Pump'd
Beginners don’t avoid the gym because they’re lazy, they avoid it because the experience feels intimidating and confusing. The root problem wasn’t just about confusing gym equipment or routines — it was a lack of confidence and support. New users lack the confidence and support don’t know where to start, how to set up, or whether they’re doing it right.
I led the end-to-end design of Pump’d: a gym companion app that lowers cognitive load, delivers real-time guidance, and reinforces confidence at every step of the workout.
Role
Product Designer
Timeline
5 weeks (Spring 2025)
Team
4 Designers
Skills
End-to-End Experience Design
Mobile UIUX Design
Interaction Design
User Resarch & User Testing
Impact
"The experience problem indeed has social, informational, and physical challenges…Nice use of the peak-end rule. I agree that would be a big part of this!"
Professor Jacob O. Wobbrock, University of Washington
"I found the unlocking of exercises, machines, and the virtual gym to be quite clever to engage the remembering self and introduce that aspect of gamification."
Meredith Weinstock, TA to Professor Wobbrock
Shaped the Experience Strategy
I proposed the “Simon Says” metaphor as a familiar, follow-along interaction model to support first-time gym-goers. It shaped how we designed the experience, from instructions to feedback, to make workouts feel more intuitive and less intimidating.
Experience Journey Mapping
I created the detailed user experience journey maps, capturing each stage of a beginner’s gym visit. This helped us to identify precise intervention points and the desired end-state experience.
Independently Redesigned the Final Product
After the course ended, I independently revisited the project to address usability and visual cohesion concerns. I synthesized feedback from testing and redesigned the product’s flow and interface.
Problem Discovery
Context
Our desk research highlighted a major retention challenge for gyms. While 12% of annual memberships occur in January, nearly half of these new members quit within six months. For a company like L.A. Fitness, this translates to over $900M in potential revenue lost annually. Beyond the potential revenue lost, it underscores how quickly beginners lose confidence and disengage. We saw this as an opportunity to design a more supportive experience for beginners.
Process
To ground our design in real user needs, we created and distributed a screening survey (n=26), then conducted 5 in-depth contextual inquiries.
Contextual Inquiry
I conducted think-aloud walkthroughs at the gym with 3 beginner and 2 intermediate gym-goers to observe behaviors, uncover pain points, and explore emotional responses in context. Together, my team created the research plan, moderated sessions and synthesized findings.
We chose contextual inquiry because observing users in the gym environment revealed hidden cognitive and emotional barriers, like fear of judgment or setup confusion, that surveys or interviews alone wouldn’t have captured.
Insight 1
Participants, regardless of experience, find gym equipment unintuitive to use.
4/5 participants expressed uncertainty about how to set up and adjust equipment.
3/5 participants questioned whether they were using the machine correctly or safely.
Insight 2
Social pressure and the fear of looking inexperienced discourages exploration, creating a cycle of avoidance.
3/5 participants felt self-conscious around more experienced gym-goers.
Insight 3
Users gauge form through physical sensations, but often lack the language to validate correctness. When the “feel” matches expectations, confidence grows and when it doesn’t, confusion sets in.
4/5 participants rely on physical sensation ("muscle burn") to gauge correctness, because of a lack of external feedback.
Insight 4
Layered guidance supports different learning styles and builds confidence.
4/5 found audio cues and instructions helpful.
3/5 wanted the option for visual instruction where audio cues are insufficient or terminology is complex.
Competitive Analysis
Competitive analysis revealed a gap in the market. There is a need for real-time, confidence-building feedback in a playful, user-friendly format.
How Might We
How might we help gym-goers feel confident and supported when using unfamiliar equipment for the first time?
Feel intimidated by other experienced gym-goers
Lack guided support with choosing & using equipment
Struggle to build confidence and stay motivated
Conceptual Ideation
We anchored our ideation on how users interpret and feel about the content, through metaphor and theme.
Metaphor
We wanted to emulate the game of Simon Says, designing follow-along cues that are immersive and supportive.
