pace

An app for urban long-distance runners to fosters a sense of friendly competition and motivation.

Role

UI/UX Design

Year

2024

Transform every run into a race with Pace, a mobile app tailored for urban long-distance runners.

Overview

By seamlessly integrating with wearable devices like the Apple Watch, Pace transforms solo runs into thrilling races against fellow users. Through its innovative race generation system, runners can challenge others to match or beat their pace, fostering a sense of friendly competition and motivation like never before.

Beyond just racing, Pace offers personalized route generation, ensuring each challenge is both engaging and accessible. Users can keep their routes private, safeguarding their personal data while still enjoying the benefits of performance tracking and health stat analysis. With Pace, every run becomes an opportunity for growth and achievement, empowering runners to push their limits and reach new heights in their fitness journey.

My first step when developing a solution to this problem was user research. I spoke with long distance runners from diverse backgrounds and experience levels to gain insights into their motivations, pain points, and behaviors. Through surveys and interviews, I learned about their preferences regarding running routes, motivation strategies, and tech usage.

Define the Problem Space

Long distance runners often struggle to find new routes and maintain motivation in their training because of the lack of accessible information about suitable running routes near them.

This problem space encompasses two main aspects: route discovery and motivation maintenance.

Runners encounter difficulty in discovering new routes that meet their preferences and requirements. Without easily accessible information, they may resort to repeating familiar routes, leading to monotony and decreased engagement in their training regimen.

The lack of variety and novelty in routes can contribute to a decline in motivation over time. Without fresh scenery or challenges, runners may struggle to stay motivated and may even experience a plateau in their performance.