Current Systems

We did some research on the current listening devices available for people who exercised. Because of this research, combined with our user interviews, we decided we had three possible choices for types of products we could design.

3 Possible Contexts for a Digital Music Playing Device in the Exercise World

• Systems for Personal Exercise Rooms in the Home
• Personal Wearable Devices
• Systems for Exercise Classrooms

Most personal home systems usually doubled as stereos as well, or as portable boomboxes, and so a highly specialized piece of equipment just for exercise would be costly and have not have a wide market niche.

Sony and Nike, among others, had already begun creating wearable products for listening to music while exercising alone, and so this market already seemed dominated, even if a truly great product had not yet emerged.

Devices for in classrooms, however, were virtually non-existent. They were also basically stereos, often on carts so they could be locked away. They, however, served only this purpose while being not very specialized or convenient. This area appeared to have the most opportunity for improvement, so this was the one we focused on and did deeper research in.