— Kensing & Madsen, 1991
Theme
We used "play" as our north star for the experience design, to ensure the product feels joyful and intuitive.
— Pine & Gilmore, 1999
Design Guidelines
We anchored our ideation on how users interpret and feel about the content, through metaphor and theme.
Reduce Cognitive Load
Deliver just-in-time instructions to reduce cognitive load and help users stay focused on form.
Emotional Safety
Discreet interactions to reduce social anxiety and help users feel safe learning in public spaces.
Build Confidence
Reinforce progress with real-time feedback that help users feel successful and supported.
Memorable Endings via the Peak-End Rule
End workouts on a high note to leave a positive impression and motivate users to return.
User Journey
Based on anecdotes from our contextual inquiries, I mapped the entire workout journey and identified points where users felt uncertain or discouraged. If we could address these moments, Flow could become more than just functional support; it could also provide emotional reassurance.
Grounded in users’ psychological needs and be-goals (Hassenzahl, 2010), I focused on 3 opportunities: easing pre-workout decision paralysis, offering discreet guidance during the workout, and reinforcing a sense of progress afterward. By designing for these touchpoints, we aimed to create a functionally and emotionally supportive experience in our desired user journey.
Final Design
Pump'd is a multimodal workout assistant that guides users from the start to end of their workout journey. It reduces gym anxiety and builds confidence through a supportive experience.
"I was looking for something more straightforward, like, based on effort or for beginners, not muscle groups, because I don’t really know what those are. Just tell me what’s easy!"
— P2
Step 1 of 4: Pre Workout
Personalized Plans
Pump’d curates recommended plans during onboarding, reducing decision fatigue and friction. Over time, it adapts to user progress, offering personalized guidance that grows with the user.
"I always feel like people are going to be like 'Oh, she's doing something wrong' or like 'She doesn't know what she's doing'…kind of like anxiety"
— P4
"I like doing the arms thing and the legs things"
— P3 (referring to a Shoulder Press and Leg Extension)
Step 2 of 4: During Workout
Supportive Starts
To support users of different levels of fitness knowledge, users can search equipment by name, scanning NFC tags on machines, or using smart image recognition. This offers clear entry points, reducing cognitive load and helps users feel in control from the start.
"The setup matters a lot to me. Knowing how to setup is more than half of like actually doing it correctly."
— P1
"Oh woah, wait, wait! I forgot to check and change the weight before starting, and it was set really high by the previous person"
— P4
Before diving into the exercise, users are guided through audio and visual guidance to set up the gym equipment. This guidance continues through each set of the exercise.
"I think the tip about the shoulder blades was very helpful for me, and then after the shoulder blades, everything else kind of clicked."
— P1
"Doing it while following your instruction helps. For example, you were like, 'pull it, keep your shoulders straight'. When you said that, I did it; I just followed in real time, and that actually helped."
— P3
Step 3 of 4: During Workout
Audio Guidance
Audio guidance accompanied by tempo pulses take the guesswork out of working out, helping users feel confident and in the flow.
"I like the feeling of achievement I get, after my workout, from unlocking something."
— P1
Step 4 of 4: Post Workout
Memorable Post Workout
Support continues post workout. By turning progress into visual milestones and streaks, we end sessions on a high note, boosting motivation and encouraging return visits. Users unlock interactive color customizations for equipment as they complete workouts.
"I want something that would help to motivate me since I'm new to the gym."
— P2
"I wanted to do something consistently for a long time and the gym is a good way to prove that."
— P3
Micro-interactions that turn routines into milestones and encourage consistency through timely nudges.
Step 1 of 4: Pre Workout
Personalized Plans
Step 2 of 4: During Workout
Supportive Starts
Step 3 of 4: During Workout
Audio Guidance
Step 4 of 4: Post Workout
Memorable Post Workout
Evaluative Research
Process
I wrote the test script and acted as both moderator and notetaker across 3 rounds of evaluative research. I also designed the wireframes, synthesized findings, and iterated to refine our designs.
