University Report: Critique of 7 Minute Workout App on Android

This report provides a comprehensive critique of the "7 Minute Workout" app by Simple Design Ltd. on Android, tested on a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo. The report analyzes the app's user interface, highlighting its peaceful and intuitive design with a focus on simplicity. It assesses the functionality, including voice-guided HICT exercises, statistics tracking, animations, and integration with Google Fit. The critique evaluates ease of use, aesthetic design, push notifications, and social media integration. The report concludes with recommendations for enhancements, specifically addressing the flow of multiple circuits within a workout session. The app is commended for its simplicity and functional design, with the report providing a detailed examination of its strengths and areas for improvement, supported by references to relevant design principles.

Running head: CRITIQUE OF 7 MINUTE WORKOUT ON ANDROID
Critique of "7 Minute Workout" App on Android
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School or Institution Name (University at Place or Town, State)
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CRITIQUE OF 7 MINUTE WORKOUT ON ANDROID
Table of Contents
User Interface.......................................................................................................................3
Type of Functionality Provided...........................................................................................3
Ease of Use..........................................................................................................................4
Aesthetic Design..................................................................................................................4
Availability of Push Notifications.......................................................................................4
Integration With Social Media.............................................................................................4
Recommendations and Justifications for Enhancements.....................................................5
References............................................................................................................................6
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CRITIQUE OF 7 MINUTE WORKOUT ON ANDROID
Critique of "7 Minute Workout" App on Android
This report is a critique of a health app aimed at busy people who want maximum
profitability for their time invested, 7 Minute Workout App (Simple Design Ltd., 2017) by
Simple Design Ltd. on Android. The app is tested on Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo with Android
Lollipop (version 5.1.1).
User Interface
The icon of the app has light green colour, rounded corner, outline of a stopwatch and
digit 7 in centre covering most of the area of the icon. The user experience beginning with the
icon is peaceful (green (Fat Rabbit Creative, 2015)), denoting quick action (stopwatch), and
indicates requiring only seven minutes of time. The app opens with a splash screen that is muted
in colour and displays the awards the app has won. The font is small throughout, and the app
does not attempt to boast or grab attention by the throat. The interface is divided into two tabs -
Workout, and Calendar. Workout tab contains modules like Classic, 30 Day Challenge, Abs
Workout, Butt Workout. All in all, the experience of the app is gratifying, and the user wants to
use the app more repeatedly.
Type of Functionality Provided
The app provides a voice-guided (automated text-to-speech using device's engine) for
doing High-Intensity Circuit Training (HICT) exercises (Klein, 2013). Also, statistics like time
and days of exercises is automatically logged, and other details like height, weight can be input
by the user. Weight can be added for any day, and tracking is done on a calendar. The app
provides animations of exercises, links to short YouTube videos of experts performing the same,
and audio-visual cues as to start, stop and middle-time of training sets. Also. syncing of data with
Google Fit is provided.
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CRITIQUE OF 7 MINUTE WORKOUT ON ANDROID
Ease of Use
The app is convenient to use. The whole app is visually broken into boxes, and each box
has a full-width image relevant to the topic of box. Action links are distinguished by a separate
colour. Settings are also categorised, have icons, setting name, and the current value all viewable
in a single glance without any tap on the screen required. Simplicity seems to have been the
guiding principle in the design of this app. The version tested was the free (ad-supported) one,
and thus there were distractions of the app, but the motivated user always has the option of going
ad-free by buying one-time or subscribing monthly.
Aesthetic Design
Aesthetically, the app is straightforward and functional. The focus of the app is on the
user being able to access the data and the functionality that he desires in the least obtrusive way.
Consistent use of colours, fonts, and layouts allow for a near-zero learning curve (Budiu, 2016).
All in all, the app is not strikingly beautiful, but functional and simple.
Availability of Push Notifications
Since the app is focused on single individual's health, thus the usage of push notifications
is less. Still, one feature of the app uses push notification is used and that is when the user opts-in
for reminders to exercise. In this feature, multiple reminders at a fixed on days of choosing can
be set.
Integration With Social Media
Again being a closed-ended app in the sense that it does not have an active external world
interaction, the role of social media is limited to sharing the app. This option is hidden away
lower in the settings menu. Going with the app's focus on user, and non-relevance of social
media, this factor is almost non-existent in the app.
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CRITIQUE OF 7 MINUTE WORKOUT ON ANDROID
Recommendations and Justifications for Enhancements
The app allows for multiple repetitions of the circuit. However, the flow of doing so at
the completion of one circuit is non-intuitive. For example, if the user has set three circuits per
exercise day, the at the completion of each circuit, an option of repeat circuit is being missed.
Instead, the user has to push back button multiple times to reach homepage and start again for
there. The statistics are measured correctly though the user experience breaks down here. This
addition of a new button is recommended since if a user has already consented to three circuits,
an option to complete those is expected and should be handy (IDF Course Instructor, 2015).
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CRITIQUE OF 7 MINUTE WORKOUT ON ANDROID
References
IDF Course Instructor. (2015, August 25). Fitts's Law: The Importance of Size and Distance in
UI Design . Retrieved from Interaction Design Foundation : https://www.interaction-
design.org/literature/article/fitts-s-law-the-importance-of-size-and-distance-in-ui-design
Budiu, R. (2016, October 30). The Power Law of Learning: Consistency vs. Innovation in User
Interfaces. Retrieved from Nielsen Norman Group:
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/power-law-learning/
Fat Rabbit Creative. (2015, July 9). Psychology of the Color Green and What it Means for Your
Business. Retrieved from Fat Rabbit Creative:
https://www.fatrabbitcreative.com/blog/psychology-of-the-color-green-and-what-it-
means-for-your-business
Klein, S. (2013, June 12). We Tried It: The 7-Minute Workout. Retrieved from HuffPost:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-klein/we-tried-it-7-minute-
workout_b_3416964.html
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