TrainingPeaks Messaging Feature Case Study
Implementing a messaging feature for busy coaches and athletes to centralize and organize communication.
Project Background:
TrainingPeaks is the world-leading coaching platform for endurance athletes and coaches to communicate and collaborate together. Coaches can write, plan, and analyze training plans so athletes can reach their training and racing goals. Coaches and athletes can access the platform through desktop, tablet, and mobile.
My case study is about creating a way for coaches and athletes to communicate more effectively by adding a messaging feature to the TrainingPeaks mobile app,
Project Timeline:
2.5 weeks
Role:
Research, Design, User Testing
Outcome:
Created a working prototype for coaches and athletes to use in both individual and group settings to communicate with and amongst each other. From research, identified and implemented additional features to enhance the use of the messaging feature.
Project Process
01.
Research & Discovery
02.
Product Strategy
03.
User Experience Design
04.
Prototype, Test, & Iterate
05.
Project Outcomes
01.
Research & Discovery
I took a three-step research process to fully understand both the competitive market and the communication styles of both coaches and athletes.
Competitive Analysis & Identifying User Types
I conducted a Competitive Analysis to understand the coaching platform market, analyze our competitors, and identify key users for these types of platforms.
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Secondary research identified emerging market trends such as AI and emerging markets in developing countries.
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Researching direct and indirect competitors helped me understand how competitors are handling communication between coaches and athletes.
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Identifying user types helps frame research questions in surveys and user interviews.
Surveying Current and Potential Users
Twenty-three a​thletes and coaches from my coaching network were surveyed to determine how, and by how many methods, each prefers to communicate with one another. As someone who has sat on both sides of this table as a coach and an athlete, I conducted this research to eliminate my potential bias.
​Key Observations:
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​Digital platforms were the leading method of communication.
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Texting was unanimously used, followed closely by communication through comments in the app and email.
6/7
Coaches
Prefer using the app as their primary means of communication
15/16
Athletes
Would switch to an in-app messaging platform if their coach preferred it.
2/7
Coaches
Find it challenging to separate their personal life communications from coaching communications.
9/16
Athletes
Prefer texting their coach over other forms of communication.
Empathizing with Key Users Through Interviews
Based on survey responses, I selected four coaches, two of whom also manage group training sessions, for follow-up interviews to explore which features would encourage and enhance their use of an in-app messaging tool.
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Using an empathy map, I synthesized their thoughts, behaviors, and emotions shared during the interviews. This process guided the development of a focused user persona for the messaging feature.
Meet Kate​
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Based on the research, I developed a persona representing the primary user of an in-app messaging feature.
Kate is a Career Coach who manages a roster of 30+ athletes and needs a centralized platform to streamline communication. She values open, consistent dialogue with her athletes and represents a user type that prioritizes clear, efficient, and frequent communication.
02.
Product Strategy
This research revealed a clear benefit to adding a messaging feature to the TrainingPeaks app. I then identified three key features to encourage adoption and usage.
Create the ability to save messages
Keeping track of each athlete’s race schedule and vacation plans can be challenging, especially when that information gets buried in long text threads. A feature that allows coaches to save important messages ensures key details are always at their fingertips.
Adding Media to a messaging thread
In an increasingly visual world, coaches need the ability to share images—whether it’s exercises, workout locations, or gear recommendations. Supporting media sharing makes communication clearer and more engaging for athletes.
Group messaging for coaches with teams
For coaches managing local training groups or large teams, in-app group messaging is more effective than texts or emails. It centralizes communication and enables athletes to coordinate with each other more easily.
03.
User Experience Design
Grounded in user research and aligned with product strategy, I redesigned the information architecture and crafted a task flow to support the new messaging feature. I also proposed subtle UI refinements to ensure the feature integrates intuitively within the existing TrainingPeaks experience.
Messaging Feature Sitemap​
The updated sitemap served as a blueprint for creating wireframes and a prototype for the messaging feature. It helped define the essential pages and user flows, streamlining the process to focus on the most critical tasks for users
Main Task Flow
This task flow centers on the core action of sending a message to one or more users. It also incorporates key features designed to enhance the messaging experience, including:
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Saving messages within a conversation thread
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Sharing photos in a messaging thread
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Sending group messages
Wireframes
Using the current TrainingPeaks UI, I developed wireframes for the messaging feature based on the current TrainingPeaks App, such as the current notifications page.
Key Changes & Notations
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"Peaks" was replaced with the Messaging button in the bottom navigator. Messages also has a notification indicator in the top navigation bar.
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The Messages feature models many popular messaging and texting platforms to create an intuitive experience for all users.
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New screens were created, modeled after the TrainingPeaks UI to focus on specific tasks in a prototype
04.
Prototype, Test, & Interate
Testing confirmed that the messaging feature is functional and, by incorporating surprise-and-delight elements tailored to coaches' needs, it successfully demonstrated its value, with testers expressing strong support for adopting the feature.
Prototype & User Testing
Test Objectives
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Test the usability of the new messaging feature.
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Make sure the prototype is intuitive to navigate.
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Ensure the tutorial explains how to use the messaging feature and save a message.
Participants:
4 Participants were recruited through my coaching and social network. All tests are conducted over Google Meet, sharing their screen as they walk me through their designated tasks.​
Prototype:
Users were asked to walk through five flows with instructions that are now notated in the description of this working prototype.
User Testing Results
Usability testing yielded mixed results. While users found the core task flows intuitive and easy to complete, testing also highlighted areas for improvement—particularly around touch targets and navigation, where the original prototype fell short.​
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4/4 users found sending messages easy and intuitive.
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3/4 users initially tried to click on a user's name when adding them to a message thread rather than the plus button.
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3/4 users tried to tap the message button in the bottom navigator or the back button on the top navigator to navigate back - the prototype was not initially designed this way.
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1/4 users were confused by the steps to save a message.​​
Revisions Based on Usability Testing
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Made both top and bottom navigation fully functional to support all user navigation patterns.
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Added a confirmation screen to the "Save Message" feature to reduce confusion and provide feedback.
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Increased the size of touch targets to improve accessibility and reduce user frustration.
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Updated the onboarding tutorial to clearly explain the revised "Saved Messages" flow.
05.
Case Study Outcomes & Lessons Learned
As one of my first projects as a UX student, this was a valuable opportunity to apply immersive research methods to explore how a new feature could be thoughtfully integrated into an existing app experience.
Thorough Research to Guide Strategy
The research process gave me a deeper understanding of how athletes and coaches communicate, which directly informed my design decisions. Insights from interviews and surveys led to the inclusion of key features to address real communication needs and enhance usability.
Modeling the User Experience
Mapping the sitemap and user flow clarified which key screens were needed for messaging. This guided design decisions by ensuring each screen supported a specific, high-priority task and contributed to a streamlined experience.
A Prototype to Build on for Future Testing
Prototype testing helped identify and eliminate issues with navigation and touch targets. Future rounds can focus on refining and expanding features based on how coaches and athletes interact with the tool.