Oruka
Built from real gym struggles, shaped by deep research. A smart ring and an app made to help gymrats train smarter, not harder.
Research
UX Research (surveys, interviews, diaries)
Insight analysis and synthesis
User journey mapping
Persona development
Problem framing and opportunity definition
Prioritization workshop and decision matrix
Strategy
Brand strategy
Tone of voice
UX strategy
Positioning
Feature definition
Information architecture
Design & Production
Wireframing
Brand identity
Design system
UX & UI design
Industrial design
Platforms
Urban space
Environmental design
Year
2024 to now
Credits
Africa Design School
I’ve been going to the gym for years...
And like most gym rats, I’ve had that moment—when you feel stuck. You’re training hard, you’re eating (mostly) right, and yet... nothing moves. No progress, no pump, just frustration and questions.
What’s going on ?
“Am I doing something wrong?”
“Should I switch my program ?”
“AGAIN ?”
“Is it overtraining or under-recovery?”
When the time came to choose a real-world problem to tackle for my final year project in digital design, I didn’t hesitate for a second.
I knew this was the problem I had to solve !
Not just because I was personally affected, but because I knew thousands of others were facing the same wall—alone, confused, and without actionable data.
But I wasn’t here to rant or throw another gadget into the mix.
From day one, I approached this challenge with the mindset and methods of a UX designer. I set aside my own assumptions and emotions to follow a rigorous design process grounded in user research, data analysis, and iterative thinking.
So no—ORUKA didn’t come from frustration.
It came from a deep dive into the real needs, behaviors, and expectations of the gym community.
This case study is the story of how I turned a common but complex fitness problem into a thoughtful, research-driven product concept.
A smart ring and companion app that help gym rats finally track the right metrics, make informed decisions, and get unstuck—without having to guess their way forward.
Phase 1
Field Research & Problem Framing
To build a solution that actually matters, I had to start where it all happens: on the gym floor, in people’s routines, in the messy reality of progress and plateaus.
No assumptions. No shortcuts. Just real voices, real data.
Step 1 — Finding the right voices
I crafted a screener and spread it across social media, fitness forums, gyms, WhatsApp groups, and even a few local influencers. The goal? Get a well-balanced mix of gym rats, beginners, and coaches—people who live and breathe this stuff.
In the end, 128 people jumped in:
84% men
14% women
2% other
60.3% gym rats
34.9% neophytes
4.8% coaches
Enough to build something solid !
Step 2 — Digging into the experience
Quantitative side
I created three tailored questionnaires (gym rats, beginners, coaches) to get a macro view of training habits, goals, pain points, and expectations.
It gave me hard numbers to back up what people were saying.
Qualitative side
Here’s where it got personal.
I ran 10 in-depth interviews (5 gym rats, 5 coaches), using a structured yet open framework. People opened up about their journey, their frustrations, their routines, and what’s missing.
To take it further, I dropped a "Gym Rat Diary" with 4 participants. For a whole week, they self-documented their training, recovery, stress levels, sleep, nutrition, and mindset.
...The kind of rich, real-world data you can’t get from a survey.
What I learned — Key insights from the field
Motivations
Gym rats mainly train for aesthetics (81%), health (77%), and performance (77%). Some want to build muscle (69%), others want to lose weight (29%).
“Aging is just muscle loss in slow motion. Lifting is my way of staying in control.”
GYMRAT
Sleep, Nutrition, Stress?
Sleep is mid (5–7 hrs). Nutrition? Barely structured.
Stress? Through the roof.
One participant rated his stress a “11/10”.
Hardly anyone tracks recovery. Supplements?
Not really. It’s all improv.
Training Habits
Most create their own plans.
No real structure, just vibes.
Sessions last 60–90 minutes, 2 to 5x a week.
Obstacles
Fatigue, time, lack of motivation, no guidance, injuries.
And the biggest one?
Lack of personalization. Especially for women or people with irregular lifestyles.
“Most coaches treat women like small men. Nobody talks about how the cycle changes your performance.”
GYMRAT
“Same plan for everyone. Zero customization.”
GYMRAT
The Coaches
“We’ve got too many ‘coaches’ who don’t know anatomy. Just vibes and recycled plans.”
COACH
Most aren’t certified. Some have experience (3–5 years), but mostly with beginners.
Struggle with: keeping clients motivated, nutrition plans, and their own lack of education.
The Beginners
They’re not lazy—they just feel lost.
They want aesthetics, mental clarity, health. But they’re blocked by time, knowledge, and money.
Most learn from TikTok or YouTube, want fast results (1–6 months), and crave flexible, accessible solutions.
Legal context in Benin
The 1991 Sports Charter supports what I’m building. It pushes for:
Easy public access to sport
Qualified supervision
Transparent management of sport orgs
Translation? The law wants to see fitness done right.
Everyone’s trying. But the system’s broken.
Gym rats
No structure, no guidance, no results.
Coaches
No tools, no real training, no impact.
Newbies
Overwhelmed, misinformed, and underserved.
Everyone’s in their corner, and no one’s truly growing.
1. Help Coaches Level Up
Tools, knowledge, and systems to become real performance architects—not just rep counters.
2. Create Personalized Follow-Up
Track what matters: stress, sleep, habits, performance—and help coaches adapt in real-time.
3. Educate Gym Rats
Make them smarter. About rest. About food. About mindset. Give them the keys to long-term success.
Phase 2
Shaping design concepts
Prioritization matrix & strategic choice
In order to move from insights to action, I ran a multi-criteria prioritization workshop with 20 diverse participants — a mix of gym rats, certified coaches, and complete beginners.
