ZOMBIES
RUN!
One of the world's most immersive audio fitness apps. With 10M+ downloads, it turns real-world runs into story missions, complete with audio dramas, zombie chases, and base building.
12B → 45B
Fitness gamified through narrative fiction
40%
Users Engage More with Gamification
#1
World's Most Popular Exergame
Role Product designer
team Armando · oume
field Gamification · FITNESS
discipline Experience Design
Overview
This redesign focuses on a seamless experience that blends storytelling, wearable technology, and accessible interaction to keep runners engaged without compromising safety.
Running apps often focus on tracking performance, while games prioritize entertainment. This project explores how both can coexist through an experience that motivates movement without distracting users from their surroundings.
challenge
in the real world?
Most fitness apps motivate through numbers and most games demand attention. Neither supports uninterrupted movement.
How might we create an experience that encourages runners to stay immersed while remaining fully aware of the real world?
Challenge
Designing for outdoor running means designing for movement, not attention. Unlike traditional mobile experiences, runners cannot continuously interact with a screen without compromising safety, comfort, or immersion.
Goals
Our goals were to create an experience that balances storytelling with real-world awareness, while maintaining continuity across multiple devices.
movement
safety & surroundings
NARRATIVE
design decision
The design challenges shaped every decision.
Distraction
Reduce visual dependency during movement.
Usability
Support effortless interaction while running.
Continuity
Maintain narrative immersion across devices.
design principle
Designing for uninterrupted immersion.
The journey was designed around the natural rhythm of a running session.
The journey was designed around the natural rhythm of a running session.
The journey was designed around the natural rhythm of a running session.
The journey was designed around the natural rhythm of a running session.
The journey was designed around the natural rhythm of a running session.
user flow
Designing the Runner's Journey
01
Discover
Browse missions,
Choose episode
02
Mission setup
03
Run
Distance, Pace,
Audio story playing
04
watch glance
Apple Watch
glanceable stats
05
FINISH
06
Return
Celebrate progress and
extend motivation.
CROSS-DEVICE DESIGN
SEAMLESS EXPERIENCE
Creating continuity across movement, devices, and storytelling.
( The phone ) handles planning and storytelling.
( The earbuds ) immerse you in the story through spatial audio.
( The watch ) delivers glanceable interactions during movement.
Spatial Audio
Directional sound transforms zombie encounters into environmental feedback, increasing immersion without requiring visual attention.
Haptics
Subtle vibration cues communicate mission progress, item collection, and story events.
Apple Watch
Essential running information becomes accessible at a glance, minimizing interruptions during movement.
DESIGN system
Building an
Emotional
System
More than an interface, the visual system reinforces immersion, motivation, and narrative consistency throughout the experience.
The visual language extends beyond aesthetics.
Characters, typography, and environmental graphics establish tension, helping users remain emotionally invested throughout the journey.
Accessibility
Designing for
Accessibility
Outdoor running introduces constantly changing lighting conditions. To improve readability and reduce visual fatigue, the interface prioritizes:
Accessibility was treated as a foundation rather than an optional feature.
01
Simplified
Information
hierarchy.
02
Dark Mode
03
High Contrast
Typography
04
Large Tap
Targets
outcome
Sony 360 Reality Audio
Audio Designed by Armando
Audio as the
Invisible
Interface
During a run, constantly checking a screen interrupts both movement and immersion. Instead, the experience shifts interaction to audio: mission updates, environmental cues, and pacing are delivered through sound, allowing runners to stay immersed while keeping their eyes on the road. By reducing screen dependency, audio becomes the invisible interface that connects storytelling, movement, and safety.
“Sound becomes the interface users rarely notice, yet rely on the most.”
Connect across devices
Two key layers: the Apple Watch companion system that extends the run without interrupting it, and the Spatial Audio experience that makes the zombie world feel physically real.
The experience is designed to disappear into motion.
Real-world Simulation
Audio-driven Experience
This project explores how digital systems can support physical movement without demanding attention — transforming running into a continuous, narrative-driven experience across devices, sound, and environment.
Reflection
Reflection
Instead of asking how users interact with interfaces, this project challenged me to think about how interfaces could gradually disappear. Designing for movement required shifting the focus away from screens and toward continuity across devices, sound, and physical space. It reinforced my belief that the most meaningful digital experiences are often the least intrusive—supporting people without demanding their attention.
In the future, I would validate these concepts through usability testing with runners and explore adaptive interactions based on pace, fatigue, and environmental context. Design is ultimately about helping people stay present in the moments that matter.