Jumper's Buddy

Track jump athletes have a lot to remember in order to execute a jump attempt. I partnered with a track jump coach to create an app that helps jump athletes have a place to write down their run start, PR, equipment, notes and cues, meets and schedule, packing list, and session count.

My Process

The Problem

Track athletes expend more energy then they need when they have to use reps to refind where their run starts or when they use the wrong pole on a vault. All these details quickly become difficult to remember, especially if an athlete must remeber information for multiple events.

If athletes can keep their information in one organized and easy to find spot that is designed for optimal information tracking, then athletes will always be ready to start their jump correctly without wasting energy or time.

User Persona

Jumper's Buddy is made for track jump athletes like Alex and Casey.

Alex is a highschool pole vaulter and long jumper. Jumper's Buddy is most useful when she needs to find where her pole vault and long jump run starts and what pole to start on. She also enjoys being able to see how she's improved over her past sessions.

Casey has been jumping longer than Alex and does pole vault, high jump, and triple jump. Since he is out of college and doesn't have a coach anymore, Casey uses Jumper's Buddy to track his progress and coach himself. Being able to see his past sessions and currect information helps him determine what he needs to work on next.

User Flow

The three main pages; Events, Sessions, Schedule; include features that are relevant to practices and meets. The Events page connects the user to the information and videos for each of their events. The Sessions page tracks each jump the athlete takes in a jump session. Each jump allows the athlete to take notes about the jump and what they jumped at. The Schedule page is where the athlete inputs their workout routine, meet schedule, and rest days.

Wireframes

Due to a limited amount of track jump apps, I wasn't sure of the best way to construct certain features on the app. I learned from other exercise tracking apps to find designs that have worked for users. Relying on my knowledge of jump events, the track specific features were adapted.

Design System

The Jumper's Buddy visual design was inspired by track details. The colors reflect the common red rubber and the white outlines mimic lane lines.

Challenges

Although there are many exercise tracking apps, it was difficult to incorporate the track specific information into the design. It took some trial and error to find a way to display all the necessary information for each event. The Sessions page was the most difficult feature to design. Considering how to clearly show each jump attempt, details related to each jump, and methods for the user to look at past jumps and sessions required many rounds of iteration. After running usability tests, I was able to revise the informational architecture on the Events page and the Sessions cards.

Next Steps

The next steps for the app is to get the app onto application platforms for people to download. As the app gets action in the real world, I hope to receive feedback from frequent users and upload updates that adjust the design as needed. I hope the app can help athletes improve their performance and overall jump routine.

Conclusion

Jumper's Buddy posed an unique challenge of extending exercise tracking to track jump events. Creating the features required knowledge about how jump events operate during practice and meeets, as well as research into what makes exercise apps so successful. I'm interested to explore what other topics can be combined and helped with design.