Running App Promo
I’m a fitness enthusiast. If I could do all the sports, I absolutely would. Since a very young age I’ve done rollerskating, swimming, volleyball, karate, rugby, and a little bit of gymnastics. Now I just stick to the gym and calisthenics, but I would absolutely love to do more. The thing is I’ve always hated running. I’ve always had ZERO resistance when running (or whenever cardio was involved), but throughout the years I started liking it (not loving). I know how good running can be for me since I have a very sedentary job (and I start panting after a couple of stairs steps - yes even if I train at the gym regularly), but I struggle with consistency.
So I thought “why not make a small personal project promoting a potential app that could help me with motivation?”
Now in “design lingo” - How can a few words, some music and some motion, make running feel exciting, accessible, and motivating?
I started by brainstorming short, punchy copy that could speak to new and seasoned runners alike—lines like “Couch to conqueror” or “Run smart, reach farther.” I wanted the tone to be energetic, clear, and a bit playful.
From there, I sketched some rough character designs. I wanted there to be a character, a cute one, that would help people resonate with it. So it would feel more “relatable”. People relate to people, so why not add a cute struggling runner?
When I finally decided how the character was going to look like I explored some thumbnails.
The idea was to make a social media post, so I was exploring some square thumbnails as I was thinking how this idea could best fit the instagram square grid.
Lots of exploration
At the very beginning I was fully going the “graphics designer” route. Static posts, maybe a carousel. A couple of different versions but still conveying the same message. Then I thought “why not add som photos and blend them with illustration?” So I explored that route, but there was a little voice inside my head saying “make it mooveeee”. I love drawing and designing static things, but seeing all that cool stuff move is even more satisfying! So in the end I merged everything I came up with into a short, catchy, animated video. Dynamic but minimal: bold fonts, clean lines, strong contrasts, and smooth motion.
The idea was to make the viewer feel the rhythm of a run, even in just a few seconds, and somewhat feel that runner’s rush. Those endorphins that make every runner go “I want to do that again” at the end of a run.
Did I get motivated to go on a run? YES, did I actually go on a run? Just once… Maybe I should make more stuff like this so it becomes a consistent habit.