Concept Evaluation
I conducted 5 think-aloud concept evaluations using low-fidelity wireframes to assess whether the core flow and affordances matched user expectations and helping to validate early ideas quickly.
Usability Testing
I conducted usability testing using the RITE method, iterating designs between sessions based on user feedback and friction points. This approach allowed me to refine language, visual hierarchy, and interaction details quickly, leading to stronger usability with each round.
Experience Prototyping
I conducted 5 experience prototype tests in the real gym environments using a Wizard-of-Oz setup (simulating real-time audio guidance while participants interacted with high-fidelity wireframes). This allowed me to evaluate users' physical and emotional responses to the prototype in context, which surfaced usability issues tied to physical setup, timing, and emotional state that were not apparent in controlled settings.
Wireframes
Over the rounds of evaluative research, we moved from sketches to low-fidelity to mid-fidelity wireframes.
Independent Redesign
& Iterations
The team ended the project after conducting experience prototyping, making no further changes due to time constraints.
I independently revisited the project to address usability issues and visual inconsistencies that emerged during experience prototyping. I synthesized feedback, re-evaluated the flow, and redesigned the entire interface to improve clarity, cohesion, and user support.
Rethinking lesson plans
We initially assumed that users would feel comfortable choosing workouts by muscle group. However, testing revealed this created friction for beginners, who often lacked the knowledge to make those distinctions.
We addressed this by introducing Recommended Plans, generated through onboarding inputs and user progress. By framing workouts around difficulty levels and milestones, Flow offered a clearer starting point that reduced decision paralysis and helped beginners feel more confident and engaged.
Early Iteration
Final Version
Rethinking audio guidance for safety and flow
Initial designs used fixed audio rep counts to guide users through the workout. However, testing revealed that rigid audio pacing made users feel rushed, creating an anxious and unsafe experience. We shifted to rhythmic pulse cues that do not count reps. This gives users autonomy to move at their own pace while still receiving real-time guidance, preserving flow and reducing performance pressure.
Early Iteration
Final Version
Reflections
In-context use surfaces deeper usability issues
While initial designs tested well in controlled environments, experience prototyping in the gym (in context) revealed deeper usability issues of our core interactions. Contexts, mindsets and states can affect the usability of a product. In future projects involving physical experiences, I would experience prototype sooner.
Scalability: designing for non-beginners
To support users with different levels of gym experience, we designed an onboarding flow to assess familiarity and tailor guidance accordingly. However, core features like equipment progression still assumed users were beginners; limiting engagement for more advanced users. Moving forward, I would explore how to scale guidance and motivation to stay relevant for diverse user needs and fitness levels.
Future features incorporating intelligence
In this project, I did not fully explore smartwatch integrations or LLM-powered support. In future iterations, I would consider natural language guidance and smartwatch-based-haptics and motion sensors to provide discreet cues to improve pacing and rep count.
Impact Recap
"The experience problem indeed has social, informational, and physical challenges…Nice use of the peak-end rule. I agree that would be a big part of this!"
Professor Jacob O. Wobbrock, University of Washington
"I found the unlocking of exercises, machines, and the virtual gym to be quite clever to engage the remembering self and introduce that aspect of gamification."
Meredith Weinstock, TA to Professor Wobbrock
Shaped the Experience Strategy
I proposed the “Simon Says” metaphor as a familiar, follow-along interaction model to support first-time gym-goers. It shaped how we designed the experience, from instructions to feedback, to make workouts feel more intuitive and less intimidating.
Experience Journey Mapping
I created the detailed user experience journey maps, capturing each stage of a beginner’s gym visit. This helped us to identify precise intervention points and the desired end-state experience.
Independently Redesigned the Final Product
After the course ended, I independently revisited the project to address usability and visual cohesion concerns. I synthesized feedback from testing and redesigned the product’s flow and interface.