FIT Happy Hour: Evaluating the Usability of an Eight-Week Asynchronous Fitness Program

Abstract

FIT Happy Hour is a fitness company focused on functional interval training to improve mind-body strength, endurance, and coordination. Established in 2013, the company started with small-group training for women over the age of 30. The success and retention of the members inspired the creation of the FIT Happy Hour website with an eight-week online fitness program for the same target population. The purpose of this usability study was to create and evaluate the ease-of-use of the eight-week online fitness program. More specifically, the usability study assessed the learnability, effectiveness, and satisfaction of the website. The website was created using WordPress with protected content for members only, and YouTube videos were created and used for the workouts and movement demonstrations. The design of the website was guided by concepts from user-centered design and Gestalt design principles to heighten continuity, order, and learnability. The study involved a total of ten participants. All participants were women aged 30 and above. Data were collected via in-person and online one-on-one usability sessions, as well as pre- and post-surveys. The demographic data were summarized with descriptive statistics and the one-on-one sessions and surveys were analyzed. All participants rated the layout and design, ease of navigation, and quality of content as either “excellent” or “good.”