1)
I believe that there is an opportunity to
improve the size of Southwest Recreation Center at UF and include more gym
equipment in it.
2)
The unmet need in this opportunity is that there
is not enough equipment in the gym for a school the size of UF. This need is
felt by students who regularly workout and end up getting stuck waiting around
for machines to open up or even waiting in line to enter the gym. This has always been a problem at UF as far as I am aware of and I believe
that this exists because the gym is not the correct size for the environment
that it is part of. This opportunity 100% exists.
Iteration 1: Jack A.
Junior
1)
Do you work out at Southwest Rec? If so how many
times per week?
Yes, about three times per week.
2)
Do you ever have issues with the gym being to
packed or having to wait for equipment? If yes, when does this usually happen?
Yes,
usually around 4:00 pm on most days.
3)
How has this affected your ability to exercise?
It
gets me out of my groove. I spend too much time resting and there’s not enough
intensity. It kind of makes me tired.
4)
How would you feel about an increase in gym size
or added equipment?
I think it’s definitely needed.
Iteration 2: Ben K. Junior
1)
Do you work out at Southwest Rec? If so how many
times per week?
Yes,
about 6 times per week.
2)
Do you ever have issues with the gym being to
packed or having to wait for equipment? If yes, when does this usually happen?
Yes,
all the time.
3)
How has this affected your ability to exercise?
Sometimes
I don’t get the machines I want and my workout isn’t as good. I like to use a
lot of different machines to get more volume in my workouts and when I can’t do
this I feel like I’m not getting the workout I should be getting.
4)
How would you feel about an increase in gym size
or added equipment?
Definitely
needed. It would benefit the entire student body. It might even encourage more
students to go to the gym if they didn’t have to worry about going to an over
packed gym and wait around for equipment.
Iteration 3: Luke V.
Junior
1)
Do you work out at Southwest Rec? If so how many
times per week?
No.
I run instead.
2)
Even though you don’t go to the gym do you have
any insight into the idea that there isn’t enough equipment in the gym?
There
definitely isn’t enough equipment. The few times that I have gone I have run
into issues with it being too packed and haven’t been able to use all the
machines that I wanted to.
3)
How has this affected your ability to exercise?
It hasn’t really, considering I
don’t really go to the gym.
4)
How would you feel about an increase in gym size
or added equipment?
It would be a nice addition for
people that go to the gym, but it doesn’t really affect me.
Reflect:
After completing these three
iterations I realized that my opportunity is completely valid. I interviewed three different types of athletic students. One that rarely goes to the gym, one that goes a few times a week, and one that goes almost everyday and they all had similar input on the situation. The pain that I
described in the beginning is being felt by UF students and even ones that don’t
workout at Southwest regularly see the benefit in resizing the gym and adding
more equipment to it. As a daily gym goer I was almost certain that this idea
was right in my own mind, but it was really helpful to talk to other people and
receive their input on the situation so I could realize the potential of this
opportunity.
Summarize:
I believe that the majority of
this opportunity is still present, around 90-95%. Anyone who goes to Southwest experiences
this in some way and it regularly has a negative impact on students’ ability to
exercise in an efficient manner. Considering my opportunity was supported
wholeheartedly I didn’t have to adapt it, however it is important to keep gaining
insight from potential customers in order to modify the opportunity to fit the
needs of those that one is catering to while staying true to one's cause.
Chris,
ReplyDeleteIf I am being completely honest, I would have to say that Southwest Recreation is a pretty big gym and it has very up to date equipment. However, it is very possible I am incorrect, since you see an opportunity in this area. I go to southwest a few times a week and I usually don't run into too many issues, but maybe I just go at good times. I do admit your interviews support your notion that the opportunity exists. Either way, you conducted adequate research and completed a good post.
Hi Chris,
ReplyDeleteI understand the issue of southwest being completely packed and having to wait around for machines for a long time. I personally go there 5-6 times a week to lift so I understand the frustration of waiting to use a machine. However, I predict it would be difficult to add more machines or weights to the gym. I think a more probable solution could be to add another gym on campus for students to go to. I liked that you chose this opportunity to discuss, I know its an issue for me as well as many others who regularly workout.
Hi Chris,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you on the expansion of Southwest Recreation center. Whenever I go to the gym there is always the certain time frame that it is packed. Sometimes this gym is so packed that there is a line to get into the weight room by using the one-in, one-out method. I believe this hinders students learning with exercise because they are waiting in line for the gym when they could be studying for a longer time. I believe the best solution is to renovate the Florida gym so it is a close replica to Southwest so more people spread out between each gym.
Hi Chris,
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand and agree with you that the gym can be crowed but I am not sure that it's a feasible opportunity. The gyms at the university are large and there are two of them. They are strategically designed to be as optimal as possible and thus they can't expand any particular area without giving up something or running a larger cost. The cost in this one would be the cost of the new lights, heating, and the bill for the equipment itself. While I still agree that it can be a hassle I don't believe that this is a feasible idea. However you did do the assignment well and it is very easy to read. Well done.