CASE STUDY

xFitness Connected Strength

Designing an intelligent AI-powered strength training platform that adapts to users through real-time form tracking, personalized coaching, and holistic fitness goals.

Designing an intelligent AI-powered strength training platform that adapts to users through real-time form tracking, personalized coaching, and holistic fitness goals.

Context

xFitness sought to enter the connected strength training market with a product that would compete with established players like Tonal, Tempo, and Speediance. The challenge was to create an experience that wasn't just another cable machine with a screen, but a comprehensive training system that understood users' goals and adapted to their journey.

The Challenge

Connected strength equipment had become commoditized. Every competitor offered similar features: adjustable resistance, pre-recorded workouts, and basic tracking. Users were overwhelmed by options but underwhelmed by personalization.

The real challenge wasn't hardware—it was creating an experience that felt like having a coach who truly understood each user's unique fitness journey, goals, and constraints.Conversational goal-setting & plan adaptation

Business Goals

  • Differentiate from Tonal, Tempo, and Speediance

  • Create space-efficient design for home environments

  • Build for inclusivity across all fitness levels

  • Establish iFit as a leader in intelligent coaching

Understanding the Landscape

I led comprehensive competitive analysis across six platforms and mapped product requirements against market offerings to identify strategic opportunities for differentiation.


Competitive Benchmarking

I conducted deep analysis of Tonal, Tempo, Speediance, Echelon, Amp, and general fitness apps to understand the competitive landscape. This wasn't about feature comparison—it was about understanding user mental models, pain points, and unmet needs.

Form Tracking Was Basic

Competitors offered form feedback, but it lacked nuance. Users wanted to understand why their form was wrong and how to fix it—not just that something was off.

Goals Were Too Simple

Fitness goals were reduced to "build muscle" or "lose weight." Real users had complex, holistic goals that encompassed mental well-being, recovery, and lifestyle integration.

Onboarding Was Generic

Every platform asked the same questions. None adapted the experience based on a user's actual fitness background, schedule constraints, or injury history.

Motivation Faded Quickly

Competitors offered form feedback, but it lacked nuance. Users wanted to understand why their form was wrong and how to fix it—not just that something was off.

Re-engagement Was Difficult

Fitness goals were reduced to "build muscle" or "lose weight." Real users had complex, holistic goals that encompassed mental well-being, recovery, and lifestyle integration.

Social Features Were Shallow

Every platform asked the same questions. None adapted the experience based on a user's actual fitness background, schedule constraints, or injury history.

Key Findings

Through competitive analysis and user research, several critical gaps emerged:

The challenge

How do you design a strength training system that removes choice and setup — without removing agency, trust, or safety — in a physical, high-risk environment?

User Research

Extensive user interviews and surveys were conducted to gather insights into pain points, preferences, and desired features.

Usability testing was carried out with real users to validate proposed changes and ensure all pain points were addressed effectively.

Design Process

The design process began with competitive analysis and benchmarking to understand best practices.

Wireframes and prototypes were created iteratively, incorporating user feedback at each stage to refine design elements.

Close collaboration with the development team ensured design specs translated successfully to production, matching the intended user experience.

My Role

As the lead designer, I oversaw research planning and design, ensuring user needs remained central throughout development.

My responsibilities included wireframing, prototyping, and stakeholder communication, all vital for aligning outcomes with strategic goals.

Challenges

Time constraints and resource allocation made it challenging to complete multiple rounds of usability testing before launch.

Balancing stakeholder requests with research-driven solutions required ongoing communication and prioritization throughout the project.

Outcomes

Post-launch analytics showed increased user retention and improved task completion rates, indicating a successful redesign.

The project received positive feedback from both users and stakeholders, marking a significant improvement in overall user experience.