Classpass

Role

Product Designer

Platform

Mobile App

Duration

3 weeks

Year

2025

Strengthening Studio Loyalty Through Rewards

ClassPass is a credit-based membership mobile app that provides users with access to a variety of fitness, wellness, and food experiences.

Despite joining ClassPass to explore new studios, most users eventually develop favorite locations they return to regularly. However, studios have little ability to recognize or reward that loyalty, weakening long-term relationships between studios and ClassPass members.

Over three weeks, I designed and tested a studio-specific rewards program that strengthened loyalty while respecting the business needs of both studios and ClassPass.

Outcome

Designed a studio-specific rewards program that automatically rewards repeat visits. Usability testing improved feature comprehension by 20%, and every participant said the feature would increase their loyalty to participating studios.

Challenge

As ClassPass's business model has evolved, relationships between studios and ClassPass users have weakened. How might we help studios acknowledge and value ClassPass users without disrupting existing membership structures or studio operations?

User Research

To gain insight into both user behavior and the competitive landscape, I conducted five in-depth user interviews and analyzed comparable fitness apps. AI tools supported transcription, synthesis, and early affinity mapping, enabling efficient and thoughtful persona creation.

Business Context

Studio partners face significant economic challenges with ClassPass's pricing model. An email sent to ClassPass members from a participating studio illustrates this tension:

"ClassPass was originally designed to encourage members to discover studios and eventually commit to a full membership. However, the reality is that many stay on ClassPass due to its lower cost, which unintentionally hurts the small studios working hard to provide premium experiences. While many businesses have chosen to discontinue their partnership with ClassPass this year, we've decided to keep our doors open to ClassPass guests—because we value you."

— YogaSix North Carlsbad

This aligned with my research: studios wanted to recognize loyal ClassPass users but lacked a sustainable way to do so. As more studios left the platform, strengthening studio relationships became a meaningful product opportunity.

Insights & Opportunities

Loyalty already exists
- 80% of participants returned to the same studios regularly, revealing an opportunity to reward existing behavior rather than encourage entirely new habits
Recognition Matters
- 60% of participants felt treated differently because they booked through ClassPass, suggesting rewards could reinforce belonging while strengthening studio relationships
Discovery drives engagement
- Because users primarily discovered studios through the Home feed and Map, those became the primary surfaces for introducing rewards

Defining the MVP

Research surfaced several loyalty concepts, including points, badges, and cross-studio rewards.

Because studios wanted to maintain ownership over customer relationships, I focused the MVP on studio-specific rewards that strengthened existing behaviors rather than introducing a platform-wide points economy.

Wireframes

Research showed users primarily discover new studios through the Home feed and Map, so I integrated rewards directly into those existing workflows. Progress appears on studio pages, participating locations are highlighted throughout discovery surfaces, and a dedicated Rewards page gives users a centralized view of all active progress.

Feature #1: Automatic Rewards

Problem: Users didn't understand why they needed to enroll before earning rewards.

Design: Removed enrollment entirely so every booking automatically contributed toward studio rewards.

Why: Reduced friction and aligned the experience with users' existing booking habits.

Feature #2: Studio Progress

Problem: Users had no visibility into how close they were to earning rewards.

Design: Added progress tracking directly to studio pages.

Why: Made repeat visits feel intentional and motivating.

Feature #3: Studio Participation

Problem: Studios wanted to recognize loyal customers without giving up control over their own business model.

Design: Allowed studios to define thresholds and rewards.

Why: Allows each studio to tailor rewards to its own business model instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all program.

Usability Testing

I conducted five usability tests to evaluate whether users understood the rewards system, could locate participating studios, and knew how to earn rewards without additional guidance.

Before

Testers were unsure why they needed to 'enroll' and questioned the value of an extra action.

After

To address this, the flow was simplified so users begin earning rewards seamlessly through normal class attendance.

Before

The term 'Rewards' was ambiguous; some testers assumed it meant an immediate reward rather than a program.

After

I updated the copy to 'Rewards Program' and clarified individual selections as specific rewards to set clearer expectations.

Before

Testers were unsure why they needed to 'enroll' and questioned the value of an extra action.

After

To address this, the flow was simplified so users begin earning rewards seamlessly through normal class attendance.

Before

The term 'Rewards' was ambiguous; some testers assumed it meant an immediate reward rather than a program.

After

I updated the copy to 'Rewards Program' and clarified individual selections as specific rewards to set clearer expectations.

Before

The term 'Rewards' was ambiguous; some testers assumed it meant an immediate reward rather than a program.

After

I updated the copy to 'Rewards Program' and clarified individual selections as specific rewards to set clearer expectations.

Impact

20% improvement in feature comprehension after clarifying reward terminology and removing enrollment.
5/5 participants said the feature would increase their loyalty toward participating studios

These findings suggested the concept was intuitive, motivating, and aligned with users' existing booking habits.

20% improvement in feature comprehension after clarifying reward terminology and removing enrollment.
5/5 participants said the feature would increase their loyalty toward participating studios

These findings suggested the concept was intuitive, motivating, and aligned with users' existing booking habits.

20% improvement in feature comprehension after clarifying reward terminology and removing enrollment.
5/5 participants said the feature would increase their loyalty toward participating studios

These findings suggested the concept was intuitive, motivating, and aligned with users' existing booking habits.

Reflection

The challenge wasn't simply rewarding users. It was designing a system that simultaneously created value for users, studios, and ClassPass without disrupting existing business models.

This project strengthened my ability to design within product constraints while balancing competing stakeholder needs. I'm most proud of how seamlessly the feature integrates into the existing ClassPass experience, enhancing engagement without disrupting behaviors users already know.

The challenge wasn't simply rewarding users. It was designing a system that simultaneously created value for users, studios, and ClassPass without disrupting existing business models.

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