Index

Research

Define

Wireframes

Prototype

Bouldering app - Personal project

Design system
-
Eventflow

Creating an app that supports progression, motivation and community bonding within bouldering

Type

Personal project

Tools

Figma

At a Glance

Bouldering App

  • Share and save climbing videos

  • Rate and grade Climbs at your gym

  • Find beta Suggestions

  • Add climbing friends

  • Join weekly challenges

  • Track your progress

Glossary

Beta

Sloper

Flash

Top / Topping out

Crimps

Comp / Competition Climbs

Research

Primary Research

Semi - Structured interviews:

  • Interviewed five participants, about their experiences at bouldering.

  • The interviews were semi-structured and three categories were included ; Environment, Motivation and Progression in regards to bouldering.

A mix of in-person and online:

  • Spoke to three participants in person and two participants online.

  • Each interview took approximately 20-30 minutes.

Participant Criteria:

  • Adults (age 18+) who go bouldering at least once a week.

Secondary Research

  • Rock climbing - improvement in physical body and muscle groups

  • Rock climbing - therapeutic use of rock climbing as a treatment for depression

Existing Climbing apps used in NZ

Participants & sample questions

Sample interview questions:

  • Which bouldering gym do you go to regularly?

  • What are some reasons you chose to go to this gym?

  • Why do you go climbing?

  • What motivates you to go regularly?

  • Have you been to other climbing gyms?

  • How do they compare?

  • How do you fit bouldering into your weekly schedule?

  • How do you know you are improving at climbing?

  • What would you like to do to get better?

Interview Insights

Insight 1 - Motivation

Most participants want an exercise to be enjoyable and relaxed because their available free time for exercise often follows their work commitments which may indicate they want something slow paced and social for their choice of exercise compared to a competitive sport.

"I want to get functional strength. i like bouldering because there was a big group of us as well. So it was like a fun social exercise”

Insight 2 - Attitudes towards climbing gyms

Participants emphasised the need for flexible climbing routes. Fixed paths can disadvantage certain body types even within the same climbing level. This can leading to frustration, demotivation and a sense of being stuck.

"My strength is crimps because they are easier if you are smaller and have better body weight ratio."

How might we make bouldering feel inclusive and supportive for the climbers in order to progress and stay motivated?

Design Principles

Enjoyability

Keeping the theme of "fun"

Inclusivity

Accessible and inclusive to all kinds of people

Supportive

The design should be supportive of users goals without giving pressure

Community

Encourage community bonding

Ideation

Social Media style app

  • Most climbers already have some form of social media / know how to use it

  • Some people feel “embarrassed” to post their climbing videos on their personal social media profiles

  • Can implement other features in the future

  • Easier to create a community

Usability test + Insights

Questions

  • Can you try and upload an video

  • Can you search for a beta suggestion

  • Can you look for a climbing video feed

Insight 1

Users who are unfamiliar with an app, will instinctively use the search function to search for anything.

Insight 2

Multiple ways of reaching a task should be implemented for ease of use.

Hi-fi wireframes

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