SOFI
Social-Fitness portal

SOFI was an idea originated by three university students during the Corona pandemic and continued to evolve throughout the team’s studies. Motivated by a passion for sports and a desire to foster connection, the project was driven forward with the aim of creating a platform that would bring people together to face sporting challenges. The enthusiasm for the concept led to a commitment to bring it to life.

The objective is to provide athletes and sports enthusiasts a portal with the opportunity to explore new sports, motivate one another, and enjoy shared experiences. Regardless of background or experience, SOFI aims to offer a space where individuals can join suitable groups, take on challenges, and have an enjoyable time together.

Project Summary

Role - UX / UI Design

Location - On Site

Team - 4 People (1 Product Owner, 1 Content Manager, 1 Sofware Engineer & 1 Product Designer UX / UI)

Design Tools - Figma, Google Forms, Visual Studio Code, GitLab

Timeline - 1 Year (Sep 2022 - Sep 2023)

Stakeholders - SOFI

Identify Key Challenges: Researching User Needs

The idea of SOFI was born during the Covid-19 pandemic. Three university students, who felt disconnected during this time, saw an opportunity to create a platform that could bring people together through a shared activity: sports.

To design the platform, the first step was to gather information conducting surveys with 102 people aged 19 to 45. This data was analyzed to understand the sports preferences and social interaction needs across different age groups. The insights from this analysis were used to create the foundation for a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with user-focused features.

Based on the survey responses, the main challenges that users face when it comes to exercise are as follows:

#1 Motivation & Barriers

• Lack of motivation, time, and exercise partners are major obstacles.

• Many are interested in socializing through sports.

#2 Exercise Habits

• Most exercise 2-3 times per week, some 4-7 times.

• Mix of flexible and fixed workout schedules.

#3 Platforms and Tools Used

• Sports apps (Nike Run Club, Strava, etc.) help track progress.

• Gyms and Sports Clubs are popular, especially group activities or guided sessions.

• Social media (YouTube) used for workout tutorials.

#4 Obstacles to Exercising

• Lack of Company & Knowledge makes starting difficult.

• Bad weather limits outdoor activities.

#5 Social Motivation Features

• Users value challenges, rewards, and sharing achievements.

• Gamification boosts engagement.

#6 Need for Social Connection

• Many want to meet people through sports.

• Struggle to find consistent exercise partners.

#7 Age-Related Differences

• Under 25 years old prefer group sports and social workouts.

• Over 25 years old prefer individual sports, struggle with time management and has a greater need to meet new people.

Problem Statement

Many people struggle to stay active and motivated due to the lack of social support and workout partners. Exercising alone or without a community can lead to decreased motivation and consistency. There is a need for a digital solution that helps users connect with like-minded individuals, find workout partners, and engage in group challenges or social fitness activities, making exercise a more enjoyable and motivating social experience.

Opportunities: Possibilities for the MVP

The possibilities for the MVP are:

#1 Connecting people by location and sport type

A basic MVP could focus on connecting people who want to exercise with others in their area, with a simple geolocation system to find others with similar interests.

The app could allow the creation of sports groups or enable users to organize sports events, such as football games, walks, or yoga groups in local parks.

#2 Simple and user-friendly interface

The MVP should be easy to use. The most important thing is to ensure that users can quickly sign up, select their sport preferences, and start connecting with others without a complicated learning curve.

#3 "Find workout partner" feature

This feature is key, especially for users looking to exercise and learn with others. The ability to find workout partners or join group activities within the app should be central.

#4 Emotional and Psychological Support ( Option for future addition )

Integrate motivational content or well-being advice within the app, such as tips on overcoming procrastination, relaxation techniques, or motivation during tough times, helping users face emotional barriers to exercising.

#5 Integration with calendars and schedules

Offer flexible planning where users can schedule activities and find sports events that fit their timing and location.
The app could suggest nearby activities based on time preferences, allowing users to find time to train, despite their busy schedules.

#6 Challenge and gamification feature ( Option for future addition )

Implement sports challenges where users can challenge their friends or other members of the app, promoting greater interaction.

Tracking achievements and rewards where users can earn badges or rewards for completing challenges, attending classes, or breaking their own personal records.

Wireframes: Desktop & Mobile

Homepage: What is SOFI?

To launch the SOFI portal, the feature to create local sports groups in Berlin was prioritized, enabling users to connect with existing groups or form new ones. Additionally, a "one-person group" option was introduced to simplify finding a sports partner, catering to users seeking individual connections. Separate designs were created for desktop and mobile to ensure responsiveness.

The portal was designed for simplicity, enabling users to quickly register as individuals or groups, select their sports preferences, and start connecting with others effortlessly, eliminating any unnecessary complexity.

