Does Peloton’s Design Actually Help You Exercise More?
Season 4, Episode 2
In recent years, an entirely new type of user experience has enabled millions of people to exercise from home; “connected fitness” combines personal trainers, touchscreens and apps with stationary bikes, treadmills, rowing machines, punching bags, strength trainers, and even smart mirrors. But is the UX of fitness something truly creative and revolutionary? Or is it just the latest trend from an industry with a history of fads? (Jazzercise, anyone?)
In this episode of Wireframe, Khoi Vinh, Senior Director of Design at Adobe, explores why some products in this space stand out from the pack, and the small design decisions that contribute to their success. He speaks to fitness buffs and designers that are creating engaging experiences by applying psychological principles and gamification elements that are designed to help users break bad habits and break a sweat.
Featured in this episode
Product designer Ariel Norling is a connected fitness fanatic. She explains how Tonal’s strength training gear keeps her coming back for more.
Jennifer Clinehens is a customer experience strategist and a Peloton owner. She writes about the intersection of UX and behavioral science, and explores the psychology behind Peloton’s UX, which has turned so many couch potatoes into cycling converts.
UX designer Kevin Twohy explains how he helped design the user experience for Mirror, and how the brand’s approach to designing a home workout is very different from the competition.
Finally, UX designer and R/GA Creative Director Gene Lu offers a counterpoint to connected fitness. He tells us about his own creative approach to keeping fit with tech – without the gadgets. Have a look at his Instagram to see the artwork resulting from his literal creative exercise, made specifically for this episode.
Listen to the podcast to hear the story, and click here to read a full transcript of this episode.
