My Role
UI/UX Designer, Founder
Task
Full creation from concept to completion
User research
UI design
UX design
Prototyping
Constraints
12 weeks
iOS
Impact
Easier User Navigation
All users reported finding booking events easier after the landing page was changed.
Funelled Information
Based on the reduction of information on group workout pages, all users felt that they could make a faster decision about whether or not to join.
Effectiveness
40% more users felt empowered to do a solo workout with the information provided on the app- particularly about seclusion.
90% of users said they were likely to exercise outdoors more using FitSafe.
Secondary Research
Primary Issue: Fear of Violence
As a travel-lover and expat in Lisbon— a city now over 50% immigrant— I’ve connected with women from around the world. One common thread unites us: a shared awareness of safety and self-protection.
Even in Portugal, one of the safest countries globally, women take precautions to avoid threatening situations. Every woman I know has faced unwanted advances, been followed, or touched without consent. Such experiences are disturbingly common.
say fear of crime has prevented them from walking, jogging or running alone in their area
feel completely safe in public spaces
Tragic cases like Sarah Everard, a British woman raped and murdered in 2020, remind us of the worst-case scenarios. Similarly, Lindsay Birbeck’s murder while walking alone in 2019 highlights the risks women face, even in low-crime areas.
While such events are rare, the stakes feel too high. Even in the safest places, safety is never guaranteed—a reality reflected in viral debates like TikTok's "man vs. bear" question, where many women choose the bear.
in the UK have felt unsafe walking alone in parks or other open spaces
feel unsafe walking alone at night
Secondary Issue: Risk of Injury & the Elements
Sporting injuries become even riskier in remote areas with uneven terrain
The film 127 Hours, based on real events, follows a man who went mountain biking without informing anyone of his plans. After a freak accident left him pinned to a canyon wall, he had to amputate his own arm to survive—an extreme reminder of the risks of outdoor workouts without proper precautions.
Being exposed to the elements also poses a common safety threat
In 2021, a California family- parents, a baby girl and their dog- all passed away from heat exhaustion after going for a hike on an exceptionally hot day.
in the USA die from hiking-related accidents every year
in the USA are due to falls
are carried out each year in the USA
in the USA involve lost/disoriented hikers
Validation
Research Set-Up
I tested my earlier assumptions with a user focus group.
I interviewed a wide age range, hoping to improve the wellness of all age groups.
3 Men | 7 Women | 27-75yrs old
As fear of violence is the primary issue I wanted to address, which my personal experience and research show disproportionately affects women, I interviewed more women than men.
I interviewed users to gain answers to four main questions:
What concerns users most about working alone in secluded areas?
What provisions do users take to mitigate those concerns?
What provisions would users like in an app aiming to resolve the issue?
What appeals to users about exercising outdoors?
Pain Points
Following the initial focus group, I asked users to individually list their main frustrations with their own safety provisions.
1
No one being available to go with
2
Users forgetting to tell people where they are going
3
Phone battery running low
4
Lack of knowledge about what to take to the workout
Personas
Following my user research, I developed three personas to represent FitSafe's three main types of user.
I wanted to be able to visualise these personas utilising the features of the app.
