Wahoo Fitness SYSTM App
Redesigning a connected fitness app for growth and retention
[2020 → 2023]
When Wahoo set out to evolve The Sufferfest into a complete training platform, I led the redesign that turned it into Wahoo SYSTM. Within six months, we saw a 40% jump in subscribers and made the experience smoother and more engaging, helping reduce seasonal churn.
Challenge
Wahoo aimed to evolve The Sufferfest from a niche cycling app into Wahoo SYSTM, a broader, more comprehensive fitness platform. The challenge was to create a unified, user-friendly experience that could meet the diverse needs of athletes across multiple sports, while driving higher subscription rates and reducing churn during off-peak seasons.
Approach
Once the decision was made to expand Wahoo SYSTM beyond cycling to include running, swimming, and strength training, I led the design execution to ensure the platform offered a cohesive and engaging experience across all sports. The goal was to create an intuitive user experience that seamlessly integrated these new features, while still supporting the core needs of the cycling community.
User Insights & Product Strategy
We utilised user interviews, along with existing user feedback and performance analytics, to identify key areas for improvement in the app. Our goal was to streamline navigation, enhance personalisation, and ensure the app could effectively serve a wider range of athletes. This input guided our approach to restructuring the app, focusing on making training plans more accessible and adaptable to different sports.
Design Strategy
With these insights, I led the design of a new user journey focused on simplicity and engagement. We redesigned the onboarding process to personalise the experience from the start, ensuring users could easily find and follow their training plans. A key part of the redesign was improving the integration of structured workouts, making it simpler for athletes to switch between sports and track their progress over time.
The primary job-to-be-done in SYSTM is to find and complete video-based structured training workouts. With a large library, we needed to present this content in a meaningful and discoverable way, helping athletes answer the question, “What should I do today?” One solution was to define an information architecture based on the concept of Channels, where our Content team sorted workouts from different providers. Each provider had a designated home in the app, making it easy for users to find the content they needed. The content-focused nature of the app also influenced the UI design, which was crafted as a supporting container to highlight the workouts.
To guide our design decision-making, I organised an ideation workshop where the team collaboratively defined the seven tenets of design at Wahoo:
Solve the right problems
Build trust
Think syst(e)m-wide
Sweat the details
Keep it simple
Make it effortless
Create lifelong Wahooligans
These tenets became the foundation of our design process, and the team held itself accountable to them at every stage, ensuring we stayed aligned with both user needs and business objectives.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
To bring this vision to life, I worked closely with product managers and engineers. This collaboration ensured that the app not only met business and user needs but was also technically feasible, with seamless data integrations and optimised performance across mobile and web platforms. I also led the creation of a scalable design system, which ensured design consistency and enabled faster iteration cycles as the app’s feature set expanded.
Iterative Testing
Throughout the process, we maintained a tight feedback loop with users. We conducted usability testing at various stages of development, using both prototypes and live beta releases. This helped us validate design decisions and make adjustments based on real user interactions.
Results
The results of the redesign were both immediate and sustained:
Within the first six months of launch, Wahoo SYSTM saw a 40% increase in subscribers.
Trial-to-subscription conversion rates jumped to 30%, a major improvement from the original app.
Seasonal churn dropped significantly, as users remained more engaged year-round, thanks to improved navigation, cross-sport training options, and better overall usability.
The redesign also received highly positive feedback from industry thought leaders and the endurance sports media – 8/10 in WIRED Magazine being a particular highlight – further validating the success of the product transformation.
Team Impact
Managing a fully remote design team, I kept the team aligned and motivated through regular check-ins and transparent communication. We achieved 100% retention over a three-year period, even during significant organisational changes, which contributed to maintaining high morale and sustained productivity.
Key Takeaways
The success of Wahoo SYSTM highlights the power of user-centred design when aligned with business goals. By focusing on user feedback, scalability, and close collaboration with cross-functional teams, we were able to create a platform that not only met athletes’ needs but also drove significant business outcomes. The scalable design system we developed allowed for ongoing improvements without sacrificing efficiency or quality, setting the foundation for long-term growth.