Hero Metrics in the Workout Experience
Providing focus for users, even while they’re breaking a sweat
When Tempo first launched, it focused on 3 types of classes, strength training, HIIT, and Mobility, with 4 different metrics we tracked equally—Reps, Pace, Depth, and Heart Rate. And this was the same class experience, no matter the class type. The principle was mostly “show off the tech and what the product can do”, less considerations about what the member might actually need.
The problems
When we started working with our fitness science team, they noted that the goals of strength training sets and HIIT or cardio sets are very different. In strength training, members should focus on proper form, and a set rep target and a controlled pace. In HIIT, members should focus on constant movement and hitting the correct heart rate zone.
Rooting the product in fitness science, how might the workout experience provide focus for members during different class types based on the class goals.
Getting to know the product
Kicking this off only one month after joining Tempo, I spent time physically using the product, getting to know the physical device, as I had never worked on a 42” touchscreen product before. I took as many workouts as I could, understanding when I might be looking at the screen, vs. when I might need to turn to the side or sit on the floor.
For inspiration I looked at infographics and data visualization, but I also looked at a lot of gaming and motion design.
Creating an MVP
The proposal was to have each of the three metrics—Pace, Heart Rate, and Reps— to have a large state and a small state, encouraging focus in different sets with different fitness goals.
Pace
Pace was a primary hero metric assigned for sets in many strength training classes. The Pace meter will register how fast the user did their rep, and encourage users to focus on slow and control reps, while staying in the target range.
Going slower than a target pace isn’t an incorrect behavior, so we intentionally kept the color white. But going too fast is an incorrect behavior.
Then we wanted to motivate users to stay at that perfect pace, so as they hit the middle, it will start to glow, and then the longer they stay in that range (the more reps they do at the target pace), the larger the glow grows.
Heart rate
For the heart rate hero, the member’s BPM and heart rate zones are tracked throughout the set, so they can see where they are in real time, and how to get into the target zone.
Following the same pattern as pace meter, we emphasized the target zone, but then used the glow to indicate when they are in the target and pushing themselves appropriately. And from a fitness science side, heart rate data has a pretty consistent usage of color, so we wanted to follow those patterns in our experience.
Reps
The reps hero became our default or fallback because it was the most universal, but still very valuable if the coach programs that set number of reps users should aim for. This can be used in either HIIT or strength training class, but as the user works towards the target, the glow eases in to encourage them to keep pushing at the end of the set.
Learnings
And from the launch, the interviews, and general community reaction, the sentiment around this feature was extremely positive and well received. This was the first major feature change to the workout experience and they noted that the emphasis helped them focus and actually changed how they did their workouts.