LevelUp
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Reimagining workouts by transforming rest periods into bite-sized minigames and rewarding consistency through a growing virtual companion.
The Start
A developer friend invited me to participate in a hackathon. I then asked one of our mutual friend to join in with us, forming a team of 3.
It's for RevenueCat's annual hackathon, Shipaton. The only requirements are that it's a mobile app and includes subscription-based monetization.
Concept Choice
One member of our team frequently goes to the gym. His problem is that sometimes he finds himself taking too long of a break between sets.
He also observed that other people do the same, always glued to their phones soon as they finish a set of a workout.
This pattern highlighted a common problem: unstructured rest time combined with phone distraction reduces focus, intensity, and efficiency during workouts.
Initial Ideation
I quickly made these mockups, it's a simple fitness app.
The core feature we focused on was integrating short minigames between workout sets.
These games last for the duration of the rest period, helping users stay engaged without over-resting.
Virtual Pet
Our standout element is the virtual Pet.
It's a digital companion that grows alongside you as you complete workouts.
You workout, you get food to feed the pet and help it gain experience points as it grows
Pet Illustration
I chose slime as the virtual pet
for its simplicity and versatility.
It'd be easy to customize with just
colors and additional elements.
Workout Graphics
For the workout images, I planned to use an API so it would be easy to implement and scale.
Workout API felt most aligned with my design approach for it's simple yet cartoony style.
Though I used vector images as placeholders in my prototype as we weren't ready to make the purchase yet.
Mid-Fi Mockups
I finished the mid-fi in a hurry, and immediately felt like something was off.
I noticed that the contrast between the cute, cartoony graphics and the intense, gung-ho workout app concept created a disconnect in the visual experience.
Course Correction
I realized I had prioritized speed over strategic alignment. I jumped into visual styling before clearly defining the brand personality and emotional direction.
I did some research on existing apps and noticed that the aesthetics is never half-baked, they always go all in on a particular style. So I changed my approach for the Hi-Fi mockups.
Colours
After the changes, the app uses a light, green-focused colour palette, chosen to reinforce themes of health, growth, and positive progression.
Originally, I’d wanted to use a bright orange as the main color, but it doesn’t go well with the cartoon style assets. Also, the softer tones makes the app feel approachable rather than intense.
Typography
For typography, I chose Nunito for its rounded feel and wide range of bold weights. It compliments the playful nature and is easy to work with.
Hi-Fi Mockup
Minigames
I wanted to keep these easy for everyone.
Something that feels easy but rewarding and fun to play at the same time.
Challenge
The challenge was in the timing—what happens when your rest time ends and you're still playing?
As a temporary solution, I chose to automatically end the game when the rest timer finishes to keep workouts on track.
Some alternatives I thought of was to either allow users to continue on their next rest or ensure each minigame fits the rest time provided.
Workout
I needed to remind myself a few times that the core of this app is working out.
It's not very clear what and where to click, so I've gone back and refined it.
Redesign
I added a numbering system so the workouts will have more structure. I also greyed out elements that are not active.
Experience Progression
Instead of gaining food and feeding the pet, I decided it's better to just give experience points altogether.
This skips a step that could feel redundant over time.
Aftermath
On the day of the sprint, where we were supposed to get most of the work done on the coding side of things. We were heavily distracted and ended up just eating, chatting, and playing basketball.
It's a shame but I was happy to be able to tackle a design problem as the sole designer regardless of the outcome of this hackathon.
Retrospective
There are still lots of possible additions that could take this app further.
Elements such as customization, friend leaderboard, daily challenges, etc.
When I'm feeling up for the challenge, I'll definitely come back to this project and make it even better.
Thank you, feel free to check out
my other works!