Fitbit's app provides concise summaries of usability checkpoints in key areas like onboarding, tracking, content and support. The app met about half of the checkpoints and partially met several others. It streamlined tracking and provided tailored education and reminders. However, it could improve the onboarding flow, allow more customization of goals and content, and better explain how personal data is used.

1. Met
checkpoints
All relevant
checkpoints
UX Score in %
Onboarding and
homepage
7.5 17 44%
Tracking * 12 15 80%
Data visualisation 5 7 71%
Content 7 13 54%
Support and education
**
17 19 89%
Overall 48.5 71 68%
68%
FITBIT
iOS, May 2020
* Scored based on activity and food tracking
** Scored based on free guided programmes

2. Onboarding and homepage | Guideline #1
Consider delaying account creation until
user has tried the app.
Fitbit doesn’t allow users to use the app as a
guest.
The goal of onboarding flow should be to allow
users to experience the benefits of the app as
soon as possible. Requesting people to create
accounts upfront adds unnecessary steps to the
flow.
The app should provide value to the user first,
before asking for something in return. Users
who tried the app and experienced some
benefits will be more comfortable providing
personal information.
doesn’t meet

3. Onboarding and homepage | Guideline #4
Make sure there is a clear and explicit
opt-in to terms and conditions.
Fibit requires users to provide explicit opt-in
to Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
and the checkbox isn’t pre-selected.
The app also provides a summarised
explanation of key points so that the user
doesn’t have to read the full legal text.
meets

4. Onboarding and homepage | Guideline #5
Keep the sign-up flow short and allow
people to skip unnecessary steps.
Fitbit onboarding flow includes several
steps that could be removed to
streamline the flow e.g. account creation
and up-selling the trackers.
They also force the user to allow motion
tracking before they can proceed with the
sign up flow. This is a significant friction
point as the user is forced to leave the
app amid the sign up flow.
doesn’t meet

5. Onboarding and homepage | Guideline #6
Allow the user to step back in the
onboarding process and show how many
steps are left.
Fitbit provides a ‘back’ button to return to
previous steps in the onboarding flow, however,
the app doesn’t show how many steps are left to
complete the flow.
Displaying the number of steps left in the sign
up flow sets the right expectations which
encourages the user to progress through steps.
partially meets

6. Onboarding and homepage | Guideline #7
Ask for the minimum data you need.
Fitbit asks for four pieces of personal information during
the sign up flow - date of birth, sex, weight and height.
This isn’t an excessive number, but in some cases they
could improve how they ask for information. For example,
they don’t need the full date of birth to calculate BMI or
metabolic rate - they need age. To streamline the process
and minimise the amount of personal data they hold, the
app should ask for age or year of birth instead of full date
of birth.
partially meets

7. Onboarding and homepage | Guideline #8
Explain why you need the data and how
you use it.
While the app displays an introductory
statement before asking for personal
information, a more transparent approach
would be to display an explicit explanation
on each screen where the user answers
personal questions.
For example in this case the app could
explain why they need to know user’s sex
and how they are going to use this
information.
doesn’t meet

8. Onboarding and homepage | Guideline #10
Allow users to pick their goal or area of
interest and tailor the experience to
that goal.
Users can customise their nutrition and
activity goals in the settings area but the
app doesn’t guide them to do that during
the first interaction.
When people download a new app to try
they typically have a specific goal in mind. If
the app can tailor the first-time experience
towards that goal, the user gains trust that
the app can help them achieve their goals
and are more likely to stick to using the
app.
doesn’t meet

9. Onboarding and homepage | Guideline #18
Design the home screen around the main
function of the app and the most important
user tasks.
The home screen is designed around most
important tasks and information - current stats
and tracking.
If the user has a challenge or a guided
programme that is in-progress, those will also
appear here.
These are the things people are most likely to
want to access every time they log in to the app.
meets

10. Tracking | Guideline #25
Streamline the process of adding entries as
far as possible.
Fitbit makes it easier for the user to track both
activity and nutrition through trackers and bar
code scanning.
meets

11. Tracking | Guideline #27
Provide shortcuts based on previous
app activity.
When tracking food, users can choose
form a list or recently or frequently
added items.
The app also provides suggestions for
items that are frequently added
together.
meets

