28 by Sam Wood

As the Lead Product Designer, I was recruited by Cummins&Partners to embark on an exciting venture with the startup, 28 by Sam Wood. This emerging health, fitness, and lifestyle subscription program held immense promise, offering users a personalized week-by-week guide encompassing exercise routines, nutritional meal plans, and mindfulness activities. The mission was to empower users by imparting knowledge on leading a healthy lifestyle and guiding them to achieve their fitness objectives, whether it was weight loss or maintaining their current level of fitness. Drawing on innovative design methodologies and a passion for creating transformative user experiences, I embraced the challenge of contributing to the growth and success of this dynamic startup.

The product

The online program experienced rapid global growth in its inaugural year, amassing over 10,000 subscriptions. However, to continue thriving and surpass established competitors, it required a transformative evolution as a brand. This entailed defining a unique value proposition and enhancing the overall user experience.

A significant part of the initial effort involved conducting an in-depth evaluation of the existing product's UX, UI, information architecture, and site structure, pinpointing critical areas for enhancement. The evaluation yielded valuable insights, leading to a complete restructuring of the website's site map for streamlined navigation. Furthermore, a fresh brand look and feel were developed, accompanied by groundbreaking, one-of-a-kind features to revolutionize the program's offerings. This strategic approach aimed to elevate the program to new heights, cementing its position as a game-changer in the health, fitness, and lifestyle subscription space.

The process

A comprehensive user research initiative was undertaken to develop personas, revealing three distinct user segments. By deeply understanding the pain points of current, past, and potential users, we aimed to discern their decision-making criteria when choosing to join, renew, or leave the 28 by Sam Wood program, especially when faced with competitor alternatives. To achieve this, I conducted immersive research through multiple avenues:

Investigating public and private online forums, gathering unsolicited user feedback.
Hosting workshops and conducting interviews with current, past, and potential new users.
Implementing online surveys to collect qualitative and quantitative data.

The outcomes of these research methodologies were unprecedented, uncovering valuable insights that guided our strategies. Key findings included:

Users most commonly left the program due to financial constraints, physical injuries, and content loading issues.
Users expressed a desire for more meal planning options.
Meal planning emerged as the program's cornerstone, often overshadowing exercise routines. It was found to be the pivotal factor determining whether a user would join, stay, or not renew their subscription.

Armed with these essential insights, we recognized the pressing need to enhance existing program functionality and introduce innovative features to address user pain points effectively. By leveraging these findings, we aspired to solidify 28 by Sam Wood's position as a leading and user-centric health, fitness, and lifestyle subscription program.

the redesign

The redesign and development of innovative concepts and features commenced with a mobile-first approach, involving extensive sketching to envision solutions. Collaborating closely with the client, we prioritized key features and program content concepts, creating a well-defined product roadmap. Among the pivotal features were:

Alternative exercises for common injuries, a specialized program for pregnant women
Diverse meal plan options for users with allergies, budget constraints, or time limitations
A uniquely intelligent shopping list functionality to streamline meal planning
A progress tracker
Advanced searching and filtering options

These solutions evolved from initial sketches to detailed wireframes, validated through user testing with InVision clickable prototypes. During two-week sprints, interaction design and branding elements were skillfully applied, culminating in a successful launch on the designated date.

The new site garnered immense praise, as evidenced by the subscription database tripling to over 30,000 users within the first year of its launch. The exceptional growth and positive user feedback are a testament to the program's enhanced functionality, improved user experience, and the dedicated effort invested by the entire team.