Reinventing a $26 Billion Industry
Big Cloud Analytics came to Merit because they wanted to use biometric data to improve people’s lives. We reimagined the health and wellness app to be a more streamlined, interactive experience and developed EVŌ. More than just a fitness app, EVŌ is the first app to coach people towards their health goals based on biometric data and behavioral insights.
Market Reality
The market for health and wellness apps had plenty of choices, but there was not much differentiation between them. We found that most on the market were boring, lacked incentives, and often presented data that was difficult to understand. Fitness apps claimed to enable users to live a healthier life, but did little beside providing basic biometric data. Additionally, the existing market was clearly targeted towards younger generations, ignoring a huge potential market in senior citizens who could benefit from fitness tracking and coaching.
Market Opportunity
Merit investigated EVŌ’s competition and the industry trends, held a discovery session, and researched user demographics to better understand the market and what users wanted in a health and wellness app. We also looked at behavioral change models and existing industry research. Through our analysis, we found that users were tired of “health scores” and statuses that were hard to understand and act upon. They wanted an interface that was simpler and more personalized, with coaching that was tailored to their goals and fitness levels, meeting them where they were at in their wellness journey with customized prompts to action.
Invention Strategy
Based on our assessment of the current market, we set out to reinvent the market by addressing the common pain-points of the industry. Instead of an app with complicated terminology and confusing scores, EVŌ would focus on an elegantly simply circle that provided clear, visualized metrics. We developed archetypes, based on current fitness, goals, and motivation levels, that would inform the way EVŌ interfaced with users. Our research team also developed a strategy based around the idea of “nudging” users towards healthier choices, little by little, with personalized messaging and encouragement.
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