Runkeeper Guided Workouts
Guided Workouts is an audio coach feature in the ASICS Runkeeper app designed to provide users with the unique opportunity to train with a real coach in their ear.
With workouts backed by professional coaches and sports scientists, users have the guidance and motivation they need to build a running habit, achieve their goals, and reach the finish line feeling strong.
Product
Runkeeper
Year
2021
My role
Mapping out the wireframes and UI
Prototyped the feature
Conducted user research through interviews & surveys
The User Problem
Users join Runkeeper to achieve their fitness goals through running but don’t know how to get started. The evidence? Only 27% of new users tracked their first run in their first week of using Runkeeper.
The Business Problem
Users join Runkeeper to achieve their fitness goals through running but don’t know how to get started. The evidence? Only 27% of new users tracked their first run in their first week of using Runkeeper.
The Goal
Provide users with an experience that contains guidance and encouragement which will motivate them to start running and keep running.
The solution will also allow ASICS to connect our users with the brand’s athletes and sports scientists.
The Process
What did we find?
We analyzed how our competitors assist their users and observed that many of them were adopting virtual coaching. This was great news for us because we already had our own virtual coach in place. Specifically, in 2019, Runkeeper introduced a running pack named My First 5K, which includes a series of audio-guided workouts with a coach. Since its release, we have seen positive conversion rates, and it has become a beloved program among our users – it remains popular to this day!
Who is our user?
The majority of our users are who we classify as Fitness Runners. People who are not hard-core athletes, but choose to run because they want to maintain a healthy mind and body.
My First 5K is Runkeeper’s first audio coach program
User opinions on My First 5K
Users loved the caring, personal, motivational, and human approach of Coach Erin’s guidance
Users noted the program felt more personal than other programs they tried in the past
Users had more confidence in achieving their fitness goal (e.g. running a 5K)
User Interviewee #1
“[Coach] Erin says the right things at the right times.”
User Interviewee #2
“My First 5K feels like a running buddy!”
User Interviewee #3
“I would run through the wall for [Coach] Erin.”
After determining the success of My First 5K, and getting overwhelming requests for another program, the next step was to explore opportunities for expansion. The solution was clear: create a home for additional audio coach-led workouts!
To ensure a satisfying experience for Fitness Runner users, we conducted interviews to better understand their expectations and identify their needs and pain points.
User Interview Results
Fitness Runners are looking for more than just running tips—they want guidance on becoming well-rounded athletes, focusing on mindfulness, whole-body health, and steady improvement. They’re all about being entertained and distracted through tough workouts, and while running may not be their favorite thing, they want a companion to coach or entertain them through it. The best part? They already trust our coaches and content, so they'll be excited for whatever we bring next!
The User Journey
While mapping the user journey, we considered two workout types: individual workouts and multi-workout plans. We also needed a strategy to attract users to our premium subscription, Runkeeper Go.
Building on the success of My First 5K, we decided to offer the first three workouts of a plan for free, with the rest unlocked through a subscription.
User journey of going through a multi-workout plan
Wireframe Brainstorm
Usability Test Findings
Usability tests showed that users loved the new audio coaching designs. They also wanted a quick way to see if a program matched their ability level, so we tweaked the design to make that clearer.
Users rating on a scale of 1-5 their likeliness and confidence in using the feature (5 being the most likely).
Guided Workouts are live! 🎉
In June 2021, we launched Guided Workouts on ASICS Runkeeper for all English locales, with a Japan release following in September. Since launch, over 193,000 users have started more than 873,000 Guided Workouts, and the numbers keep growing!
Since launching in 2021, over 193K unique users have started more than 873K Guided Workouts.
What the users have to say...
Reflections
We successfully launched the feature, and I was really proud of what the team accomplished. Our hard work paid off with a smooth user experience and positive feedback. That said, we knew there was always room to grow. This version of Guided Workouts wasn’t the final one, and I’m excited to see how future updates could improve it even more with user insights, making it more personalized and impactful.