domain Refinement

• What kinds of activities or routines do people set goals around that require ongoing physical effort?
• Is it relatable?

Finding More Participants

A variety of motivation/goal tracking app users

Target Demographics

Methodology

Non-users vs. People who actually use goal apps

People who go to the gym that may/may not track their goals.

Observations

Key Learnings

Team

Interviewees

Previous Interviewees (using fake names and images)

Andy

John

Marcus

Chad

25 yr old | Research Associate | Bay Area, CA | Non-user

Mid-50s | Product Manager | Santa Barbara, CA | User

29 yr old | Fitness Enthusiast | Goleta, CA | Extreme User

32 yr old | Marketing Specialist | Santa Barbara, CA | Extreme User

Observations

Key Learnings

Team

Interviewees

New Interviewees (using fake names and images)

Marina

Cole

36 yrs old | Marketing Project Manager | Santa Barbara, CA | User

Mid-20s | QA Tester | Santa Barbara, CA | User

Previous Learnings

Previous Key Learnings/Insights

Team

Interviewees

Observations

Long-Term Progress Over Daily Metrics

Relief of Continuous Pressure

Insight: Users care more about long-term trends than day-to-day fluctuations when working toward their goals. Apps that overemphasize daily changes can create unnecessary stress or discourage continued use.

User Autonomy

Insight: Users may not care about daily progress and tracking, instead logging activities and progress when they feel like it. Apps that pressure users to make steady and consistent progress can drive users away.

Motivation for Progress

Insight: Users may rely on tracking systems for their goals, but can become unhealthy due to thinking that it doesn’t count when not logged. Systems aware of legitimate breaks are needed to discern between giving up and illness or injury.

Insight: Users may lose motivation when they lose a “streak” of continuous progress. Apps that lack flexibility can discourage users from continued use.

Observations

Key Learnings

Team

Interviewees

Title: QA Tester

Location: Outside of Trader Joe's

Duration: 25 minutes

Interviewer: Jay (Interviewer/Scribe)

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Main quote: “It’s easier to stay away than to face the fact that I’ve regressed.”

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Surprise: “I’ve reached a point where the tool that’s supposed to keep me motivated is actually maybe the thing keeping me away.”

Cole

Interviewees

Team

Observations

Key Learnings

Insight

Some users feel pressure from fitness apps that push for daily consistency and steady progress. For these users, stopping briefly feels like starting over, rather than returning from a break.

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Need

Users need a system that emphasizes flexibility, rather than pure consistency. It should adapt to different life circumstances rather than acting in a uniform manner.

Observations

Key Learnings

Team

Interviewees

Title: Marketing Project Manager

Location: A local Cafe

Duration: 28 minutes

Interviewer: Evania (Interviewer/scribe)

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Main quote: “Missing a few gym days doesn’t mean I failed, it just means life happened. What helps is having something that makes it easy to start again without feeling the guilt.”

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Surprise: “Tracking stops working for me when it feels like homework. If it takes too much effort, I’d rather just work out and move on.”

Marina

Observations

Key Learnings

Team

Interviewees

Artifacts

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• Strong app history page of her last few tracked exercises
• Calendar view of her logged workouts

Interviewees

Team

Observations

Key Learnings

Insight

Some users value consistency and long-term wellbeing over strict tracking. For them, traditional fitness apps that emphasize streaks, rigid plans, or constant logging can create guilt and decision fatigue. This ultimately discourages them from returning after breaks.

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Need

Users need a supportive fitness system that emphasizes flexible, consistency, and easy re-entry. It should reduce pressure and acknowledge life interruptions.

Key Learnings

New Key Learnings/Insights

Team

Interviewees

Observations

Flexible Consistency Over Perfect Streaks

Supportive Re-entry over Constant Accountability

Insight: Users value sustainable, long-term gym habits more than perfect daily consistency. Apps that emphasize streaks or missed days can create guilt and resistance, making it harder for users to return after inevitable breaks.

Insight: Users are more likely to stay engaged when tools help them restart after interruptions rather than punish them. Fitness apps that lack gently re-entry support can make missed time feel like failure, reducing long-term consistency.

