Bone IQ

I designed the mobile app experience for Bone IQ, a strength-training program that helps older adults improve bone density through evidence-based workouts. We built an MVP to turn vague physician advice into a clear, personalized experience that guides users through safe, weekly training. We are currently running usability tests on these initial designs.

Role

Product Designer

Timeline

February 2025 – Present

Expertise

Product Design, UI Design, Mobile App, Prototyping

• • •

The Problem

People with low bone density are often told by their Physicians to start resistance training, but they’re rarely given a safe, structured plan to follow. For older adults, that lack of guidance can lead to confusion, inaction, or even injury. Lexi Lewis, the founder of Bone-IQ, brought me on to help design a clear, approachable experience that empowers users to build bone strength safely.

Skip to Solution

Understanding The User

The founder shared feedback and context from prospective users in her network, many of whom were navigating a recent diagnosis and feeling unsure about how to safely begin resistance training. At this stage, users aren’t looking for complex fitness tracking or daily routines. They want something simple, safe, and attainable, usually just two workouts per week. Most rely on tablets or phones with larger screens and value clarity, encouragement, and a sense of progress they can see.

These insights shaped my early design decisions: large, readable text; a warm, minimal aesthetic, and a guided workout flow that is intuitive.

Proto-Persona

Meet Leslie

Age: 59

Background: Leslie is a horse therapist who works with children. She's been riding for decades and wants to stay strong enough to keep doing the work she loves.

Tech Comfort: Comfortable on her iPad and iPhone, she uses them to message, read, and watch videos regularly.

Goals: Stay mobile and independent, especially to keep up with the kids and animals.

Challenges: Recently diagnosed with osteopenia. She's unsure how to start strength training safely and worries about injury.

Needs: A straightforward program that doesn’t feel like “gym culture.” She wants reassurance she’s doing it right—and that it’s working.

Benchmarking

I dissected 5 different health & fitness apps and brought over some foundational aspects that I'd like to include in the original designs for MVP.

Key takeaways from benchmarking:

Providing quick-glance summaries and progressive disclosure helps users stay oriented and in control.

Tailoring the interface to reflect where someone is in their workflow allows the product to feel more intuitive and help users stay focused without needing to reorient themselves.

UI Solution

I was brought on to design the core screens for Bone IQ’s mobile app: the login screen, home screen, workout preview, individual exercise screens, and the assessment screens. The post-workout assessment screens involve an in-app survey of about 10 questions that helps physical therapists tailor each user’s next custom workout. This step is essential to how Bone IQ adapts to each person’s needs over time.

Typography & Colors

UI Kit

Buttons

Form Inputs

Grid

Other Components

Home Cards

26+ AI Generated Exercise Previews

Option Switcher

Progress Indicator

Timer

Assessment Modals

Multiple Choice Buttons

Assessment Buttons

Screens

The founder of Bone IQ gave me a few elements she wanted embedded into the app like brand colors, the overall feeling, and some core functionality. From there, I designed these mobile app screens for the beta version we're testing with users. Take a scroll through and check back soon to see how we evolve the design based on what we learn!