GripGoals
Product design - mobile training app
My role
Deliverables
Team
Year
What
GripGoals is a mobile training app designed for climbers and climbing coaches, providing structured training plans, progress tracking, and instructional guidance. The app is currently in its MVP stage, but we’re developing the full version to make training planning and progress tracking even more effective. It helps users structure their workouts, monitor performance, and analyze results.
Why
Climbers and coaches often rely on spreadsheets or handwritten notes to track their workouts, which can be messy and inefficient. We wanted to create a tool that simplifies and speeds up the entire process—from planning workouts to tracking progress. With GripGoals, users have everything in one place: structured training plans, clear exercise instructions, and performance insights.
How
Every promising idea needs validation and refinement before it can evolve into a well-structured solution. To achieve this, I applied the Design Thinking Process, which provided a clear framework for managing the project efficiently within a set timeframe. My approach started with user research - understanding potential users, their needs, motivations, and current ways of seeking advice across different fields. I explored why they needed guidance, how they searched for it, and what challenges they faced in the process. These insights shaped the app’s core features and functionalities, ensuring that Adviceme directly addressed real user needs while fostering a seamless and trustworthy advisory experience.
User interface
In our design process for GripGoals, we prioritized a dark mode interface, featuring an almost black background. This decision aligns with our users' preferences, ensuring better visibility in various lighting conditions and optimizing battery life - especially important as athletes rely on the exercise screen for tracking training and rest periods.To enhance the app's sporty and climbing-centric aesthetic, we incorporated a vibrant palette of saturated colors. These hues not only provide clear contrast and readability but also aid in organizing statistical data and information: each exercise category is assigned a distinct color.
User testing revealed the necessity to enlarge tappable areas. Climbers often have hands covered in chalk, and their fingers tend to be larger due to frequent training. Adjusting the touch targets ensures a more accessible and user-friendly experience for our audience.
User testing revealed the necessity to enlarge tappable areas. Climbers often have hands covered in chalk, and their fingers tend to be larger due to frequent training. Adjusting the touch targets ensures a more accessible and user-friendly experience for our audience.
Visualising performance data
Tracking progress in GripGoals is just as crucial as the training itself. Clear and accessible data allows coaches to guide climbers safely and effectively toward their goals while also keeping athletes (both professionals and enthusiasts) engaged and informed. Based on interviews with coaches and users, I designed a data presentation system that is intuitive at a glance yet offers in-depth insights on demand. Users can tap into detailed stats for a deeper analysis, ensuring both clarity and usability.
Information architecture
The IA and user flows were designed based on user interviews and usability testing. Our goal was to ensure that the app remains intuitive, easy to navigate, and streamlined for efficiency - allowing climbers to focus on what truly matters: their training.
Component Library
A well-structured component library is essential for consistency, scalability, and efficiency in any design project. By leveraging advanced components with variables and modes - such as string and color variations - we streamline the design process while ensuring flexibility for future development.
String modes, in particular, play a key role in seamless multilingual support, allowing effortless language switching without disrupting the design structure.
String modes, in particular, play a key role in seamless multilingual support, allowing effortless language switching without disrupting the design structure.
Research & Cooperation
GripGoals is not just another app concept created by tech enthusiasts with little connection to the world of sports. It was created in direct response to the needs of the sport climbing community. The app was designed to address real challenges faced by climbers and trainers - replacing complex spreadsheets with a more user-friendly, dynamic interface that simplifies training management. From the very first sketches to the final product, the entire process was carried out in close collaboration with the target users, ensuring a solution tailored to their needs.
Gripgoals was developed in close collaboration with professionals who know the sport inside and out:
Kuba Bielawski
Physiotherapist for the National Sport Climbing Team
For nearly 25 years, he has been actively involved in climbing, and for the past 15 years, he has specialized in treating climbing-related injuries. His passion is closely intertwined with his professional career. His practice frequently welcomes sport climbers, rock climbers, high-altitude climbers, amateurs, and elite athletes. From 2019 to 2024, he served as the physiotherapist for the National Sport Climbing Team. He had the privilege of supporting Poland’s Olympic Medalists in Speed Climbing both in their preparation for the Paris Games and during the competition itself. He collaborates with climbing coaches, instructors, strength and conditioning specialists, nutritionists, and a sports psychologist.
Mateusz Szczucki
Class II Coach and PZA Sport Climbing Instructor, PZA Routesetter
Mateusz Szczucki has been involved in climbing for about 20 years and has been coaching climbers of all ages for over a decade. His main focus is teaching climbing techniques and preparing young athletes for competitions as well as tackling challenging outdoor routes. At the same time, he also works with adult climbers at all skill levels. For more experienced climbers seeking support in structuring their training, he offers proven, personalized training plans that allow for flexible workouts anytime and anywhere.His training base is Limbo Bouldering, where he conducts assessments and tracks progress. Each training program is fully tailored to meet the individual needs and capabilities of his clients.
Dawid Herman
Professional Climber, Sport Climbing Instructor
Mateusz Szczucki has been involved in climbing for about 20 years and has been coaching climbers of all ages for over a decade. His main focus is teaching climbing techniques and preparing young athletes for competitions as well as tackling challenging outdoor routes. At the same time, he also works with adult climbers at all skill levels. For more experienced climbers seeking support in structuring their training, he offers proven, personalized training plans that allow for flexible workouts anytime and anywhere.His training base is Limbo Bouldering, where he conducts assessments and tracks progress. Each training program is fully tailored to meet the individual needs and capabilities of his clients.
