Overview
CXP is an internal platform helping WeightWatchers coaches run efficient in-person workshops and build deeper connections with members.
My role
Sole product designer on this 0-1 initiative, leading end-to-end design from discovery through launch. Collaborated closely with Product, UX Research, Engineering, Service Design, Instructional Design, and the Coaching Experience team to define, design, and ship the MVP.
Outcome
Launched a unified coach platform that transformed fragmented workflows into a streamlined digital experience. Four core features shipped across North America in July 2023: event dashboard, streamlined search and check-in, member profiles, and attendee management.
the challenge
Lack of meaningful connections
Coaches are the heart of WeightWatchers. They facilitate workshops, track progress, and build the relationships that keep members motivated. But their tools were getting in the way. Most of their time was spent on administrative tasks rather than connecting with members.
The opportunity: Build a platform that reduces friction and enables real relationships. To understand what coaches truly needed, I started by talking directly with them.
ux research
Building with coaches
WW coaches have historically been overlooked, creating uncertainty in our understanding of their needs and pain points. I facilitated user research sessions to address this gap.
I recruited 8 coaches from across the United States and facilitated hour-and-a-half-long semi-structured interviews that reshaped leadership's understanding of coach needs, split into three activities to deeply explore their current experience and gather feedback on possible features for CXP.
current painpoints
Through research with 8 coaches, I identified where their current tools were failing them:
01
Fragmented systems
Toggling between platforms and manual paper fallbacks when systems failed
02
Limited context
Hard to access member history or previous interactions during check-in
03
Speed bottlenecks
Tasks that should take 30 seconds per member often took 1-2 minutes.
the north star
Aligning on what success looks like
With these insights in hand, I began exploring the ideal experience without constraints. I created blue sky sketches and a North Star storyboard to help align the team on a shared vision for CXP.
I sought feedback from Product leadership, Service Design, and Engineering to align on our goals. This early alignment was critical for getting everyone on the same page.
competing needs
After conversations with coaches and leadership, I noticed a few competing needs that needed to be addressed.
01
Data vs. simplicity
Leadership wanted comprehensive data for personalization, while coaches wanted simplicity without added complexity to their workload.
02
Tools vs. connection
Leadership focused on relationship building between coaches and members, while coaches felt current tools hindered rather than helped these connections.
03
Collaboration vs. isolation
Leadership wanted better coach collaboration, while coaches felt isolated from both WW and each other.
design principles
Finding the middle ground
These conversations led to three design principles that shaped my approach:
Foundation first, personalization later
We can't optimize what we can't measure. CXP would be our foundation for data gathering
Individual efficiency builds community
By streamlining workflows and reducing administrative tasks, we create space for relationship building
Unified experience across workflows
Design for the coach ecosystem, not just for individual productivity
CONCEPT EXPLORATIONS
Two design directions
Using the design principles as the foundation, I began to explore different design concepts to share with the team. Two concepts that I delved deeper into were an insights-driven approach and a service design exploration.
Insights-driven concept
Empower coaches with actionable data to personalize their coaching methods and workshops.
Service design concept
Shift administrative burden from coaches to members by giving members more agency.
MEMBER FACING
Members check-in and prepare for sessions.
COACH FACING
Coaches focus on effectiveness with ready-to-use guides, member insights, and peer collaboration.
the mvp
Check-in first, everything else later
Through leadership feedback and coach input, we identified check-in as the starting point. It's the first interaction between coach and member, and when it goes wrong, it impacts the entire workshop experience.
Rather than overhauling coaches' workflows completely, we improved what already existed.
the pilot
Learning in real time
the pivot
Unexpected friction
While our email-based member search gave more accurate results, it created unexpected friction, members couldn't remember their emails or spelled them out faster than coaches could type on a tablet. We quickly added a QR scanner and name/zip search, shipping both changes the next day.
WHAT WE HEARD
“I've been coaching for a long time, and no one's ever asked for our feedback like this. It feels good to know what we shared matters.”
the impact
Immediate wins
Although capturing quantitative metrics was not in scope for MVP, the qualitative feedback proved that co-designing with coaches drove genuine adoption and trust.
01
Operation
We addressed the manual workarounds and system reliability issues that were frustrating coaches daily.
02
Scalability
We created an in-house platform that set the foundation for a more integrated coach experience.
03
Adoption
Most importantly, we turned coach skepticism into trust and genuine enthusiasm for CXP.
next steps
Future explorations
The MVP was just the beginning. The foundation we built helped us move towards the service design concept and opened up possibilities for the following phases.
Phase 02: member empowerment
Give members more agency in event management and coach connections through AI-powered matching based on weight loss journey, preferences, and behaviors.
Phase 03: deepening connections
Help coaches build stronger relationships through personalized insights and resources.
reflections
Designing in the real world
Co-design builds trust
Involving coaches early and often helped us design tools that reflected their real needs. By listening closely and iterating quickly, we showed that their voices mattered. This turned initial skepticism into genuine trust and enthusiasm.
Context is everything
While we can envision various use cases, situational and contextual factors can rapidly alter how designs actually work. The pilot made me realize the importance of observing designs in real-life scenarios.
Validations over assumptions
Even thoughtful decisions can cause harm if not tested in context. Our email search decision taught us that good intentions don't always equal good impact.
