Synergy
Synergy is a fitness and wellness app designed specifically for college students, helping them stay active and healthy without overwhelming their schedules. Whether students are just starting out or looking to stay consistent, Synergy meets them where they are—making wellness a part of their daily lives.
Teammates
Sofie Palmoeck, Shruti Upasani, Alexa Massiou, Akshita Mohapatra
Mar'25 -May 25
10 weeks
UX Project
Figma
Problem
College students often struggle to maintain consistent fitness routines due to academic stress, lack of motivation, and limited access to engaging wellness resources.
Solution
Through user research, interviews, and competitive analysis, we identified key pain points: lack of motivation, accountability, and community. We aimed to create a solution that would not only address these issues but also fit naturally into students' daily lives. That vision led us to develop Synergy - a fitness experience shaped around personalization, motivation, and meaningful connection
700+
Data Points
52
Themes
84%
Increase in time spent on website
Research & Discovery
We used a multi-layered research approach: in-depth interviews with 13+ participants, observational studies at SCAD Fit and Forsyth Park, competitive analysis, and a student survey. Three pain points emerged consistently: lack of motivation, accountability, and community.
Our competitive analysis of Nike Training Club, MyFitnessPal, Strava, and Apple Fitness+ revealed a clear gap: most tools are built for people who already have a routine — not for students starting from scratch.
Design Process
Naming & Brand Identity — The name Synergy comes from the Greek word synergia, meaning 'working together.' Our visual identity is bold, warm, and inclusive — never intimidating.
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Sitemap & Information Architecture - I mapped the entire app structure across six core areas; Home, Search, Communities, Profile, Calendar, and Sidebartogether.' Our visual identity is bold, warm, and inclusive — never intimidating.
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Wireframing - Hand-drawn wireframes covered every major screen, moving fast to explore layouts and catch friction points before committing to high-fidelity
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Moodboard - We built a shared mood board to align the team on visual and emotional direction before moving into high-fidelity
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Prototyping - As lead prototyper, I translated wireframes into an interactive Figma prototype that stress-tested every flow and navigation decision.
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Constraints and Tradeoffs
Too many opinions, not enough data. The team hit a standstill over visual direction: some wanted bold, high-energy colors; others pushed for something calmer. Rather than going in circles, we took it to potential users and let their vote decide. They chose the bold palette. A grounding reminder that in UX, the user's voice breaks the tie.
Designing for a wide range of users. Our research spanned beginners and advanced athletes, introverts and social exercisers, morning people and night owls. Holding all of those perspectives without losing focus required constant prioritization ; and a lot of productive disagreement.
Knowing when to simplify. With so much rich research data, the temptation was to build everything. Learning to protect the user experience by cutting features — not just adding them — was one of the most valuable lessons of this project.
Overcoming Problems & Solutions
Color Palete: we all had a disagreement as to how Synergy should look and be presented. Individually we all had different color palette ideas
Conclusion
Synergy creates a supportive and personalized fitness experience that helps users stay consistent and motivated through beginner-friendly features designed to inform and guide. The search function offers helpful suggestions like videos, articles, and tips while explaining terms and concepts along the way, ensuring users feel supported at every step. Through customizable calendars, goal tracking, progress journals, achievements, streaks, and community challenges, users can build routines that fit their unique schedules while fostering a sense of accomplishment and accountability, all backed by expert guidance and AI suggestions.