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Powering gym goers with an extraordinary virtual experience in Les Mills Gym Locations
Les Mills Virtual is an innovative fitness application designed to transform how fitness clubs operate by allowing them to schedule and run instructor-free classes. By leveraging digital technology, gyms could offer world-class workouts beyond peak hours, attracting a broader audience and maximising engagement. With fitness becoming increasingly digitised especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when in-person instruction was often limited.
Les Mills Virtual became a critical solution for maintaining engagement and accessibility in the fitness industry. The challenge was to ensure a seamless, user-friendly experience that not only reflected the energy and quality of Les Mills' workouts but also empowered users to engage with classes effortlessly.
My role involved in shaping the user experience, optimising usability, and ensuring that the digital fitness journey was intuitive, engaging, and accessible for a diverse range of gym-goers. This was a long-term partnership, where I contributed to various design iterations, strategic improvements, and usability testing to ensure the product evolved with changing user needs.
Ongoing Design Support & New Requests
Over the course of this partnership, I was consistently approached for new design support, each covering different requests and challenges. My role was not just about maintaining the platform but actively improving and evolving it to align with Les Mills’ vision and the needs of its users. Some key instances where I provided direct design leadership and execution included:
Redesigning the B2C App Experiene,
One of the first major projects I worked on with Les Mills was a full UX/UI overhaul to refine and streamline the platform. The goal was to make navigation more intuitive and ensure the scheduling process was effortless for gym members and operators. I restructured the site architecture, redesigned user journeys, and optimized key interactions to improve the flow of the experience. The redesign focused on improving accessibility, ensuring a consistent visual identity, and simplifying how users engaged with virtual workouts.
Throughout this process, I worked through multiple design variations, testing cycles, and refinements to ensure the interface was both visually engaging and highly functional. This also included updating design systems and UI components to maintain consistency with Les Mills' evolving brand identity while allowing for future scalability.
Optimising the Experience for Different User Cohorts
Les Mills Virtual serves a diverse audience, from tech-savvy gym members to those less familiar with digital fitness platforms. To ensure the experience catered to all users, I focused on segmenting and refining user journeys based on different demographics.
This involved creating detailed user personas to better understand the specific needs of different groups. I tested and optimised onboarding flows to ensure that new users could easily navigate the platform without frustration. By addressing varying levels of digital literacy and familiarity with virtual workouts, we were able to create a more inclusive and accessible product.
Expanding the Design System and Optimising Components
As the product evolved, it became clear that we needed a stronger and more flexible design system to support the growing number of features and user interactions. I was responsible for expanding and refining the design system, ensuring that all new additions maintained a cohesive visual language while allowing for greater flexibility.
This process involved designing new UI components, optimising font hierarchies, color palettes, and interactive elements, and ensuring that all updates were consistent across mobile and larger displays. The design system became a critical foundation for Les Mills Virtual, allowing future updates to be implemented more efficiently while maintaining a polished and professional user experience
User Research and Testing for New Features
To validate new design decisions and continuously improve the platform, I conducted extensive user testing and research. This included face-to-face testing with gym members to understand how they interacted with the app, what pain points they faced, and what improvements would make their experience more seamless.
As part of this research, I created structured testing scripts and interview sessions to capture real-world feedback. This allowed us to pinpoint usability issues and fine-tune the platform based on data-driven insights rather than assumptions. I also compiled detailed feedback reports that were shared with Les Mills stakeholders, ensuring that every update aligned with user needs and expectations.
This ongoing research process helped us iterate on multiple aspects of the product, from onboarding and navigation to workout selection and scheduling. By continuously testing and refining, we ensured that the platform remained user-friendly, efficient, and engaging.
The result, becoming Les Mills’ go-to design partner
Les Mills Virtual became an essential tool for fitness clubs worldwide, providing a seamless way for users to participate in high-energy workouts without the need for a live instructor. The refinements made to the user experience significantly improved engagement, making it easier for members to discover, join, and follow virtual classes with minimal effort. With a streamlined scheduling system, gym operators could effortlessly manage their virtual offerings, ensuring a smooth integration into their existing fitness services.
Beyond the success of the project itself, the biggest testament to my impact was becoming the go-to design partner for Les Mills. The value provided throughout this engagement led to ongoing collaboration, with the client consistently coming back for further design advice and strategic input.
Whether it was refining their digital products, optimising new user experiences, or advising on best design practices, I became a trusted partner in their digital transformation journey. By exceeding expectations and providing more than just design execution, I was able to offer strategic guidance that helped Les Mills evolve their digital fitness experience beyond just a single project, solidifying a long-term partnership.
