FitNest is 3-part product series and app that aim to combat sedentary lifestyles by increasing activity in the home.
With connected IOT devices, just about anything can be controlled with a few taps or magic words. From turning on the lights to adjusting the thermostat, our homes are quickly getting ‘smarter’, but are they actually becoming better places to live? The average American spends over 21 hours a day inactive, and the associated risks of inactivity have become a leading public health concern nationwide. While trends toward complete home automation perpetuate this problem, Fitnest puts health and wellness at the forefront by connecting people with their bodies and their homes.
The FitNest Products
Each product was strategically designed to address specific pain points and mindsets that keep living spaces lifeless.
Ascend
Ascend is a modular climbing system that elevates a typical wall into a dynamic piece of scalable furniture. A series of abstract climbing holds, shelves, and grid panels can be continually re-arranged along a grid of threaded holes. The FitNest App also uses augmented reality to visualize new climbing routes based on the user’s preferred difficulty level.
Equipt
Equipt combines aesthetics and function to facilitate exercise at home. Minimal oak holders transform traditional fitness equipment into beautiful objects that integrate with your space and your lifestyle seamlessly.
Equipt holders also feature device stands, perfect for following user-generated workouts on the FitNest App.
Power House
Power House is an interactive smart outlet that requires a physical action from the user to power devices for a specified period of time. The user can control the device settings and check its status directly from the FitNest App.
Design Strategy
Through continuous inquiry and testing, I was able to identify pain points and develop thoughtful strategies that put users first. These strategies formed the foundation from which each FitNest product was designed.
1. Prioritize activity over convenience by making everyday tasks more physically demanding.
Pain Point: In a world of modern conveniences, stats and goals are not strong enough motivators to alter long term behavior.
2. Seamlessly facilitate exercise in the home by providing direct access to the equipment necessary for executing a workout with ease.
Pain Point: Out of sight, out of mind. Typical home fitness equipment is not readily accessible. It is designed to be stored which significantly decreases opportunities for frequent and casual use.
3. Break interior design conventions to encourage engaging physical activity inspired by playful entertainment.
Pain Point: While traditional workplaces have been replaced by dynamic, stimulating environments, traditional residential interiors have not. Common preconception dictates sitting as the main activity most living spaces are designed around.
Next Steps
As it currently exists FitNest is a design concept that will require extensive development and business casing before being brought to market.
To establish FitNest as a key resource for creating an active home, I am also constructing The FitNest Interior Design Guide. The guide is an instructional resource that illustrates how to incorporate FitNest Strategies into the design of a home’s interior. By presenting architectural concepts, room by room solutions, and product recommendations it contextualizes both the FitNest strategies and product series.
TAR 