POV Development + HOWs

Marcus’s POV

Age: 29 years old

Job Position: Fitness Enthusiast

Location: Planet Fitness

Duration: 36 minutes

Interviewer: William (Interviewer/Scribe)

User Type: Extreme User

We met...

Marcus, a 29 year old lifter and aspiring powerlifter who rigorously tracks every aspect of his training, recovery, and nutrition using multiple apps and spreadsheets.

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We were surprised to realize that...

While tracking gives Marcus control and motivation, it also makes setbacks feel brutally visible. When life interrupts, his tools don’t adapt and turns unavoidable breaks into perceived failures.

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We wonder if this means...

For highly committed gym users, progress tracking can become emotionally double-edged. The same metrics that create confidence and momentum can also lead to guilt, stress, and identity loss when numbers decline.

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It would be game-changing...

If Marcus has a system that could distinguish between “productive” breaks and unavoidable ones, protect his progress form short-term disruptions, and consolidate his tracking into a single, adaptive platform.

How might we…

help lifters see setbacks without feeling like failures?

make tracking adapt to illness or injury?

keep streaks motivating without making them fragile?

tell the difference between healthy breaks and disengagement?

protect motivation when numbers temporarily drop?

reduce guilt without removing performance clarity?

unify multiple tracking tools into one system?

emphasize long-term trends over short-term losses?

keep data from overshadowing the workout itself?

make metrics feel supportive and not punishing?

How might we…

make metrics feel supportive and not punishing?

Cole’s POV

Age: Mid-20s

Job Position: QA Tester

Location: Outside of Trader Joe's

Duration: 25 minutes

Interviewer: Jay (Interviewer/Scribe)

User Type: Average User

We met...

Cole, a professional in his mid-20s who wants to be consistent at the gym but feels in an “off phase” after losing a workout partner.

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We were surprised to realize that...

Cole doesn’t struggle with motivation he struggles more with re-entry. Missing workouts makes returning feel like confronting failure, so he chooses avoidance rather than starting again.

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We wonder if this means...

Gym consistency isn’t just about tracking progress when things are going well, but about emotional reassurance when momentum breaks.

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It would be game-changing...

If Cole has a system that reframed returning to the gym as a win in itself so that he could rebuild consistency without shame.

How might we…

reduce fear of lost progress after time off?

reduce dread before returning to the gym?

help users restart without comparing to past performance?

reward showing up instead of lifting heavier?

make gym habits fit into real, unpredictable schedules?

reframe the gym from “chore” back into “choice”?

help users separate self-worth from gym performance?

help users plan gym time without overcommitting?

help users rebuilt routine after losing an accountability partner?

prevent skipped days from turning into full disengagement?

How might we…

help users restart without comparing to past performance?

Marina’s POV

Age: 36

Job Position: Marketing Project Manager

Location: At a local Cafe

Duration: 28 minutes

Interviewer: Evania (Interviewer/Scribe)

User Type: Average User

We met...

Marina, a 36 year old professional who goes to the gym regularly and sees it as a steady part of her routine rather than a chore or source of pressure.

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We were surprised to realize that...

Although Marina is consistent in the gym, her biggest problem isn’t with motivation or discipline, but with maintaining structure without rigidity. When planning and tracking fall away, going to the gym starts to feel more mentally taxing, even though she still values being active.

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We wonder if this means...

For long-term gym-goers, consistency depends less on intensity or goals and more with systems that reduce decision fatigue. Progress needs to capture both data and lived experience without punishing breaks.

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It would be game-changing...

If Marina has a tool that treated consistency as flexible so that she can stay active while feeling the support and sustainability.

How might we…

help users stay on track without requiring consistency or perfection?

support “good enough” workouts on low-energy days?

reduce decision fatigue (ie. choosing workouts, etc.) before workouts?

make consistency feel flexible?

help users see progress during busy periods?

help habits stick without strict tracking?

simplify gym planning?

help routines survive schedule changes?

make returning after breaks feel welcoming?

show progress beyond numbers?

How might we…

Solutions + Prototypes

Solutions Brainstormed

Narrowing Scope

Solution #1

Prototype

Critical Assumption:

Obscuring raw data behind less quantifiable metrics is easier for users to deal with

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Description:

• A progress card showing a color or mood label (ex. Maintaining)
• On another sheet are the metrics (weights, missed days) to this color/mood result
• Have participant choose an action card of what they would do next.

