BoxersUnite
The new way to fight safely and with pleasure
The new way to fight safely and with pleasure
Concept, Design,
Animation and Film
Lukas Schneider
Cornelia Goerlich
4 Months
University Project
3. Semester
The aim of the project was to develop a concept based on product ideas of our cooperating university, the Queensland University of Technology in Australia.
The Australians have been working on gadgets in connection with the Modbox concept in a product design course. Modbox stands for "Modified Form of Boxing" and is designed to be safer, fun and improve skills compared to classic boxing. Our challenge was to complement the product idea of the QUT students with a digital application. This application was conceptualized by us and then implemented in a screen design and image film.
Boxers Unite is the new way to fight safely and with pleasure. Interactive dumbbells and a vest that tracks movements enable fights over distance. Our app gives you the opportunity to record fights, improve your skills and make new contacts. Users can organize fights themselves or search for suitable ones. Without much communication and effort, players meet at the agreed time and place. All they have to do is connect quickly and the fight begins.
Boxers Unite supports the athletes with a detailed analysis of the fight and their general strengths and weaknesses. Players can track their progress in the leagues' high score lists and prove their abilities in competitions.
Internet Research*
Competitor Analysis
Expert Interview*
Paper Prototype*
Wireframes*
Personas
Moodboard
Design System*
Screendesign*
Data visualization
Usability Tests*
Expert Interviews*
Documentation
Microinteractions*
Animations*
Storyboard
3D Model*
Film Editing*
* = Created or executed by me
Our introduction to boxing covered its history, rules, and techniques, emphasizing the discipline and mental fortitude it demands.
While strength is crucial, success also hinges on skillful technique, coordination, and quick reflexes, making boxing a holistic challenge for mind and body.
Despite its benefits like fitness and discipline, boxing faces criticism for its violence and injury risk. Modbox aims to revolutionize the sport by retaining its strengths while minimizing harm through new rules and alternative training methods.
To get a deeper insight on this topic, we interviewed a former amateur boxer. Paul Ens (35) started boxing at the age of 12 and was a successful boxer in his youth. Later he founded a boxing club to support socially disadvantaged youth in Freiburg.
Young people are looking for a way to prove themselves, to compete with others and to show their dominance. Danger and adrenaline are an additional motivation for young people. Boxing creates an orderly framework for this. At the same time, boxing teaches young people discipline, respect and perseverance.
- Overview of strengths and weaknesses
- Recognition of error patterns
- Analyzing punch sequences
- Power curve in combat
- Position of the hand
- Numerical data
Photo by Eduardo Dutra on Unsplash
We first performed a market analysis and analyzed which gadgets and apps are already available. These can be divided into the following main areas:
Boxing training at home - How to box slim.
Boxing Tips and Techniques
Dodge Boxing
While some apps offer basic boxing workouts, most lack a focus on technique. Notable exceptions include Striketec and Punchlab, which use sensors and phone-based tracking to provide data and feedback on punches, improving technique.
Based on our research, we evaluated the numerous product ideas submitted by QUT students. In the end, we decided on the "EXO-BOX" idea. It consists of a vest that tracks the fighter's movement and dumbbells that send InfraRed signals. Two boxers are equipped with this equipment and stand at a short distance from each other. When a punch is delivered, the dumbbell sends a signal to the opponent's vest and it records the hits. It is also determined whether the target was successfully hit or dodged or parried.
We envisioned a mobile app for EXO BOX, enabling users of all levels to train and connect with others anytime, anywhere. Key features included finding sparring partners, arranging matches, and analyzing results.
User feedback led us to add contests and leagues to attract serious athletes, foster long-term motivation, and track progress. The goal was to create an app that is both fun and rewarding.
Scetching by QUT students
Paper prototyping was an iterative process. This resulted in three prototypes with different focuses.
First, we looked at the user flow to develop an understanding of the user's needs. In the second version, we focused purely on the layout.
Now that we knew what information we wanted to show where, we took a closer look at the interaction. Among other things, we showed how screens expand and buttons change state.
Our paper prototypes now served us as templates for the digital wireframes. We designed our wireframes for iPhone 10 and made them interactive in Adobe XD. After drafting, we analyzed the screens for repetitive elements to prepare the Design System. This prototype served as a foundation for user studies with five participants.
By putting ourselves in the personas' shoes, we can make better design decisions. For BoxersUnite, we created three representatives of our potential target groups derived from the user tests we conducted. Florian Fun is a modern teenager looking for new experiences, people, and most importantly, fun. Alex Ambitious is a goal-oriented young adult. He is eager to improve himself and his skills. We also adopted Clara Careful as a secondary persona. She reflects a curious but cautious young woman. She is looking for new contacts, but needs a certain security.
To ensure the same vision of our app in the team, we created a board with mood images. We defined that the app should look clean and modern above all, and blue should be the primary and orange the secondary color.
The last step of the design phase was the screen design. We decided to use tiles with a subtle shadow and a light gray background and our primary color blue for interactive elements and own Match results. To create a better distinction we used the secondary color orange for the opponent's data.
In general, we went through many iterations in our design process to make each screen particularly intuitive and self-explanatory for the user. It was especially important for us to create a visual hierarchy for the eye.
To find the perfect fight opponent, we have implemented a search function for fights, filters can also be set there.
By default, the search leads to a list view of all available matches. The user can adjust the filters again if necessary.
If the user selects a suitable match, he or she is directed to the profile of the creator, there he can send a fight request and chat.
After the fight, the players see an overview of the respective rounds, as well as the total score. In addition, data such as the number of punches and punch speed are evaluated and displayed to the players.
In the profile, the user can view his statistics and, based on in-depth data, receives comparative values and recommendations as to which areas can still be improved.
In order to provide the user with long-lasting fun, we have placed special emphasis on gamification. For example, the confetti animation should reward the user for a victory.
To illustrate our concept even further we created a two-minute film showing our concept and product idea. We thought about the core message we wanted to convey. It should be very clear that our product is much more than just a training app. But rather that we connect different local people through sports.
The challenge was to explain the product and the many different features of the app. We decided to work with various fade-ins and transitions to explain the advantages of our app in a short and concise way and then show the appropriate screens. We filmed acquaintances with a wide range of nationalities to symbolize that anyone can use BoxersUnite, regardless of gender, age, income level, or nationality.
In the end, we are both very satisfied with our result. We created an interactive application from a pure product idea that is well thought out, user-oriented and innovative. Communication within the team was equal and we were each able to contribute our strengths and rely on each other.
However, we would conduct more in-depth user testing and A/B testing at each step, but this was not possible to this extent in this project due to the university framework.
Cornelia and I will submit BoxersUnite to the UX-Challenge 2020 of the German UPA and would like to present it at Mensch Maschine 2020 and be among the top 5 Germany-wide.
We are very optimistic because we have conceptualized and designed a product with social impact and communicate this clearly in our image film.
Update: Unfortunately it was not enough to be nominated among the top 5 in the competition. However, we are very grateful for everything we learned and see the project as a successful growth opportunity.