Research - user interviews

Name Emma Job Fundraiser Age 25 Gender Female Hobbies/lifestyle hanging out with friends, netflix Do you have a smartphone? If yes, what apps do you use? Smartphone - iphone 6, apps - social media apps, olio - food sharing network Have you ever met up with anyone connected with online (e.g. tinder, meetup)? yes, meet ups, met a friend on twitter If yes, was it a positive/negative experience and why? Meet up - was average, twitter - 10 yrs ago, made friends with fellow ‘swift-y’, then went on to the same university Do you go to the gym? occasionally If yes, how many times a month? around 4 times a month If yes, what motivates you to go? Motivation - wanting to be fitter, going with boyfriend If yes, when you do go to the gym, what could improve your experience? Good gym, would be good if i had some female friends to the gym If no, what is stopping you from going to the gym? If no, what would help you in going to the gym? How would you feel about going to the gym with someone else? Would having someone to go to the gym with motivate you and why? Would really like to go with someone else, motivation and accountability and also not as frightening if going with someone else. Not knowing what to do is frightening. Don’t have confidence to use the free weights, would find it very helpful to have someone with me. How would you feel if that someone was someone you met online? Would be good to have someone locally met online to go to the gym together. Friends don’t live locally Who is your ideal gym partner? Similar age, someone who knew what they were doing. similar fitness level, maybe a bit fitter but a friend and not a personal trainer Can you tell me about a positive/negative experience in the gym? No stand out experiences at the gym. The gym is the gym. How have you found the atmosphere/culture in the gym? Atmosphere - friendly and normal. Central london more gym bunnies and buff. Very intimidating.

Name Bebe Age 24 Job Digital marketing Gender Female Hobbies/lifestyle Hobbies - hiking, reading, watching films, cycling, swimming, not watch too much tv Do you have a smartphone? If yes, what apps do you use? Smartphone - yes android, recently deleted facebook because of mark zuckerberg, instagram, sports tracker for swimming app, guardian, linkedin, outlook. Facebook - toxic, not getting anything out of it. Now follow artists and more inspirational things. Understands data side of facebook, not bothered by this but the fact that wasting my time on facebook. Scrolling is boring and not applicable. Privacy a concern, doesn't like idea of big online profile but it's already there. More time wasting, didn’t post, just looking at content. Have you ever met up with anyone connected with online (e.g. tinder, meetup)? met charlie on msn 11 years ago If yes, was it a positive/negative experience and why? positive experience, friends for a long time and now in a relationship

Do you go to the gym? Swim only membership, wants to start doing classes, work has corporate membership so will join through that. Finds gym intimidating and drawn to classes as people are focussed on themselves. Fine on treadmill but not weights as a small woman. Wants to be healthier now. Don;t know how to use things properly, induction is fine but not enough. Doesn't want to pay for personal trainer. Men at gyms staring and intimidating.online gym culture also intimidating. Rather be outside.

If yes, how many times a month? If yes, what motivates you to go? If yes, when you do go to the gym, what could improve your experience? If no, what is stopping you from going to the gym? If no, what would help you in going to the gym? How would you feel about going to the gym with someone else? Would having someone to go to the gym with motivate you and why? would love to go to the gym with someone else. Don't feel as self conscious with a friend, and someone to check you're doing things right. How would you feel if that someone was someone you met online? Would rather go with someone i know. Might be awkward. If its someone who is similar to me, so similar fitness goals, maybe that would work. Who is your ideal gym partner? Would rather meet up with a girl. Maybe better fitness so they push me more. Similar age. The park run is good, as not intimidating as people encouraged to go at their own pace. This is a really nice environment. Can you tell me about a positive/negative experience in the gym? First ever gym experience traumatic as the guy i signed up with was really creepy. Uni gym is also intimidating. Quiet gym in china was really nice, felt the most comfortable as was private as less crowded. Not feeling like people are staring at you. On your own i feel like i’m so bad at this. Having someone else is a great distraction as you can focus on them. Also less likely to be bored as someone to talk to. How have you found the atmosphere/culture in the gym? Was really sporty at school but then felt that girls are told they don’t do sports at girls secondary school. Had to grow up and force myself back into exercise. How it's taught is awful, if you;re not good at team sports there’s nothing else. You do team sports but not encouraged in terms of personal health.

Name Fiori Job Doctor Age 26 Gender Female Hobbies/lifestyle Hobbies -gym, going out to eat, going out, reading, cinema lifestyle - fairly active, job not sedentary Do you have a smartphone? If yes, what apps do you use? iphone, lots of apps, like 3 pages, social media- facebook, twitter, instagram, used to use snapchat, work apps - finding out medications for work, lifestyle apps - health app to see step, strava for running, depop, asos Have you ever met up with anyone connected with online (e.g. tinder, meetup)? Tinder and hinge. Don’t use them anymore If yes, was it a positive/negative experience and why? Fairly positive experience, people met are normal and nice, no one really different to what they portrayed online.

