Closing the gap between in-person yoga and digital experiences through injury-aware design
As a sole contributor to this project, I was responsible from user research, redesign, and usability testing for validation.
UX/UI Design, Branding
4 months
I redesigned the app with an automated pose filtering system that allows users to customize their yoga flows based on physical constraints—eliminating the need to skip or pause poses mid-session.
Final Design
Assessment Onboarding
Start with a guided assessment to shape your flow. Just share your goals, current condition, and any limitations—your practice adjusts from there.
Injury-aware Filter
Add an injury filter to leave out discomfort-inducing poses—bringing clarity and ease to every session.
In-depth Pose Library
Follow up the pose library with a supplemental screen—offering clear context, visual cues, and easy-to-understand guidance for every posture you explore.
16.9% of U.S. adults practiced yoga in the past year
Yoga has gained significant popularity in recent years, with nearly 1 in 6 U.S. adults reporting practicing it. With an increasing emphasis on mental well-being and physical fitness, people from all walks of life recognize the benefits of yoga.
Lack of in-app guidance led to unsafe adaptations
I conducted semi-structured interview with 7 yogis with diverse experience and injuries. Due to lack of modification unlike in-person studios, I discovered that users often modify poses intuitively or skip based on their past experience which can often lead to unsafe or inefficient practice.
What’s missing across different platforms?
I compared Down Dog, Pocket Yoga, and Yoga Studio against core user needs identified in our research. The goal of competitive evaluation was to understand how users with injuries build customized practice, and discover friction points in the process.
This analysis revealed shared gaps across all three platforms—the absence of injury-based modification.
Digital yoga experiences fail to support users’ real-life conditions
From in-depth interview, competitive evaluation, and gap analysis, I was able to find common findings across yoga practitioners–centered around lack of personalization, unclear pose guidance, and inaccessible interfaces.
Improvement opportunities uncovered
Based on key challenges identified from the research phase, I ideated opportunities for each to better improve the user experience of the Down Dog app.
Divergent concepts were explored with Crazy Eights
To address the challenge, I brainstormed 4 distinct concepts: an AI motion tracking feature, modification-specific visual and audio cues, modified poses based on low flexibility or common injuries, and an injury-based filter.
While all 4 concepts have capability to satisfy users’ needs, I focused on an injury-based filter after understanding the technical limitations and challenges based on users’ mental model.
From sketch to systematic solution
After evaluation feasibility and user needs, I refined the concept around an injury filter system that allows users to input sensitive areas. This input dynamically filters out unsafe poses or suggests modifications. I also visualized the improved backend logic, ensuring the experience is both adaptable and scalable - balancing personalization with simplicity.Rapid prototyping revealed usability challenges
To validate the effectiveness of the redesigned experience, I conducted a series of usability tests, including A/B testing and multivariate testing.
Yoga flow made just for you and your body
Injury-based filter is implemented to solve the main challenge of users with various physical conditions. In-depth pose library and assessment onboarding was added along to support the challenge.
This solution not only aligns with existing back-end system but also dedicates and emphasizes the importance of taking care of users’ body before they realize.
Did the new experience actually feel safer and personal to users?
To validate the effectiveness of the redesigned experience by measuring cognitive load, I conducted eye tracking heatmap, NASA-TLX, and preference testing with follow-up interview.
Where It Landed
I successfully presented the project to key leadership and spectators during the Thesis Show. Some of the feedbacks I got from mentors and faculty include:
What did I learn from this project?
Validate assumptions early and often.
User testing isn’t just a final step—it’s an ongoing process that grounded our decisions in reality. By validating ideas early, I uncovered usability issues we hadn’t anticipated and ensured that our designs aligned with actual user needs, not just internal opinions.
Work in layers, not lines.
Working on the Down Dog project taught me that research, design, and testing rarely happen in neat phases. Often, I had to juggle refining wireframes, revisiting research insights, and gathering feedback simultaneously—progress wasn’t linear, but layered.