Equinox
Equinox, one of the top luxury gyms in the world, is an undeniable signal of status. Built on the notion that fitness can empower a life well-lived, Equinox's innovative, industry-leading approach to health and fitness has put it in a class of its own.
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The Challenge
Equinox has crafted a brand that evokes luxury, sex, and wellness. While they do have models, professional athletes, and celebrities as customers, through research I learned that the average customer is a 35-year-old professional. The challenge was to produce a website design that remained true to the greater Equinox brand but also, felt personalized to the league members at the DC Sports Club. With a user experience that attracted new members and kept existing members engaged. The solution also had to maintain a sense of fluidity as the product would be duplicated and rolled-out across vaious Equinox locations nationwide.
Understanding the Users
The product had two goals: to convert new members and to inform existing members. Each user group had different goals when approaching the product. The best way to understand the goals of these users was through conversations and extensive research. Our team was able to interview existing members to understand what was most important to them. They placed an emphasis on being able to easily access their schedules and stats. For potentially new members they needed as much information as they could receive on the different leagues. This gave me a guide which I could reference when making decisions, from the copy, user experience and design.
Studying the Brand
Our team conducted a deep dive into the Equinox brand. Studying the pre-existing user experience and the interfaces found on their various digital products. Taking note of the messaging/copy, positioning, layout, and use of typography. From our deep dive, we walked away with some key insights that we applied to our product.
Designing the UI/UX
Guided by our strategy and methodology, we created a UI/UX inspired by the brands' principles and design ethos. Working along-side a UX writer, to ensure a cohesive, easy-to-use, and approachable interface we mapped out all the information essential for aspiring and current league members – this gave us the framework for the user experience. We created two paths – one for aspiring league members to learn about the various leagues and another that allowed current members to stay up to date with their team. A major decision we had to make was in regards to the navigation of the website. There is a notable call to action button on the website pages catered to potentially new members. The initial approach to the UX was to provide a guided journey through the website. After a few tests, the data showed that it was better to craft the UX in a way that allowed the visitor to register for the league at any moment their interest was peaked. This lead to the main call to actions being a way to navigate to the league registration portal.
Crafting the Copy
More than just page spaning hero images and distinct color palette, the Equinox website has copy that enhances the overall user experience. During the wireframing/prototyping stage, we brought in our UX writer. Charged with the client brief and brand insights, we created an inspiring and consistent narrative that welcomes new members to the league without neglecting current members already invested in the brand.
Implementing the Technology
Our team put together the technical requirements and began to materialize the project choosing the best technology solutions. In order to make sure the system would have longevity, I approached addressed the issue of maintenance by building mulitple custom CMS systems. These systems handle handle the different type of dynamic information and media for the website. This includes the stats, schedules, highlights, player profiles and media galleries.
