Technology

Introduction
This chapter discusses the results of the interview conducted to determine the viability of implementing a gym application integrated on the mobile phone and the initial user requirements needed for such. A pilot study was initially conducted to pre-test a questionnaire composed of five (5) questions. The preliminary questionnaire was initially deployed to six (6) people, composed of three (3) males and three (3) females. The pilot study was conducted to determine the demographic data of selected gym-goers, as well as, their perception and feedback on the feasibility of the proposed gym application. The list of questions is shown in the Appendix A.

In addition, only one of the six (6) respondents said that he has seen a gym application integrated in an Ipod. According to the respondent, the said gym application is customized for men. Also, the programs offered in the said gym application is still limited and that there are possible areas for consideration in order to improve the features of the existing gym application. The remaining respondents of the pilot study were then asked of their opinions of having a gym application integrated in their mobile phones. The respondents answered positively and expressed their keen interest in the gym application. Further to such discussion, the respondents were then asked of their expectations in the gym application in terms of information, design and layout. In terms of information, the respondents wish to have a gym application that offers various programs that suit the needs of the person, i.e., the availability of routinesprograms that caters to the goal of the person  either to lose weight, to gain mass, etc.  In terms of design, the respondents wish that the application be user-friendly and that it can be accessed easily. Unfortunately, in terms of layout, the respondents were not that much responsive. A major factor that had contributed to such reaction was the inability of the respondents to see or visualize a sample gym application. It was deduced, however, that in order to achieve a valuable feedback for this, it is essential that sample interfaces be shown to the respondents.

Upon tabulation of the results of the pilot study, the proponents identified factors that need to be considered in order to gather more data from the respondents. This led to the finalization of the list of questions for the final study, as well as, the inclusion of additional three (3) questions in the questionnaire. The questionnaire used for the final study is shown in Appendix B.

User Requirement Analysis of Qualitative Interview
For the final study, the proponents interviewed ten (10) respondents who belong to the 18-30 age bracket and are gym-goers.

The demographic data of the respondents are presented below.

Of the ten (10) respondents, five (5) are male and five (5) are female. This means that 50 of the total respondents are men, while 50 of the total respondents are women. The table below shows the distribution of respondents in terms of gender classification.

No. of RespondentsPercentageMALE550FEMALE550TOTAL10100
90 of the respondents or nine (9) out of ten (10) respondents are frequent gym-goers who visit the gym at least twice (2) times a week to at most five (5) times a week.

GenderNo. of RespondentsPercentageBeginnerMale220Female220IntermediateMale110Female110AdvancedMale220Female220TOTAL10100

Of the respondents, four (4) belong to the Beginner class, two (2) belong to the Intermediate class, four (4) belong to the Advanced. Furthermore, each gender type has a representative belonging to the Beginner level, the Intermediate level and the Advanced level.

No. of RespondentsPercentageBeginner440Intermediate220Advanced440TOTAL10100

Moreover, from the interview, it is deduced that there are three (3) main reasons in enrolling oneself in the gym  to lose weight, to gain weight and to maintain shape. Majority of the respondents or 60 enrol in gym classes to tone up and keep fit.

Upon determining the demographics of the respondents, the respondents were asked of their routine preference  whether they opt to follow their own routine or to adhere to a pre-set routine. Of the respondents, 60 or six (6) out of ten (10) respondents prefer to follow a their own routine, while 40 or four (4) out of ten (10) prefer a pre-set routine. Looking deeper on the data results, both gender types prefer to follow their own routines than to enrol in a class with pre-set routines.
 GenderNo. of RespondentsPercentageOwn routineMale330Female330Pre-setMale220Female220TOTAL10100
The respondents were then asked if they have seen a gym application before. Only two of the respondents or 20 said Yes. As a follow up question, they were asked as to where they have seen such gym applications. The respondents said that they have seen gym applications which available in iPhone.

The rest of the respondents claimed that they have not seen any gym application before and were asked of their opinions on the possibility of a gym application being integrated in their mobile phones. 100 of the respondents gave positive feedback on the said idea.

The respondents said that incorporating a gym application in the mobile phone is a great idea and is foreseen to provide a lot of benefits. Such can serve as a handy and interactive reference during exercise time. Furthermore, it can serve as a quick guide on various exerciseroutines or a tracker of workouts performed.

Lastly, the respondents were asked what type of information would they want to see on the proposed gym application, their answers are generally related to fitness information which includes routine schedules depending on the goal of the user, exercise and motivation tips, nutrition and diet and food intake guides.

The respondents also noted that should such application be fully implemented, they suggest that the design of the gym application it should be customized depending on the physique of the user. Such application should have a separate routine module that caters to women as most gym applications addresses only mens routine needs.

Discussion
Looking at the results above, integrating a gym application in mobile phones is highly feasible and will receive optimistic response from frequent gym-goers as they find it beneficial and useful in their gym needs. There are current gym applications available in iPhone, however, these applications cater only to the needs of the men. Should this product be brought to the market, it is important that it also cater to womens needs as there is also a market for women who wish to use gym applications through their mobile phones.

As an initial user requirement, it is proposed to develop workouts or drills customised for the male and the female physique who attends the gym twice to five times a week. Furthermore, it is essential to design routines that address the following  weight loss, weight gain and toning up, in different levels (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced). It is also proposed that such application initially provide a pre-set routineexercise and later on be innovated to take on owner-preferred workoutexercise.

Lastly, it is important to include the following information in the gym application for it to promote a sense of a handy reference for frequent gym-goers  customised programs for the male and the female and for different classes, body map picture, information of exercisesroutines, and nutrition list.

In terms of user interface, it is proposed that the application design be developed to minimize the barrier between human goal and computers understanding of the task to be accomplished. It is also suggested that the application be user-friendly in such a way that first-time users will be able to understand and use the application. Furthermore, it is also recommended that the design principle of pictorial realism be implemented. This means that certain display designs be incorporated in the application. These displays shall be devised to support the perception of system variables and facilitate further processing of information.
These displays shall come in the form of icons, pictures, colours or any signs accustomed to the users. In the case of the gym application, should there be a separate module for Advisable Food to Eat, it is highly recommended that a picture of fruits or vegetables be used as an icon to represent such. It is also important to incorporate variables that appeal to the senses of the user. For instance, it may be important to use different colours to differentiate modules. The colour blue may be used to denote modules designed for men and the colour pink for women. Moreover, the principle of the moving part may also be advantageous. Take for example the yoga module in Wii Fit. Users, while on the yoga board, are shown a black dot which indicates their sense of balance. The application shall then instruct the user to follow certain stances while keeping his balance point inside the circle. A moving sketch of the users balance point shall be illustrated, showing how accurate the user maintained his balance point. This certain user design principle is very important because it directly communicates with the user what should be and what should be done during activities.

Prior to the implementation of the application, it is also necessary to test the application and analyse which components need to be improved.

Summary
To summarize, this chapter discusses the results of the pilot study for the feasibility of the integrating a gym application in mobile phones. Furthermore, this chapter also examines and analyzes the result of the final study for the aforementioned topic. The data provided gathered a sufficient amount of information from the initial user requirements given. The discussion emphasised an interpretation of the data to be able to continue to the next stage of the prototype development in Chapter 5.