The homepage contains a brief explanation of SOFI along with the option to search for a group to join, add a new group or register.

Desktop version design for the homepage.

Mobile version design for the homepage.

Registration: Individual or Group

For registration, there is an option to sign up as an individual or as a group. The process is simple in both cases: it is done via email and confirmed using a one-time password (OTP).

In the case of a user profile, only the name, age, spoken languages, and a selected quote are displayed for privacy reasons. For a group profile, the displayed information includes the group name, meeting days and times, the neighborhood where activities take place, the group level, the number of participants, the number of people being sought, and the fee required to access the facilities.

Desktop version of the registration screen.

Overview of the user profile on the desktop version after registration.

Desktop version of the group registration screen.

Overview of the group profile on the desktop version after registration.

Process: Sport type selection & Group Contact

When the search for groups begins, some sports are displayed (most mentioned sports in the survey answers). Extra details about the SOFI concept are included to explain the portal better and boost motivation. When the search for groups begins, some sports are displayed (most mentioned sports in the survey answers). Extra details about the SOFI concept are included to explain the portal better and boost motivation.

Desktop version of the sport type screen.

Once a sport is selected, such as Volleyball, various existing groups are displayed based on their geolocations across Berlin.

Overview of the groups shown in Berlin through geolocation.

When selecting a team, all relevant information about the team is displayed: the team name, administrator and contact details, team members, location of the sports venue shown on a map, training days and times, gender and age of the team members, the team’s goals and ambitions, skill level, costs associated with participation, and the characteristics of the training sessions.

This way, users have all the details about the teams and can decide whether they want to join. There is an option to request to join the team button, but first, the team administrator must be contacted to grant permission.

Overview of a bouldering groups' detailed information.

When clicking on the administrator, a window opens displaying their information, such as the languages they speak, their age, and a representative quote from the person.

Overview of the team administrators' information.

Then, a message is sent, and the user waits for the administrator to respond. Once the administrator deems it appropriate, the user is accepted as part of the group.

User's initial contact with the group administrator.

Once the group administrator accepts the user, they receive this notification (also via email).

Group join request accepted.

SOFI Organisation feature: For Event planning

In order to help groups plan better and organize their events, while also getting an idea of who will attend or not, the SOFI-Orga feature was added. With this, 'events' are created and invitations are sent to all group members via email. This way, the organizer knows in advance how many people they can count on for the event, and users can better organize their busy schedules.

Overview of the SOFI-Orga feature.

The group administrator creates an event with the name, location, date, and time.

Creating a SOFI-Orga event.

Once the event is created, an overview of the event and other previous events is displayed. Clicking 'send a link' sends an email invitation all group members.

Overview of a group's various events.

This is the overview the administrator has of the event attendees after the invitation link has been sent. This feature improves group organization and prevents situations where, for example, a volleyball game cannot take place due to a lack of players.

Overview of event attendance for the administrator.

Final thoughts : Strengths and Challenges of the SOFI Project

Despite achieving a user-friendly interface with an appealing design and identifying a market need for individuals to reconnect—particularly after the pandemic, for instance, through sports—SOFI faced significant competition from established platforms such as Meetup, Facebook, and Strava, which offer similar services and have a broader reach.

Among stakeholders, there was a consistent push to focus on the under-25 demographic as the primary target group for SOFI. However, many users in this age group already connected with peers through alternatives like Unisport, which provided a more convenient and flexible solution for their needs.

One of the key challenges was the inability to sufficiently differentiate SOFI from its competitors and to deliver a compelling unique value proposition. Additionally, questions remained about the over-25 demographic, who often engaged in sports individually. A deeper exploration into their behaviors and needs could have provided valuable insights, particularly for individuals who were single, without family ties, or new to a city. Many in this group expressed a desire to meet new people but faced barriers in doing so.

Unfortunately, the Berliner Startup Stipendium "Science & Startups - Sustainable City" grant, which supported SOFI, came to an end, marking the conclusion of the project.

This project was my first professional experience as the sole UX/UI designer, giving me the opportunity to take full ownership of the UX/UI process. I deepened my skills in UX research and user-centered design, while also building a website from the ground up and ensuring a fully responsive mobile experience.

Working closely with a software engineer for the first time, I learned how to bridge the gap between design and development, making sure my designs were both visually appealing and technically feasible. Through user testing and feedback, I identified pain points and refined the information architecture, navigation, and content structure to make the platform easier to use.

This experience also taught me how to adapt to new challenges, balance user needs with business goals, and iterate based on real feedback—all of which helped me grow as a designer and problem-solver.