Michael Beveridge
Pike13 Branded Client App
Our goal was to create native scheduling apps for yoga, cross-fit, and other fitness business, using an easily customizable, white-label solution. I was the sole designer on this project and worked with an iOS, Android and database developer, as well as our product owner.
Rethink
Before looking at the design of our new app and how we could build something that scaled across all of our clients' needs, I first wanted to see why customers would use a scheduling app in the first place. Our users already had access to mobile web tools that performed the same basic tasks as the new app would, but after some research, I felt some improvement could be made to our original approach.
App Functionality
Given that we already had a working scheduling system for the web, the first design challenge was making our experience look and feel native. I stuck close to both Material Design and Apple HIG guidance when considering Android and iOS design and layout. We limited visuals to a single interaction color, a small set of custom icons and components consistent across both platforms. Given how central scheduling was for to this experience, we adopted Google's calendar approach, as it gave us the greatest flexibility and features.
View credit card workflow
Customization Process
With a working app framework in hand, the next step was coming up with a way to easily publish client-branded apps. Account managers would start by asking interested clients to provide a company logo, brand color and photos used to customize their app. The collected files were then bundled with a Sketch template and sent off shore for design production. The exported assets included everything needed to customize both iOS and Android apps, screens for the client to check and approve, as well as images used in both app stores.
Download additional iOS screens
Outcome
Pike13 clients liked the idea of having their own custom app for iOS and Android, but lacked the resources to create their own. By presenting existing activities and content in a templatized framework, we made it easy and affordable for these businesses to put their branded apps in the hands of their customers. To date, over 30 gyms, studios and schools are using this service.
