Unifit - A Student Fitness App by Amay Bharadwaj

INDIVIDUAL PROJECT - 2025

Creating a fitness platform that fits the real routines, energy levels and schedules of college students

TIMELINE

8 Weeks

KEY SKILLS

UX Research, Interaction Design, Behavioral Mapping, Visual Design, Prototyping

MENTOR

Arun Soman

Anand Vijayan

Arun Soman

Anand Vijayan

TOOLS

Figma

Photoshop

Rotato

Figma

Photoshop

Rotato

OVERVIEW

Fitness often feels like an extra task for students. It gets pushed aside when academics, stress or time take priority. I built Unifit as a platform that fits into student life. It helps users track simple actions, plan workouts around their real schedule and feel motivated by progress without pressure.

Track daily actions and small wins that build consistent habits

Schedule flexible workouts around academic routines

Access motivation tools that support mental and physical health

Connect with trainers, peers and fitness tools in one place

PROBLEM

There’s no fitness platform built around the actual lives of college students. Most apps assume motivation, structure and time already exist - but student life is full of shifting schedules, low energy and academic pressure.

In my conversations with students across campuses, I kept hearing the same thing — they don’t need another fitness app. They need something built for their reality

RESEARCH INSIGHTS

To understand how students relate to fitness, I combined contextual interviews with research methods like the Iceberg Method, 5 Whys and Cultural Probes to uncover what truly blocks consistency.

Surface excuses like “I’m too tired” revealed deeper emotional barriers like guilt, shame and comparison that most fitness tools ignore.

By digging into repeated responses, I uncovered that time wasn’t the only blocker - it was unpredictable schedules and mental fatigue that broke consistency.

I observed how students actually navigated fitness across a week — revealing that effort spikes, class timings and social settings shaped their choices more than motivation alone.

How did this research change your initial idea of student fitness?

What assumptions were challenged during this process?

How did emotional and behavioral patterns shape the feature design?

Why is flexibility a central design principle in Unifit?

How did this research change your initial idea of student fitness?

What assumptions were challenged during this process?

How did emotional and behavioral patterns shape the feature design?

Why is flexibility a central design principle in Unifit?

How did this research change your initial idea of student fitness?

What assumptions were challenged during this process?

How did emotional and behavioral patterns shape the feature design?

Why is flexibility a central design principle in Unifit?

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROBLEM

I mapped out a student profile and her fitness journey to understand where routines break down and how Unifit could support motivation, flexibility and emotional energy.

Priya is a 19-year-old design student who wants to stay active but struggles to stay consistent. Her academic routine constantly shifts, leaving little energy or structure for workouts. Her biggest needs are flexibility, emotional support and reminders that feel personal, not pressuring.

I mapped Priya’s fitness journey across key stages like planning, motivation, rescheduling and recovery. The challenges she faced - energy dips, schedule conflicts and uncertainty — showed that consistency breaks not from lack of intent, but from life getting in the way. This insight shaped Unifit to support flexibility, reduce friction and meet students where they are.

FEATURE STRATEGY

Unifit is built around 4 core pillars that support flexible, student-centered fitness

Network

Your home base to view tasks, progress and connect with your trainer.

Network

Your home base to view tasks, progress and connect with your trainer.

Workout
Quick, flexible sessions sorted by time and energy level.

Schedule
Plan, track or reschedule workouts alongside academic tasks.

Food
Log meals, scan nutrition and get simple, healthy suggestions.

DESIGN SYSTEM

To maintain visual consistency across 20+ screens, I created a modular design system. The system was built with scalability in mind - from light/dark compatibility to supporting new verticals in the future.

INTERACTION FLOWS + DESIGN DECISIONS

I designed focused flows for each core feature of Unifit, making sure every step supports real student routines, energy and motivation.

Network Overview

This screen was designed to give students a lightweight yet complete view of their daily fitness touchpoints. It brings together step tracking, hydration, sleep progress, daily workouts and schedule previews into one cohesive hub.

The idea was to reduce friction and decision-making by showing relevant information upfront. Every element is meant to encourage check-ins, not demand them. By embedding trainer access and workout shortcuts in the same flow, students are more likely to engage with their health even during low-energy moments. This flow reflects my intent to make wellness feel integrated, not additional.

Workout Navigation and Progress

This flow was created to help students approach workouts with flexibility and intention. Students can choose between Quick, Main or Meditation workouts based on how much time and energy they have. Each workout tile shows effort level, points earned and duration, which helps users make quick but informed choices.

The visual feedback at the end of each session, such as calories burned and time spent, reinforces progress without guilt. I focused on giving just enough structure while allowing freedom — so students feel supported, not boxed in. This flow represents how Unifit adapts to energy and motivation, rather than expecting consistency every day.

Schedule Management and Task Planning

This flow lets students plan, view and adjust fitness activities alongside academic and personal tasks. It is intentionally flexible - workouts can be rescheduled or skipped without losing visibility or falling off track.

I designed this to address the guilt loop I discovered during research, where missing one session often led to complete disengagement. By providing a centralized timeline and simple task management interface, students can build better habits without needing rigid discipline. This flow captures my goal of making planning feel helpful and forgiving rather than strict or stressful.

Food Logging and Daily Nutrition Summary

This screen supports meal tracking without overloading the user. Students can log meals, scan food items and view a clear nutritional breakdown across macros. The interface is designed to feel helpful and encouraging, especially for students who eat out, share mess food or lack fixed eating patterns.

I focused on keeping it visual and simple - color-coded nutrients, portion indicators and a daily summary to help students reflect without judgment. This flow ties into the broader philosophy of Unifit - support better decisions with clarity, not pressure.