App poll

[Feebee]

Hey all,

As part of my side project designing an app to track progress, I'm trying to validate the idea of this app and approach. If you could take a quick look at the images of the app I posted and vote, it would be really helpful. Thanks!

[Nate]

This requires quite a bit of reading and device manipulation to use during a session by the actual skater. Maybe it's just the example data?

Have you considered an Excel/Numbers Spreadsheet or Access DB?

It looks nice. Good job there.

Awesome and Great are "too synonymous." Great should be changed to Good, for a more even "emotional spread" in the feedback screen.

[davincisop]

I like this. One note from a designer, the text at the bottom of the app is a bit tight looking, it looks like you used a condensed. I would look into an alternative or a slightly bolder option as it's a bit hard to read.

With the checklist. I love the idea, I love being able to check things off. It would save room I think if you set the descriptions to only show if you tap the bar twice or something to reveal them, since not everyone would need the notes. Maybe a "Double tap bar for tips!" key and then it's just the list people can see from there?

[Query]

As it stands, I'm old school, and prefer pen and paper, but, for millennials (maybe this is too much for one app):

I love the emoticons!

Don't let me push you to work too hard on this, but:

What makes this specific to figure skating? (That's my main comment.)

Another emoticon for questions to ask coach, and requests for comment?

Sound effects?

Can you make words bold or underline?

Can you email and text progress and goals to friends, or post it on social media?

Can you receive a friend's progress and goals?

Gesture input (wave phone around in patterns - silly, but cool)?

Can you edit a past note?

Can you or your coach draw a diagram - e.g., a pattern? (Great place to use gesture input.)

Can a diagrams and comments be imported from a PC or Mac or email attachment?

Can the GPS and/or acceleratometer/gyroscope capture a skated pattern (by you or your coach), maybe with voice comments? (Maybe too hard.)

Can you capture audio/video (of you or coach)? Can you slow them down on replay?

Hear metronome and/or program music?

Voice input/output? (Easier and safer to use while skating. Kids don't stop skating while playing with their phone.)

Split screen mode for skating with VR headset?

Can you see the camera image ahead of you in the background, or hear collision warning beeps? (Probably too hard.)

[nicklaszlo]

Personally, I would not want to look at a device while skating because there are little girls on the ice and if I hit one they would be seriously injured as I weigh five times as much and go five times faster.  Also, it messes up my posture.  I would not want to listen to a device because rinks are noisy (except when I have private ice).

Vibration from the phone would be a more useful way for it to send messages to me.  Maybe the accelerometer could detect when I jump or spin/twizzle.

Suppose my workout is like this:

1.  Press start on the app.
2.  Stroke for 2 minutes, then app vibrates to tell me to move on to the next thing.
3.  10 axel jumps.  App uses the accelerometer to detect (no need to identify) each jump and vibrates briefly to let me know it was recorded.  Then it gives a long vibration when I am done.
4.  App automatically uses bluetooth to play program music on a bluetooth device (I have seen these at rinks).
5.  20 second rest
6.  Play music again
7.  20 second rest
8.  App vibrates in pulses at the foxtrot tempo for 5 minutes
9.  App vibrates in pulses at the starlight waltz tempo for 5 minutes
10. App counts 5 loop+loop combinations. Uses a long vibration to tell me I am done.
11. App counts 10 Lz+Lo+T combinations
12. Spins and step sequence for the rest of the session

This might be useful for helping me stay on my practice plan.

I have no idea how you would handle it when two people want to play their music at the same time.

[nicklaszlo]

What if the app ran on a tablet, and the tablet was fixed to the rink wall arm's reach from the ice?  Then skaters don't need to carry their phone.  The app could identify the skater with an RFID tag or a QR code.  It could have a lid you put on during hockey to protect it from flying pucks. 

[sampaguita]

Or how about having the app work with smart watches?

[nicklaszlo]

I had a Cogito Classic smart watch, which could control my program music.  Except it only worked half the time, and broke in about two months.  The warranty replacement broke in two weeks. 

[Query]

There are lots cases that let you carry a phone on your belt or arm or neck. And you can do a lot by voice, without looking at the phone.

But I was partly making fun of the people who text while they skate. I see that all the time. Usually by beginners, though sometimes by fast moving skaters too.

Apparently people no longer need to look where they are going. That applies off ice too.