Go-Go! Station

Most general gym goers could get a lot more out of proper training and nutrition advice or practices.

Background

At some point along their physical fitness journey, gymgoers will come across the topic of supplement products. Workout, fitness or gym supplements are a type of sports nutrition product used by individuals for the purpose of helping them achieve their ideal body physique. Whether this is to gain muscle or lose weight, these kinds of products are consumed by users as a means to help supplement their progress in a safe and effective manner. However, this assumes that users are informed and aware of the correct practices needed to properly facilitate these supplement benefits to their individual health.

The evidence from research supporting a general lack of knowledge and proper practice surrounding gym supplements raised the design opportunity to establish the Go-Go! Supplement Station. This automated self-service machine is a personally suited supplement dispenser aimed at aspiring bodybuilding users in commercial gym settings. This project was founded upon the core idea to truly assist aspirational gymgoers by means of addressing supplements through creating a positive educational and practical experience.

Research

A Literature Review into user experience with gym supplements was produced to establish an in-depth and critical analysis of the project’s topic, leading the way to the design opportunities for improved user practice and education.

The combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, or the ‘mixed methods’ approach, was decided upon as the methodology and upheld rigorous and ethical research standards for this project. Online surveys and Expert Interviews were selected as the methods to investigate and validate the literature review findings.

Online surveys were deployed to a variety of different user groups to provide insight into their experience, knowledge and overall perspective about gym supplements. Expert interviews were conducted with two personal trainers, both with an extensive backgrounds in rehabilitation, sports conditioning and exercise physiology.

Project Research Report is available in the download link below.

design

The Go-Go! Supplement station design seeks to change the way users experience unattended self-service machines through a positive shift in user learning and practice.

This machine is countertop sized, fully automated and easy to navigate and operate from both owner and end-user perspectives. The single central dispensing point means that users do not have to move their shaker cup as it will always fit as guided by the central rings. The pre-programmed serving measurements mean that users will always get their exact sufficient serving with no mess, spills or stress.

The main canister barrel holds up to 15 Litres of sports supplement powder and is divided into six canisters to create a variety of supplement options to suit user preferences in alignment with their personal goals. Holding a large quantity of supplement powder means that this unattended self-service machine can operate over a 24/7 period and provide up to 246 individual users before a complete refill.

Users navigate in the touchscreen interface and can pay through the contactless terminal that works with a variety of digital applications. The availability to connect to in-house systems as an incentive for gyms and fitness centres can bring about further opportunities such as users being able to sign in, track their progress and follow through with guided recommendations for which supplements they should have to assist in their personal fitness journey.

An important user-experience element is that the aspiring gymgoer is the one who mixes the supplements together.

After a workout, the user goes to the Go-Go! Supplement Station can either select or be recommended a sports supplement depending on their personal fitness goals. Proceeding to payment through the contactless terminal, the machine dispenses one of six supplement powder options into the user’s own shaker cup. Located on the back of the machine is a connection duct bringing about the opportunity for the machine to dispense cold water as well or users could fill readily fill at the gym locations. Once shaken and mixed together, the gymgoer consumes and is ready to go!

Becoming an active part of the process means that users engage more with what they are consuming and are able to educate themselves through the information provided during the selection process. Consistent progress with these machines means that aspiring gymgoers are able to receive the proper benefits in supplementing their progress rather than attempting to navigate the unknown individually. The gym locations can decide what supplements they will offer with further opportunities for brand collaborations and numerous Go-Go! Supplement Stations at their choosing.

Technical Details

The supplement station is constructed out of strong durable materials like polished aluminium framing with a sleek and bright appearance.

The main canister barrel is intended to be produced with SAN plastic to ensure food quality and safety of the supplements, further sealed with air-tight rubber lids to uphold airtight quality. With individual corresponding ducts, nozzles and seals, it eliminates the risk of cross-contamination with the supplement powder so that the gymgoer can always guarantee that they are getting the right supplement specifically for them.

To ease with cleaning and maintenance, the cup guiding rings and bottom drip tray can be removed and washed with ease. Refilling the canisters is also consistent with this process as the top seal can be untightened and marked canister numbers make it easy to identify which canisters need refilling by indication from the built-in weighed sensors.