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Action card: Push hard, go light, just show up, skip today

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Observe:

• If they ask clarifying questions about the metrics
• See if they just use the color/mood to make their decision or they look at the metrics

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Participant Name: Spencer

• Who: Local gym member (recruited at apartment complex gym/fitness center)
• Age/Background: 21 years old, consistent gym-goer who tracks workouts and meal plans
• Why relevant: Participant actively tracks fitness goals and uses gym apps regularly, placing them within our target user base of people maintaining momentum toward health goals.

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New learnings…

What didn’t work…

Validity and going forward…

What worked…

• Participant understood the scenario quickly without confusion
• Clear Action Items differentiated from seeing the “Metrics” option
• Participant initially chose an option “Just Show Up,” but realized they wanted to see the metrics

• Participant wanted to see metrics to make a more informed decision/logical choice rather than mood first (“I want to see how much I declined by like my weight”)
• Participant said one of the mood labels was redundant, could remove it without affecting the other choices they could make

• Users want contextual awareness: they need to know why they're declining (illness vs. laziness vs. overtraining) to choose appropriately
• The label works as a quick alert, but NOT as sufficient information for action
• Different users may have different tolerance for ambiguity

• The assumption was invalid; users do not trust simplified mood labels alone to make workout decisions. They need quantified context.
• Design must include BOTH: visual status indicators + one-tap access to key metrics
• Consider showing 2-3 critical numbers inline (e.g., "Declining: -90 lbs, 14 days off")

Results

Solution #2

Prototype

Critical Assumption:

• Visualizing a restart as new growth reduces the amount of disappointment compared to a full ground-up restart

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Description:

• Phase 1:
• User told to build a Jenga tower as high as possible in 30 seconds
• User builds a second tower right next to the first in 20 seconds
• Phase 2:
• User told to build a Jenga tower as high as possible in 30 seconds
• Tower is knocked down and the user builds a second tower in 20 seconds
• Ask participants how they felt about each phase

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Participants

• Who: Apartment residents
• Why relevant: Residents are frequent gym goers

New learnings…

What didn’t work…

Validity and going forward…

What worked…

• Participants overwhelmingly preferred the phase where the first tower was not knocked down

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• Participants said knocking the tower down felt defeating

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• Not knocking it down felt like making additional progress, even though the first tower had no relevance to the second one

• Participants felt that building two towers didn’t feel like two separate stints, but rather it felt like one continuous task

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• Participants immediately noted that they had made more progress on the second tower than the first despite the shorter given duration, but our goal was to prevent such comparisons

• Fully restarting and beginning anew can feel defeating, not reinvigorating

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• The “new branch” idea may invite comparisons to previous branches

• The emotional reaction to the “full restart” as opposed to the “new branch” solution demonstrates the viability of our solution

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• Going forward, we should test different types of tasks and increase the complexity of tasks

Results

Solution #3

Prototype

Critical Assumption: People don’t experience emotions as isolated daily events, but as broader emotional phases

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Description: A jar with multiple folded papers that have different moods

• Have participant draw 5 papers and assign it to 5 days in the week. Assign it in a way that they think would actually happen in their gym phases.
• On another sheet, use the same 5 papers and summarize how the phase went

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Participants

• Who: UCSB student that goes to the gym on an on-and-off basis
• Why relevant: Their on-and-off gym phases are a great representation of this app’s target audience.

New learnings…

What didn’t work…

Validity and going forward…

What worked…

• The Week View helped the participant realistically map moods in a physical manner.
• The Phase View encouraged synthesis. Despite the mixed emotions, the participant summarized the week as a “Busy” phase, showing abstraction beyond individual moods.
• The physical, hands-on interaction made reflection feel intuitive and low pressure.

• Individual negative moods like overwhelmed and frustrated were lost in the Phase View.
• The Phase View, being only a blank sheet of paper, lacked structure.
• With only one participant, emotional weighting patterns could not be fully compared.

• Emotional reflection tends to shift from feeling (daily moods) to interpreting (life phase).
• Emotionally mixed weeks can be reframed as functional or neutral rather than positive or negative.
• Participants may like day-based views for its accuracy but phase-based views for meaning-making.

