Visual Guides

Aaptiv is a fitness app that offers on-demand audio based fitness classes. It combines vocal trainer guidance with inspirational music. The app offers classes across a variety of categories, from running and yoga to strength training and cycling. Aaptiv has set itself a part in the fitness app space by focusing on audio-only work outs, allowing users to exercise with out having to stare at their phones.

Problem

The strength-training workout category has the lowest completion rate of all categories but is the 2nd most popular.

Goal

To increase the completion rate and "finisher days" for the strength-training workout category.

Role

Sole product designer working with a PM, three developers, and the creative team.

Deliverable

Bring videos into the workout experience.

Process

Survey

We had several hypotheses for why the completion rate for the strength-training category was lower, our biggest one being that users didn't understand how to complete moves with audio as their only guide. To validate these hypotheses, I sent out a survey to 386 Aaptiv users. The goal of the survey was to identify trends and users for follow up interviews.

Key Survey Takeaways

• 87% encountered a move they didn’t understand
• 97% required guidance before and during their workouts
• 14% ended their workouts early

User Interviews

We followed up with a handful of survey respondents for user interviews to dive deeper into the problem. Specifically, we wanted to understand what people did when they encountered moves they didn’t know, how they felt, and what they were thinking.

Key Takeaways

Some interesting trends emerged from these conversations:

• 8 of 10 people searched on google or youtube for the move either during or after the workout
• 8 of 10 mentioned avoiding injury and getting maximum benefit from exercise as a motivator for viewing a video of the proper technique
• 4 of 10 mentioned being concerned about using the right equipment

Design Studio

We brought all of the stakeholders into the same room to review our research takeaways and generate ideas for solutions. During the session we agreed that videos for the strength training moves were going to be the best way to increase the completion rate for the category. We outlined 4 key screens that an ideal experience would touch in the app (shown below) and then generated UI concepts amongst the group for those four different screens. We voted on our favorite options. I then took the winning concepts and created medium fidelity designs for further testing.

Iterations and Testing

We tested several different screens and variations in framer prototypes with 10 different users. I adjusted the prototypes as trends emerged. Below, are the four different versions for how users could access the videos of moves on the workout screen. The biggest design challenge here was how to make the audio the most prominent aspect of the experience while allowing users to access visual guidance for moves when needed.

Final Design

Here is a look at the final design. In an ideal world, the video of the move that the trainer is discussing would automatically show when a user opens their phone. Our data failing to reflect accurrate timing for moves didn't allow for us to create this solution. Our solution tested the best with the constraints at play and ultimately saw the workout completion rate increase by 10% making the strength training category on par with some of the other best performing categories.