PRD: Gamified Health App for Combatting Sedentarism in Desk Workers

tl;dr: This mobile app is designed to target the sedentary lifestyle of adults with desk jobs by gamifying incremental movements throughout their day. Through carefully chosen activities and rewards, the app aims to make physical activity accessible, enjoyable, and a part of daily routine, thereby improving overall health and vitality.

Goals

Business Goals

Achieve a significant user base within the desk worker demographic in the first year.
Drive user engagement and retention by creating an addictive, rewarding experience.
Form partnerships with health-focused brands and organizations to enhance the reward system.

User Goals

Integrate easy and quick physical activities into the daily routine of desk-bound adults.
Improve physical and mental health through regular movement breaks.
Build a community that supports and motivates each other to stay active.

Non-Goals

Providing comprehensive fitness programs or nutritional guidance.
Targeting athletes or individuals already engaged in regular physical activity.

User Stories

As a user with a desk job, I want to have access to short, fun, and easy activities so that I can stay active without needing to leave my desk.
As a participant, I want to earn rewards and recognition for my efforts so that I’m motivated to continue my wellness journey.
As a team leader, I want to engage my team in group wellness activities so that we can improve our health and team cohesion.

User Experience

Onboarding: Users are greeted with an engaging walkthrough of the app, highlighting key features and the benefits of staying active.
Activity Suggestions: Tailored activity challenges like "Deskercise," "Walk and Talk Meetings," and "Mindful Stretching Breaks" are presented, complete with video tutorials.
Rewards System: Users are motivated by a dynamic level-up system, earning badges, and real-life incentives, keeping engagement high.
Community and Competition: Features like leaderboards and community forums encourage friendly competition and support among users.

Engaging Activities and Rewards

Specific Activities: Including desk-based exercises, walking challenges, and guided stretches tailored to the workplace or home office setting.
Gamification Elements: A fun, addictive rewards system including leveling, badges, and customizable avatars.
Community Building: Tools for sharing progress, participating in group challenges, and supporting fellow users.
Real-life Rewards: Collaborations with health and wellness brands to offer tangible incentives for consistent app use.

User Experience and Gamification Details

Specific Activities

Deskercise Challenges: Short, fun exercises designed for the office or home desk, such as chair squats, desk push-ups, and seated leg raises. Each exercise comes with a quick video tutorial.
Walk and Talk Meetings: Encourage users to turn audio meetings into walking meetings. The app can track their steps during these meetings as part of the daily goals.
Mindful Stretching Breaks: Guided stretching routines aimed at relieving tension and stress, particularly targeting the neck, shoulders, and back. These can be prompted by the app at user-set intervals.

Gamification and Rewards

Level-up System: Users start as "Office Novices" and level up by completing activities, eventually earning titles like "Deskercise Champion" or "Mobility Master."
Virtual Trophies and Badges: Earn unique badges for streaks, milestones (e.g., "10 Walking Meetings"), and participation in community challenges.
Customizable Avatars: Users can personalize avatars that evolve as they progress, reflecting their journey and achievements.
Social Leaderboards: Encourage friendly competition with company-wide or global leaderboards, showcasing top movers each week.
Real-life Incentives: Partner with health brands to offer real-life rewards, such as discounts on ergonomic office supplies or healthy snack subscriptions for consistent app engagement.

Learning from Viral Health Apps

Personalized Goals: Like Noom, which focuses on personalized diet plans, "MoveIt" will use AI to suggest daily activities tailored to each user’s fitness level, preferences, and progress, making the experience truly personalized.
Community Support: Create forums and groups where users can share their experiences, tips, and encourage each other, fostering a strong sense of community.
Engaging Content: Offer weekly mini-courses or challenges on topics like posture correction, the science of sedentarism, and balancing work with wellness, keeping the content fresh and users engaged.
Feedback Loop: Incorporate a mechanism for users to share feedback on activities, which the app can use to continuously improve and personalize the experience.

Narrative

Consider "Alex," who finds integrating exercise into his busy workday challenging. This app transforms Alex's breaks into opportunities for movement, improves his mental clarity and physical health, and even connects him with fellow desk workers, creating a vibrant community focused on wellness.

Success Metrics

User acquisition and retention rates.
Daily and weekly active user metrics.
Engagement rates with challenges, community forums, and educational content.
Feedback and satisfaction scores from users.

Technical Considerations

Cross-platform functionality for a seamless experience on any device.
Data privacy and security, particularly with health data and user progress.
Integration capabilities with wearable technology for accurate activity tracking.

Milestones & Sequencing

Initial Research and User Feedback (XX weeks): Deep dive into the needs and preferences of the target demographic.
Feature Development and Beta Testing (XX weeks): Focused development on the core app features followed by testing with a select user group.
Full Launch and Marketing Campaign (XX weeks): Official launch supported by targeted marketing to reach the ideal users.