12. Tracking | Guideline #26
If your app provides content that can also be
tracked, allow it to quickly add those entries.
After watching a workout video the user is
prompted to automatically add duration and
burnt calories to their exercise tracker.
However, some of the guided programmes
include suggested recipes which can’t be
automatically added to food tracker.
partially meets

13. Content | Guideline #38
Allow bookmarking / adding to favourites.
Apps that include large libraries of content
should allow users to ‘bookmark’ or ‘add to
favourites’ individual pieces of content so that
they can easily return to them later.
doesn’t meet

14. Content | Guideline #40
To support browsing, organise content
by problem area not by content type.
In Fitbit users can browse content primarily
by content type (e.g. stats, guided
programmes, workouts).
Additionally, health apps should allow users
to browse by goal or problem area (e.g.
sleep, weight loss). When people start
using a health or wellbeing app, they likely
have a goal in mind or an area they want to
work on.
Browsing by problem area will help them
find relevant solutions more easily (they
want to find a solution to a problem
regardless if it’s a tracker, guided
programme or a video).
doesn’t meet

15. Content | Guideline #41
Provide useful filtering options.
When searching for content, people typically choose a high-
level category (e.g. sleep) and then use filters to narrow
down the list.
Providing useful filtering options helps them find suitable
content more easily.
doesn’t meet
Content | Guideline #42
Use a label instead of an icon for filters.
Significant proportion of users in user testing sessions don’t
recognise ‘filer’ icons. To make sure people can easily find
this function, use a label instead of an icon.
doesn’t meet

16. Content | Guideline #49
Present content in a way that is easy to scan
visually.
Articles in guided programmes are written as step-
by-step instructions and the text is broken up with
headings, bullet points and images.
Presenting the content in a digestible way will
allow users to engage with it more easily.
meets

17. Support and education | Guideline #51
Include ‘duty of care’ information.
Before starting a guided programme, Fitbit users are
advised that the information is presented for
informational purposes and that they should consult
a healthcare professional if they have a specific health
concern.
This approach increases app’s transparency and
encourages users to make informed decisions about
their health.
meets

18. Support and education | Guideline #52
Provide practical tips related to
everyday issues.
Fitbit app provides mindfulness exercises
related to mindful eating and body
image.
By addressing specific topics that their
user base is likely to be interested in, they
are making the experience more relevant
and relatable.
meets

19. Support and education | Guideline #53
Tailor to a specific audience.
Content that is relevant to a specific
audience and addresses the topics
this audience is likely to be interested
in is more engaging than generic
content.
Fitbit provides audience-specific
content e.g. by providing exercise
videos for kids and community groups
for specific user segments.
meets

20. Support and education | Guideline #56
Guide and recommend but don’t force
the user to follow the path you have
designed for them.
Health apps can guide users toward better
choices more successfully if they balance
guidance and user autonomy. That means
users need to be given a freedom to choose
their own goals and adjust recommended
plans.
In Fitbit some of the guided programmes
provide a sense of autonomy (e.g. in ‘Habits
for Restful Sleep’ users can choose their own
goals and habits) while others don’t (e.g. in
‘Intro to Healthy Habits’ users can’t change
recommended workouts or recipes).
partially meets

21. Support and education | Guideline #59
Create an easy to follow content path.
As part of guided programme ‘Habits for Restful
Sleep’ Fitbit app recommends most suitable
mindfulness exercises.
This way the app provides personalised
recommendations and surfaces the right content
at the right time.
meets

22. Support and education | Guideline #65
Help people create a routine that
works for their lifestyle.
In the ‘Habits for Restful Sleep’ guided
programme the app prompts the user to
enter their bedtime. This way the app
can tailor the recommendations to their
daily routine, making it more relevant
and personalised.
meets

23. Support and education | Guideline #66
Make the reminders customisable, granular and
an explicit opt in.
In Fitbit app users can selectively opt-in to specific
notifications.
Allowing users to choose what they want to be notified
about increases the chances that they will pay
attention to the reminders (in comparison to generic
notifications).
meets