• Random mood draws increase consistency for comparison, but may reduce validity compared to real-life mood tracking.
• Test more participants to compare patterns.
• Explore a hybrid design that combines daily mood tracking with an automatically generated phase summary.
• Test whether participants prefer different views depending on emotional state.

Results

Evaluating Our Solutions

Context-Aware Progress Tracker

• Impact: Medium - Addresses user frustration with rigid streak systems, but prototype showed users still need detailed metrics to make decisions. The mood label alone was insufficient, limiting immediate impact.
• Reach: Medium - Focused on fitness trackers and goal-oriented users who already use apps. Hasn't been tested with casual exercisers or non-tracking populations.
• Novelty: Medium - Progress tracking apps exist widely. Context-aware breaks are relatively new, but the specific implementation (mood labels + metrics) needs further refinement based on user preference for quantified data.

Branching Progress Tracker

• Impact: High; it allows users to restart a goal or habit without feeling like starting all over from the beginning

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• Reach: Medium; focused on gym-goers (primarily those with established goals)

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• Novelty: Medium; Similar progress tools exist, but this take on restarting a goal is unique

Gym Phase App

• Impact: Medium - The app supports emotional reflection by helping users reinterpret daily moods into broader life phases, but its long-term effect is not validated yet.

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• Reach: Low - At the state it’s at now, is more for reflective or journaling oriented users and hasn’t been tested across diverse populations.

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• Novelty: Medium - While mood tracking is common, framing emotional data through a flexible “phase” perspective is new.

Next Steps

Chosen Solution:

Branching Progress Tracker

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Why?

Based on the solution evaluations, we picked the app that had a higher overall score in Impact, Reach, and Novelty.

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Evidence Supporting This Choice:

1. Marcus Interview (GR1): Lost 287-day streak due to COVID, stated apps should differentiate between good and bad streaks. So he’s willing to pay for context-aware tracking
2. Experience Prototype Results: Our Jenga restart prototype validated that visualizing restart as new-growth (rather as ground-start) significantly reduced feelings of disappointment. Participants felt less defeated when progress was framed as branching rather than resetting to zero.

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Populations Served

• Gym users who regularly track their progress
• People who often take breaks from the gym and restart again
• People with fluctuating schedules (shift workers, students, parents)

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Who it might leave out:

• Users who go to the gym consistently without experiencing major breaks
• Users who prioritize quantitative performance metrics in their fitness tracking
• Casual gym-goers who don’t use tracking apps
• Communities without smartphone access or digital literacy

�Thank you!

Momentum

Appendix

(GR1 Materials)

Momentum

Observations

Key Learnings

Team

Interviewees

Title: Research Associate

Location: Library

Duration: 36 min

Interviewer: Evania (Interviewer/Recorder/Scribe)

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Main quote: “For creative pursuits like writing, I don’t think progress is something you can quantify day to day. Even days that feel unproductive can still contribute to momentum later.”

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Surprise: “If I have time to look at a progress-tracking app, I might as well just work on the goal.”

Andy

Team

Observations

Key Learnings

Insight

Users may want to make consistent progress toward goals, but they resist systems that turn progress into rigid metrics, obligations, or constant monitoring. They may believe that these systems feel more like pressure rather than support.

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Need

Users need a motivation system that supports progress while preserving autonomy, flexibility, and self-direction.

Observations

Key Learnings

Team

Interviewees

Title: Product Manager

Location: Food Court�Duration: 25 min

Interviewer: Jay (Interviewer/Scribe)

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Quote: "I don't really use a whole lot of apps; I don't use my phone much at all"

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Surprise: “I put everything [photos] on Google Drive, it’s all organized on there.”

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John

Interviewees

Team

Observations

Key Learnings

Insight

Some users don’t believe in tracking their habits/goals. They believe these apps/programs can hinder progress, particularly for goals that do not have steady and consistent progress.

Need

Users need a simple motivation system that does not drive the user away through steady pressure, instead giving them freedom to take breaks, modify goals, etc.

Observations

Key Learnings

Team

Interviewees

Title: Fitness Specialist

Location: Planet Fitness, Goleta�Duration: 36 min

Interviewer: William (Interviewer/Recorder/Scribe)

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Quotes: “I had a 287 day streak of logging workouts and then it just ended. Big fat zero. I still think about that number. I know it's stupid but it bothers me.”

