Palace MicroGym
The fitness studio in Hong Kong paves the way for the future of health and wellness. They cater to the needs of private fitness coaches and wellness professionals.
JAN-FEB 2022
UX & UI Design
Figma
Client brief
The decay of fitness centres in Hong Kong
Under the influences of COVID-19, fitness centres in Hong Kong were slowly decaying due to the governmental social gathering ban. Trainers and gym lovers could not access the centres to enjoy private exercise with well-furnished equipment.
As the gym centres were either permanently or temporarily closed down with unknown reopening dates, it’s unforeseeable for gym lovers to join any courses. Some pairs choose to do it in the park or other outdoor places, but it could be an unpleasant experience for those who are concerned about safety and privacy.
Strategies
Less pandemic panic, more security, and safety
We see the chance of hosting a fitness session in a micro-studio with a smaller group of qualified professionals and flexible timeslots. Users can have 1-on-1 or 2-on-1 training in one of the micro-studios with any of the qualified professionals on our platform. The entire booking procedure can be done online without unnecessary contact with the staff. We believe this could ease the concern about hygiene, safety & privacy and make the fitness experience more personalized.
Painpoint
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Clients who used to go to the fitness center on their own might not experience being coached by a personal trainer. They haven’t been linked up with potential PTs and thus discontinued their practices due to the closure of fitness centers.
Process
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The challenge is how to build a community that doesn’t require users’ effort to maintain their profiles & connections and incorporated it into the booking system instead of standing alone as a socializing function.
I looked up similar course booking systems such as Lingoda and took references of their booking flow.
Key result
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We decided to verify coaches when they join the community to maintain our credibility. Every trainer or physiotherapist joining Palace must be qualified by the team.
Once they’ve set up their availability and prices, their profiles will appear on the app where gym lovers can make a session with them. No extra effort in promoting the trainers themselves and reaching out to clients. It’s painless for newcomers to join the community and enjoy fitness time.
Clients can browse the available spaces, time slots, and PTs, and can simply book a session at their convenience.
Painpoint
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While micro-gym provides flexibility, the management cost of hosting could be gigantic. Hiring a concierge to host may not be cost-effective as the space & sessions are scattered - time slots may not be fully filled.
Also, some users concern about privacy and safety. It’s difficult to accommodate a concierge in a studio-sized space with micro-coaching.
Process
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I took references from the concierge-less check-in system from many hotels in Japan.
Clients and PTs can unlock the space right away when they arrive at the door before the session begins. This could avoid any unnecessary contact with staff. It’s seamless, entirely private, and benefitial for lowering the risk of the pandemic.
Key feature
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The app integrated with VationX to provide a contactless door-lock to the studio. Attendees can unlock the space using the app when they arrive at the door before the session begins.