Integrating AI into Online Coaching Platform ‘Trainerize’
Adding an AI chat feature to help online trainers boost efficiency & save time making it effortless to scale their business
My Role
UX/UI Designer
Project Type
Adding a Feature
Industry
Healthcare / Wellness
Discovery
Exploring Trainerize's platform and identifying how administrative tasks limit trainers' ability to scale
Background
Trainerize is a leading coaching app designed for personal trainers and fitness professionals. It provides tools for workout programming, nutrition tracking, habit coaching, and client communication, all in one platform. Available on iOS and web, Trainerize enables trainers to deliver online coaching anytime, anywhere. Through this case study, I’ve identified opportunities to enhance the app with a new AI feature to further streamline trainer workflows and improve client support
The Problem
User Research
Interviewing 10 trainers and uncovering the competitive AI gap in online coaching platforms
Competitive Analysis
When analyzing the top online training platforms in the app store, it became clear they all offer the core essentials - workout programming, progress tracking, communication tools. Sure, these are important, but they also make every coaching platform feel... well, the same 🤷🏻♀️
That’s when I noticed an opportunity: AI integration
None of these platforms have fully tapped into AI’s potential yet.. and it could be the
game-changing feature that sets Trainerize apart in its crowded market
User Personas
To dig deeper, I conducted interviews with 10 online trainers who use Trainerize, with varying levels of experience and client loads—from beginners just starting their journey to seasoned pros managing high client volumes
Through the open-ended discussions below, I explored how they manage, program, and communicate with their clients, uncovering key insights into their challenges and workflows
User Interviews
Key Insights
Main Takeaways
"I often feel frustrated with myself for not providing quicker messages to my clients. I often rely on resources like ChatGPT or YouTube to research answers, which requires me to switch between so many tabs. I want to provide immediate, scientific-driven responses, but my busy schedule makes it difficult”
— Participant #7
Define
Translating trainer pain points into actionable opportunities through storyboarding and empathy mapping
Storyboard
Sometimes, the best ideas come when you step away from the screen and sketch things out. So, I grabbed my notebook and started imagining scenarios how this new AI feature could transform the trainer experience
Research Takeaways
Jody is on the go and receives a client question that involves research and calculations. The AI feature analyzes the client’s profile and provides Jody with a suggested (and accurate) response to send. The client receives quick & actionable feedback that can be implemented right away, while Jody feels relieved and confident as a trainer
Alex is training a group class at the gym and receives a question that requires a detailed explanation. The AI feature comes to the rescue by suggesting multiple scientific responses. It even attaches a video link for a visual demo. Both the client & trainer feel satisfied and supported leading to client retention, referrals, and better business
Empathy Map
To take it a step further, I put myself in the shoes of the trainer
Fun fact: I also was an online trainer, so I’ve personally experienced many of these pain points. This helped me approach the project with a deeper level of empathy and understanding
Project Goals
When trainers can work more efficiently, communicate better, and provide personalized services, they’re able to take on more clients without sacrificing quality. This growth benefits the trainers, keeps clients happy and engaged, and ultimately drives success for Trainerize. It’s a cycle where everyone—trainers, clients & the business — thrives together!
Ideate
Prioritizing AI features and establishing a phased rollout strategy to balance value and effort
Feature Prioritization
I knew I needed to add an AI feature but I was unsure where to initially start. My curiosity led to developing a feature set chart where each potential new feature I had in mind was evaluated based on its impact on user experience, alignment with business objectives, and feasibility for implementation to align with both users and business goals
A Phased Approach
After evaluation, I concluded that suggested check-in messages would be quicker and lower in effort to implement, while AI chat integration would provide more value but require more effort. This led to to me proposing a phased approach, to ensure a balance between delivering immediate value and planning for long-term differentiation
This approach ensures that both users and the business benefit quickly while setting the stage for continuous innovation
Design
Crafting two distinct AI solutions—proactive check-ins and intelligent chat responses
User Flows
I identified two key scenarios where integrating AI into Trainerize could significantly enhance the trainer’s workflow and improve client engagement
The first flow focuses on proactive engagement through the system detecting poor activity, while the second flow addresses reactive communication where the client reaches out to the trainer with a question and the system provides suggested AI responses
Wireframes
Medium-fidelity screens were created to visualize how AI would fit into Trainerize’s existing UI layout. Using Trainerize’s current design as a baseline, I created intuitive screens for the two key user flows and tested them with 8 users
Phase 1
Phase 2
User Testing Insights
Prototyping High Fidelity Screens📱
Check-in on your clients quicker than ever
Phase 1: AI-Suggested Check-In Prompts Specific to Client Activity
Trainer detects poor activity from client dashboard and follows up with a suggested AI prompt
Provide research-based responses in seconds
Phase 2: AI-Chat Integration to Answer Client Questions
Trainers can respond to client inquiries with research-backed AI suggestions, streamlining the process and saving time
Test
Testing with Trainerize users to validate efficiency gains and measure task completion success
Usability Testing 📊
Task Success Metrics
To validate the success of the designs, I conducted usability tests on 12 online trainers already using the Trainerize app. Both phases were tested to measure their impact on trainer workflows and administrative time
83%
of trainers successfully sent a check-in message in less than 30 seconds
75%
of trainers accurately responded to a question in less than 60s
Next Steps
Proposing AI-driven workout personalization as the next evolution of intelligent coaching
Future Iterations
While usability testing confirmed the success of Phases 1 and 2, I see this as just the beginning of AI integration for Trainerize, with plenty of room for improvement and ongoing innovation
Reflecting on my earlier Feature Prioritization Table, the next logical step is to implement the "should-have" feature: AI-Driven Workout Pesonalization
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