ChoreoSync
Timeline:
10 weeks, Jan. - Apr. 2025
Role:
UX Researcher & Designer
Team:
Self, Nikita Rao
Tools:
Figma, FigJam
Background
CONTEXT
ChoreoSync is a tool created during a 10-week UX/UI design intensive for Bits of Good, the Georgia Tech chapter of Hack4Impact.
ChoreoSync is a mobile rehearsal companion that shows dancers exactly where they belong in every formation, replacing the slow cycle of choreographers physically placing dancers until positions stick.
SOLUTION AT A GLANCE
The Problem
Learning and executing dance formations in large groups is complicated and time-consuming.
Dancers struggle to remember their individual placements across dozens of formations, leading to a frustrating cycle where choreographers must physically place each dancer repeatedly until positions are memorized.
For a typical college dance team:
~10 formation changes per piece × ~8 pieces per performance
= ~80 formations per dancer to memorize.
THE QUESTION
How can we help dancers learn and execute
formations more efficiently?
Research
GOALS
We set out to understand the biggest challenges dancers face with:
Current dance formation visualization platforms
Learning formations
Creating formations
METHODS
Survey: 30 respondents from collegiate and professional dance backgrounds
User Interviews: 3 participants (limited by time and scheduling constraints)
KEY INSIGHTS
1.
100% of respondents have danced in a group setting.
93.3% in a school/college team
6.7% in a professional company
2.
Challenges learning & executing formations:
Remembering individual placements in different formations (12)
Moving between formations smoothly (8)
Adjusting formations for different rehearsal or performance spaces (7)
3.
Most Time-Consuming Aspects:
Planning and designing initial formations (16)
Re-teaching or adjusting formations for dancer changes (12)
Transitioning smoothly between formations (10)
MINDMAP
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
PROBLEM FOCUS
Through our research, we identified that the most critical pain point wasn't in creating formations- existing desktop tools already handle that well. Instead, the real struggle lies in learning and executing formations.
The traditional method is clunky: choreographers physically place each dancer, one by one, repeating the process over and over until positions are memorized. There's no efficient tool that bridges the gap between formation creation and individual dancer learning.
Ideation & Exploration
INITIAL DIRECTION
We first explored creating a desktop application for designing formations. However, we quickly realized this space already had established solutions.
THE PIVOT: MOBILE LEARNING TOOL
We made a strategic decision to prioritize helping dancers learn formations over creating them.
Why mobile? If our goal was to help dancers learn their positions quickly and efficiently, the tool needed to be easily accessible in the rehearsal space. A mobile app allows dancers to quickly check their phone to see exactly where they should be.
Design Decisions
PAIN POINT
RESULTING DECISION
Remembering individual placements
→
Graph View + Coordinate Labels
Quick checks between run-throughs
→
Swipe cards
Adjusting to new spaces
→
AR stage view
Re-teaching and chaotic feedback
→
Issue flagging
LOW-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
MID TO HIGH FIDELITY
→
Testing & Iteration
USER TESTING
I ran usability testing sessions with 3 participants who had danced in group settings. We wanted to know which views helped dancers understand their positions, whether the coordinate system made sense, and whether the features would hold up in a real rehearsal.
WHAT WORKED
WHAT FELL SHORT
1.
The current position was unclear.
Users found it confusing to use the swipe cards, since swiping through made it hard to know what position they should be on currently.
So, we enlarged position numbers on each card to better highlight the current formation.
2.
Arrow logic could be simplified.
Users didn't immediately understand the arrow logic on swipe cards. On a quick glance, a left or right arrow at that size isn't the most distinguishable.
So, we removed arrows when left and right sides of the graph can be distinguished by coordinates (e.g., negative values) to reduce visual clutter.
3.
The coordinates origin was unclear.
Users needed clarification that the positions in the app are ones set previously by their choreographer.
So, we added an onboarding note explaining that graph coordinates are based on those set by the choreographer, not arbitrary placement.
4.
AR feature felt like "too much work".
Users noted the AR mapping as possibly useful, but that it needed too much preparation every time it would be used in a new rehearsal space.
So, we set the AR feature as an optional toggle. Despite mixed feedback, some users found it interesting and potentially helpful, so we wanted to keep it as an option but deprioritize the feature.
Protoype
Reflections
WHAT I LEARNED
1.
Iteration creates innovation.
Even though we thought we had a clear vision at the start with the desktop formation-creating app, the pivot to mobile rehearsal support was a direct result of research insights, and our final prototype looked nothing like our initial sketches.
2.
Interviews are invaluable.
I started this project without any dance experience. The survey, interviews, and Nikita's personal experiences gave critical context and revealed problem areas I would never have thought of on my own.
NEXT STEPS
If we had more time, we would like to complete additional rounds of user testing to further iterate on the AR feature and overall experience. To continue improving the tool, we also wish we could test with actual dance teams in real rehearsal settings to validate features. Further ahead, we would want to explore choreographer tools to understand how formations are currently created and how ChoreoSync could integrate.