Guided Workout Programs
Designing for Consistency and Habit-Building
Katalyst
2024
Summary
Role: Lead Product Designer
Scope: UX strategy, interaction design, user research
Tools: Figma, Miro, Mixpanel, Typeform
Timeline: ~3 months
Team: Product Manager, Frontend Engineer, Backend Engineer, Creative Director
I designed and launched a new Workout Program feature and tailored follow-up recommendations to help users build a weekly EMS training habit. These solutions reduced decision fatigue, supported long-term planning, and improved session-to-session momentum.
Problem & Context
Katalyst’s EMS training platform brought an in-studio, technician-guided experience into the home. While workout completion was high (93%), the bigger challenge was sustaining a weekly rhythm. We saw users completing single workouts but not continuing into structured programs, which hurt retention and long-term engagement.
Getting into the EMS suit is a multi-step process:
Put on the base layer
Wet the EMS pads
Put on the suit
Connect the EMS Suit to the app
Missing even one planned session often disrupted momentum. The existing workout catalog and post-workout flow gave little guidance on what to do next, leaving gaps that stalled progress.
The Challenge
How might we help users build a consistent EMS training habit so Katalyst becomes part of their weekly rhythm?
My Reponsibilities
I led the end-to-end UX process, including:
Synthesizing user research, analytics, and support feedback into opportunity areas
Turning user and trainer feedback into actionable design requirements
Analyzing engagement data and drop-off patterns to take a data-driven design approach when structuring programs and surfacing follow-up recommendations
Designing new user flows and validated them through usability testing
Scoping features with engineering to ensure delivery within 3 months without major backend changes
Research & Insights
I combined:
User interviews & surveys to understand workout planning habits and drop-off patterns
Support ticket review revealing frustrations around browsing and selecting workouts
Usage analytics showing irregular workout intervals
Key insights:
Users wanted expert-led, long-term plans to guide their fitness journey.
Many felt they could do “just a bit more” after a session but had no quick way to add it.
Recovery workouts with specific EMS frequency/amperage for muscle recovery were underutilized because they weren’t suggested at the right moment.
Without a seamless handoff to the next workout, routines became sporadic.
Strategy & Prioritization
We focused on two high-impact opportunities:
Reduce pre-workout browsing time (average 6.8 min) by introducing structured programs, removing the need to sift through 400+ workouts.
Provide tailored follow-up suggestions immediately after workouts to maximize each suit session, whether through an extra 10-min cardio add-on or a targeted recovery workout.
Constraints:
At the time, our backend engineer role was vacant, so we couldn’t build a full progress tracker. It was crucial that I designed the UI so completion of each workout was instantly recognizable, giving users a clear sense of progress without backend dependencies.
First Design Solution
Workout Program
Problem: Lack of Structure
Users faced a library of 400+ workouts with no clear path forward. Many spent significant time browsing before starting or abandoned the app altogether. Without structured guidance, long-term progress felt unclear.
Approach
To address this, I mapped the user flow before and after introducing Programs.
Before: Users had to scroll, filter, and decide from hundreds of options before every workout
After: Programs surfaced a clear Workout Program path, reducing friction and decision fatigue
Exploration
I sketched and tested low-fidelity wireframes to explore how structured plans could be integrated. Key focuses included:
Displaying goal-oriented program tracks
Showing user progress and what’s next
One major challenge: the backend couldn’t track progress across multi-day programs at the given time. I worked closely with engineers to understand system constraints, then designed around them, surfacing what we could track while ensuring the experience still felt seamless.
Final Solution
The final design introduced structured workout programs that gave users a clearer sense of direction without overhauling the existing list view.
Programs were grouped as sequences, so users could easily follow a logical path.
Completion markers made it obvious which sessions had already been completed, reinforcing progress and motivation.
Within the technical limits of the existing list view, I partnered with engineering to design a solution that was both guided and feasible.
By transforming an overwhelming workout library into goal-oriented sequences with visible progress, the experience reduced decision fatigue and helped users stick with their training plans.
Second Design Solution
End of Workout Screen with Follow-Up Recommendations
Problem: Post-Workout Drop-Off and Second-Workout Behavior
After finishing a workout, users faced a dead end: the end-of-workout screen only confirmed completion, and continuing meant returning to the 400+ workout library. Many stopped altogether. But analytics showed something remarkable: about 1/3 of users went back into the library to start a second workout immediately after the first one.
This was a huge signal that:
Users were motivated to keep going
The FDA clearance limit of 20 minutes per EMS session created a natural desire for add-on workouts
Yet the product wasn’t supporting this behavior well.
Approach
To support this user behavior (while staying FDA-compliant), I redesigned the end-of-workout screen to include personalized follow-up workout recommendations.
Before: End-of-workout screen = static completion, no next step
After: End-of-workout screen = completion + contextual follow-up suggestions, reducing the need to search again
Exploration
I explored multiple wireframe variations for how to surface follow-up recommendations on the end-of-workout screen:
Tone: Balancing recognition of effort with a gentle nudge to continue
Layout:
Vertical list (visually consistent with the design system, more polished but required scrolling to see all three)
Horizontal cards (all three visible at once, but less consistent with the rest of the UI)
To validate, I launched an in-app A/B test that randomly displayed the two layout variants and measured click-through rates on the recommended workouts.
While the data showed no significant difference between the two layouts, the vertical list was ultimately chosen because it aligned more closely with the rest of the design system and offered a more visually appealing experience.
Final Solution
The final design transformed the end-of-workout moment from a static confirmation into both a celebration of achievement and a springboard for continued engagement.
The celebration message reinforced accomplishment and provided closure.
A vertical recommendation module directly below the message surfaced contextual follow-up workouts in a way that aligned with the design system.
Recommendations were optional but relevant, meeting user demand (1/3 of users already sought second workouts) while staying within FDA’s 20-minute session limit.
By meeting users where their motivation was highest, the design reduced drop-offs and encouraged continuation.
Collaboration
Engineering: Defined recommendation logic and implemented scalable UI components
Creative Director: Ensured visuals aligned with Katalyst’s premium, approachable brand
Product Management: Connected habit-building goals to retention strategy
Trainers: Defined key program-level information and built structured workout programs
Results & Impact
The introduction of Workout Programs and Follow-Up Recommendations measurably improved both user behavior and product outcomes.
9.8% reduction in time spent before starting a workout (6.8 min → 6.2 min)
13.5% faster workout starts once Programs were adopted
+4.3% overall workout completions
+21.5% follow-up workout completions (second workouts after the first)
+17% increase in recovery workouts completed
–4.7% drop-off rate immediately after completing a workout
8.7/10 satisfaction score for “clarity of next steps”
Together, these improvements addressed two critical friction points: starting a workout and continuing after the first one. They turned both into moments of clarity and motivation, creating a more guided and engaging workout experience that directly supported the company’s retention goals.
Reflection
This project reinforced that in fitness, the hardest part isn’t finishing, it’s starting the next one. By reframing the experience from a static workout library into a guided journey, we positioned Katalyst as a lifestyle product rather than a one-off workout tool.
From a business perspective, helping users form a repeatable weekly rhythm directly supported retention and long-term subscription value. From a user perspective, it meant we were fulfilling the company’s mission, not just helping people exercise, but helping them sustain healthier lives.
If extended, I’d explore streak tracking and milestone celebrations to deepen long-term engagement while maintaining the minimal friction that made this launch successful.