The goal? Identify the most relevant direction to build upon.
Each participant was presented with:
A quick rundown of the main research insights
The three proposed intervention areas
They were then asked to evaluate each axis based on 5 key criteria:
Feasibility
Can it realistically be implemented ?
Innovation potential
How fresh or disruptive is the idea?
Potential impact
How big of a difference can it make?
Long-term viability
Can it stand the test of time?
Every score was collected and fed into a multi-criteria decision matrix. After crunching the numbers, the results were clear:
This direction not only resonated the most across all types of users, but also checked the boxes of feasibility and long-term value.
It’s insightful, it’s actionable, and above all — it meets people where they are while pushing them toward better results.
So this is the route I chose to explore further, and it's the one you'll see unfold in the next section.
Conceptualization phase: from insights to innovative solutions
Before diving into solution-mode, I took a step back — to reconnect with the essence of the project and truly understand what solving this problem would require.
First move: back to the research.
I revisited all the data I’d gathered — user interviews, exploratory survey, and most importantly, the probe. From there, I was able to define three strategic personas:
Armed with this clarity, I used the probe responses to map out a preliminary user journey, capturing the daily rhythm, frustrations, and habits of our gym rat. This exercise brought to light not just the pain points, but also the opportunities — the real levers for impact.
1. ORUKA – Smart Ring + Mobile Platform
Oruka is a wearable tech ring connected to a mobile platform. It tracks key physical metrics in real time. The app then analyzes the data to generate personalized recommendations for training, nutrition, sleep, and recovery — all tailored to help gym rats reach their full potential.
2. IBOJU – In-Gym Interactive Screen
Iboju is a smart display installed directly in gyms. Think of it like a discreet fitness assistant that helps gym rats access personalized programs based on their profile. The screen updates regularly and syncs with an app to ensure users can track progress without disturbing others.
Coaches also get their own interface to monitor clients, adjust plans, and give instant feedback.
3. DIGI IT – Smart Mirror + Connected Gear
Digi IT is an all-in-one interactive fitness mirror equipped with smart tech and built-in resistance gear.
It uses motion tracking to analyze exercises in real time, offering instant feedback on form and posture
Each of these concepts was followed by:
→ A competitive benchmark to analyze existing solutions
→ A moodboard to capture the visual and experiential direction
→ A SWOT analysis to evaluate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
With all this in place, I was ready for the next move: choosing the concept with the most potential.
That’s where the final decision matrix comes into play.
Decision Matrix: Refining the Vision Through Iteration
With the three concepts on the table, it was time to put them to the test. I organized an evaluation workshop with 20 carefully selected participants, ensuring the majority were actual target users: gym rats, coaches, and just a few tech profiles to balance the mix (5 out of 20). The goal was to present the research insights and explain each concept in detail. Then, using the same criteria as before :
Innovation potential
How fresh or disruptive is the idea?
Feasibility
Can it realistically be implemented ?
Local relevance
Is it adapted to the current realities in our context?
The journey wasn't linear — and that’s exactly what made it solid. Each step brought new insights, each iteration refined the vision. Now, with the right concept in hand, it’s time to bring it to life.
Now, let’s build ORUKA !
Phase 3
From Vision to Execution: Building ORUKA
Once the concept was validated, the next step was obvious: bring ORUKA to life.
Thanks to all the previous research, I already had a clear understanding of what the product needed to deliver.
So I began by mapping out ORUKA’s vision, its core features, and the key performance indicators that would guide its success.
To ground everything in real user experience, I updated my initial User Journey Map, this time integrating ORUKA into it — allowing me to visualize precisely where and how it would fit into a gym rat’s daily routine.
Very quickly, it became clear that ORUKA would rest on two essential pillars: the smart ring itself, a wearable tracking device & a mobile app to collect, analyze, and leverage the data in real time.
Now here’s the thing: I’m a digital product designer, not an industrial one. So while I defined the full vision for both components, I naturally poured more energy into the app design.
That said, I didn’t approach the ring design alone.
I collaborated with an industrial designer who helped bring the product vision to life on the hardware side. Together, we translated the concept into a detailed technical specification document covering: context & purpose, core functionality, target users, technical specs & components, design guidelines (aligned with the brand’s DNA), data flow & app synchronization, hardware requirements, and manufacturer deliverables.
This collaboration ensured the ring design was not only functional but also aligned with the overall user experience. We’ve shared the specs with relevant experts and potential partners to move toward prototyping and manufacturing.
Designing the Digital Core: The ORUKA App
On the digital side, I mapped out the entire user flow of the app — thinking through every screen, transition, and touchpoint. From there, I jumped into creating interactive wireframes, then moved into building the UI kit to ensure visual consistency, scalability, and a smooth design-to-dev handoff.
But halfway through, I hit a realization:
To build a product that people trust and love, the experience isn't enough — the brand needs to resonate too.
So I paused the interface design and switched hats.
Time to step into brand designer mode. I started by defining the foundations of the brand — the things that go deeper than logos and colors: Mission, Vision , Core values. With that done...
Where I stand now
Right now, I'm finalizing the UI design of the app with branding fully integrated. Meanwhile, I continue to search for the right partners to develop the ring — aiming for a product experience where hardware and software blend seamlessly.
ORUKA isn't just a concept anymore. It's becoming real — one sprint, one screen, one spec at a time.
The first screens of the ORUKA app are already live in Figma. From the onboarding flow to the dashboard, each element is carefully designed to balance aesthetic elegance with performance-driven functionality. This is just the beginning — and the best is yet to come.