Do you go to the gym? yes

If yes, how many times a month? About 8 -10 times a month If yes, what motivates you to go? I like to go at times when it's less busy, more inclined to go when less busy. I really like the good classes on offer. If yes, when you do go to the gym, what could improve your experience? I really like the good classes on offer. If no, what is stopping you from going to the gym? If no, what would help you in going to the gym? How would you feel about going to the gym with someone else? Would having someone to go to the gym with motivate you and why? Currently go alone ,would definitely want to go with other people but don’t know anyone at my gym. How would you feel if that someone was someone you met online? I’d definitely like that as i’d like to have a gym buddy so i’d be open to that Who is your ideal gym partner? Similar fitness goals. My reasons for working out are its fun. General fitness. With a woman who was a similar age to me. Not really aware of a lot of the equipment, so someone who knew how to use the equipment. Not a super gym person Can you tell me about a positive/negative experience in the gym? Really enjoy the classes. Class of 30 or so people, make friends, people are really encouraging on the class, this is really motivating. Included in membership price. Never done a pt sessions because i find it intimidating. How have you found the atmosphere/culture in the gym? Really good gym environment at current gym, do cardio and treadmill, weights room, a lot of women around, i don't feel like people are watching me. Previously at other gyms men grouped around the equipment, so much more intimidating. At this gym, people just there to work out. David lloyd in fulham. Busy times - if u want to use mats/equipment usually taken up at busy time. Will have to adjust my workout plan or wait to use equipment. Waiting with another person would definitely feel less intimidating and more.

Name - Sasha Job - Fundraising Copywriter Age 27 Gender ‘F’ Hobbies/lifestyle Frequent cycler, infrequent jogger Do you have a smartphone? If yes, what apps do you use? Yep, mostly twitter and deliveroo Have you ever met up with anyone connected with online (e.g. tinder, meetup)? Yeppo, tinder and grindr If yes, was it a positive/negative experience and why? Yikes, I’m going to say ‘yeah it was fine’ but there’s a lot of small print backing that answer up Do you go to the gym? No If yes, how many times a month? If yes, what motivates you to go? If yes, when you do go to the gym, what could improve your experience? If no, what is stopping you from going to the gym? Most high-street gym franchises offer no protection against discrimination for trans people, and several have inacted anti-trans policies. Also bloke-heavy stare-y culture If no, what would help you in going to the gym? Better staff sensitivity training, active bystander training etc. It’d be great if the spaces felt less straight guy - centred because currently it just doesn’t feel like my space to go to. Failing that it’d be nice if I could go with some other LGBTQ people, to feel less isolated? How would you feel about going to the gym with someone else? Would having someone to go to the gym with motivate you and why? I don’t really struggle with motivation but having other queer people to go with would mean I could go back to the gym for the first time since I transitioned How would you feel if that someone was someone you met online? I mean as long as they didn’t murder me yeah that’s fine Who is your ideal gym partner? Like imagine the opposite of a personal trainer in every way. Can you tell me about a positive/negative experience in the gym? Taking turns on the machines with my girlfriend! Negative - the completely swollen red guys at the freeweight stations with the needlessly agressive t-shirts that say like ‘I am a tough horrible bastard’ or ‘I eat failure’ who take like a fucking hour and they’re not even deadlifting? They’re shaped like an upside down pyramid and you know they’re using steroids so you don’t want to go over to them and say ‘hey nice bacne (back acne) can I have a go when you’re done compressing your spine like you’re trying to get the last toothpaste out of the tube?’ because they’ll crush you How have you found the atmosphere/culture in the gym? Challenging to awful. There’s a death-cult level of misogyny to the point that you can’t even tell a member of staff when there’s someone harassing women because it’s often them? (nb this is maybe just at the Gym Waterloo [ no it isn’t])

Name: Abi Job: Student Age: 26 Gender : Female Hobbies/lifestyle: Reading, video games, running (sometimes) Do you have a smartphone? If yes, what apps do you use? Yes- instagram, YouTube, ASOS, messenger, Citymapper Have you ever met up with anyone connected with online (e.g. tinder, meetup)? No If yes, was it a positive/negative experience and why? Do you go to the gym? If yes, how many times a month? If yes, what motivates you to go? If yes, when you do go to the gym, what could improve your experience? If no, what is stopping you from going to the gym? No- It’s male culture- Sometimes getting stared at by men and I have nobody to go with. If no, what would help you in going to the gym? More women friendly/ queer friendly environment. How would you feel about going to the gym with someone else? Would having someone to go to the gym with motivate you and why? Great- I have done before and it’s fun. Yes that would motivate me. How would you feel if that someone was someone you met online? Ok if we had talked for some time. Who is your ideal gym partner? Someone who is the same level of fitness so I can keep up. Maybe with similar interests so we can chat. Can you tell me about a positive/negative experience in the gym? Positive- taking turns on the machines with my girlfriend and encouraging each other. Negative- Some guy staring at me (he worked there!) How have you found the atmosphere/culture in the gym? Very male focused on the weights- not very easy to get in to as a girl as a lot of it involves asking someone to help you out and that’s hard in a male space. Also the music is too loud to actually talk sometimes.

FAC-Sixteen / GymBuddy

Research - user interviews #1