Design Thinking – Tool Kit: Bodyfit

Research · 2020 · Cologne University of Applied Sciences

As part of the project “Design Thinking – Tool Kit: Bodyfit”, a playful fitness toolkit was developed to help people maintain their physical fitness and mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, when gyms were closed and regular training routines became difficult to sustain. The main objective was to create a motivating system that encourages users to integrate physical activity into their daily lives and independently plan and complete workouts. The project was based on the Design Thinking phases by Plattner, Meinel, and Weinberg (2009) as well as the innovation framework “The Magic 5 of Innovation – Judging Pattern” by Christian Kohls (2016). The entire development process followed the five main phases: Orientation, Deep Understanding, Ideation, Judging, and Implementation. In the first phase, Orientation, extensive research was conducted to analyze the impact of the pandemic on people’s fitness routines and motivation. Relevant stakeholders, market conditions, and existing fitness and motivation solutions were examined. Additionally, a mind map was created to structure the problem space, identify user needs, and define possible solution directions for the project. During the Deep Understanding phase, the focus was on gaining a deeper understanding of user behavior and motivation challenges. Qualitative research methods such as interviews, observations, surveys, and behavioral analysis were used to identify barriers to home workouts, motivational struggles, and psychological aspects related to maintaining physical activity during lockdown periods. In the Ideation phase, various creative methods such as brainstorming, idea combination, and provocation techniques were applied to generate innovative concepts. The goal was not only to reproduce obvious solutions but to create a more engaging and enjoyable approach that would increase motivation and make exercising at home more sustainable. During the Judging phase, all generated ideas were structured, clustered, and prioritized based on clearly defined evaluation criteria such as usability, feasibility, motivation potential, and innovation value. A reality check was performed to ensure that the final concept would be practical, user-friendly, and effective. The final phase, Implementation, focused on developing the final product: an interactive Bodyfit Toolkit consisting of a customizable weekly workout planner and action cards with daily workout challenges. Users can either create their own weekly workout schedule in a playful way or simply choose a day and draw a random action card that defines the workout for that day. This flexible approach reduces planning barriers, increases the fun factor, and helps users stay motivated over time. The final outcome of the project was a user-centered fitness toolkit that combines Design Thinking with gamification to address the challenges of staying active during the COVID-19 pandemic. The toolkit supports users in organizing their physical activity independently while promoting both physical health and mental well-being in a sustainable and engaging way.