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Surprises: "Sometimes I catch myself caring more about logging the workout than actually doing it well. Like I'll be in the middle of a set and I'm already thinking about what number I'm gonna put in the app."

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Marcus

Interviewees

Team

Observations

Key Learnings

Insight

Users may rely heavily on tracking systems for validation and accountability, but these systems become fragile during unavoidable life disruptions due to illness or injury. Users believe their progress only counts if it’s logged, creating anxiety around both tracking and not tracking.

Need

Users need tracking systems aware of context that maintain their progress identity through setbacks by recognizing legitimate breaks separately from lapses in effort, preserving long-term motivation instead of resetting it to zero.

Observations

Key Learnings

Team

Interviewees

Title: Marketing Specialist

Duration: 30 min

Interviewer: Jay (Interviewer/Scribe)

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Quote: "I used up a streak freeze for the first day, but skipped literally the next day."

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Surprise: “I moved Duolingo into a folder on the second page of my phone so it would be ‘out of sight, out of mind’”

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#4

Interviewees

Team

Observations

Key Learnings

Insight

Users may rely too much on a single app/tracker to indicate progress, becoming demotivated when they miss out due to unavoidable circumstances. Users may believe it is hard to pick up a habit up again if it has been temporarily dropped.

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Need

Users need a system of motivation that does not force the user to make constant progress. Users need more agency over their goals and habits.

Previous Learnings

Team

Interviewees

Observations

Long-Term Progress Over Daily Metrics

Relief of Continuous Pressure

Insight: Users care more about long-term trends than day-to-day fluctuations when working toward their goals. Apps that overemphasize daily changes can create unnecessary stress or discourage continued use.

User Autonomy

Insight: Users may not care about daily progress and tracking, instead logging activities and progress when they feel like it. Apps that pressure users to make steady and consistent progress can drive users away.

Motivation for Progress

Insight: Users may rely on tracking systems for their goals, but can become unhealthy due to thinking that it doesn’t count when not logged. Systems aware of legitimate breaks are needed to discern between giving up and illness or injury.

Insight: Users may lose motivation when they lose a “streak” of continuous progress. Apps that lack flexibility can discourage users from continued use.

Sketching , Low-Fi & Pilot Usability - Generate designs

Concept video - Storyboard and script that explains users

Project website - Design, build, and maintain a project website

POVs, HMWs & Experience Prototypes - Explore solutions

1

2

3

4

5

Needfinding - Conduct user interviews to identify themes

GR2

GR3

GR1

GR4

GR5

Next Few Steps …

Explore and refine design ideas and test Low-Fi prototypes.

Slide deck on Canvas with sketches, Low-Fi screens, and tests.

Complete Low-Fi screens and tests to identify issues.

Complete a polished video that conveys vision and value.

github.io project website with concept and prototypes.

Launch a functional and well-organized project website.

Translate research insights into clear problem statements.

Slide deck on Canvas with additional user interviews and HMWs.

Finalize POVs and HMWs and conduct additional interviews.

Understand user needs, pain points, and motivations.

Slide deck on Canvas including user interviews and empathy maps.

Complete needfinding synthesis and extract clear problem insights.

Communicate the project clearly to an external audience.

Communicate problem and proposed solution through a narrative.

Concept video with problem, solution, and ethical considerations.

John

Marcus

Chad

Andy

John is a product manager and photography enthusiast. He was recruited and interviewed in the Costco food court. He stood out among our interviewees as an older person. Jay conducted the interview, taking notes on his laptop throughout the session.

Marcus is a fitness enthusiast and was interviewed at Planet Fitness

during a break between workout sessions. Marcus serves as an

extreme user who logs every exercise to stay on track with health

and fitness goals. William conducted the interview, recording and

taking notes on his laptop throughout the session.

Chad is an AI character and was interviewed through a specially designed series of prompts. Chad serves as our extreme user, keeping track of their language learning progress every day with apps. Jay conducted the interview.

Andy is a friend of Evania’s cousin. He was recruited through him

and interviewed in the library. He was a good choice as a non-user.

Evania conducted the interview, recording and taking notes on her

laptop throughout the session.