PureGym

Website & Mobile App

How I led UX strategy to improve conversion, confidence, and scalability across PureGym’s multi-market join journey

©

2025

Challenge: Scaling a digital experience across multiple markets

PureGym needed a scalable digital experience that could be efficiently rolled out across multiple markets while ensuring a seamless, localised, and high-converting Pre-Join Journey (gym selection and membership sign-up). Key challenges included:

Maintaining a consistent user experience across different regions while allowing for necessary market-specific adaptations.

Addressing pricing transparency issues, which led to user confusion and impacted conversion rates.

Optimising gym search and selection, ensuring that users can quickly find a suitable gym near them.

Overcoming technical constraints, particularly in working with a Payload Headless CMS that required extensive custom solutions.

Additionally, tight time constraints meant balancing quality UX design with the need for rapid execution and phased rollouts.

Role & Approach: UX Leadership, Research, and Strategy

I took on a leadership, mentorship, and hands-on design role, driving UX strategy and execution. My contributions included:

Facilitating stakeholder alignment, working closely with the Group-level directorship and C-Suite to embed user-centred decision-making.

Leading UX research & design for the Pre-Join Journey, ensuring a seamless and high-converting user flow.

Conducting qualitative research, including discovery and evaluative usability testing, to uncover the ‘WHY’ behind the numbers and validate trends at scale.

Strategic collaboration with Delivery & Engineering teams, ensuring UX documentation and design execution were pragmatic, clear, and development-ready.

Mentoring PureGym’s in-house designer, strengthening internal UX knowledge and collaboration.

I also played an integral role in bridging UX and business objectives, ensuring design decisions aligned with PureGym’s revenue goals, conversion strategy, and long-term growth.

Role & Approach: UX Leadership, Research, and Strategy

I took on a leadership, mentorship, and hands-on design role, driving UX strategy and execution. My contributions included:

Facilitating stakeholder alignment, working closely with the Group-level directorship and C-Suite to embed user-centred decision-making.

Leading UX research & design for the Pre-Join Journey, ensuring a seamless and high-converting user flow.

Conducting qualitative research, including discovery and evaluative usability testing, to uncover the ‘WHY’ behind the numbers and validate trends at scale.

Strategic collaboration with Delivery & Engineering teams, ensuring UX documentation and design execution were pragmatic, clear, and development-ready.

Mentoring PureGym’s in-house designer, strengthening internal UX knowledge and collaboration.

I also played an integral role in bridging UX and business objectives, ensuring design decisions aligned with PureGym’s revenue goals, conversion strategy, and long-term growth.

Key Insights & Decisions: Data-driven UX optimisation

Through user research and usability testing, I uncovered several critical insights that shaped design decisions:

Pricing Transparency Issues – 80% of users found pricing confusing due to hidden fees and vague labels like “From £XX.XX.” Users expected clear, upfront pricing.

Location Search as a Priority – 40% of users’ first action was searching for a nearby gym, highlighting the importance of a prominent location search feature.

Cognitive Overload on the Homepage – 30% of users felt overwhelmed by excess content, struggling to navigate effectively.

Scepticism Toward Testimonials – 40% preferred verified, third-party reviews over brand-selected testimonials, indicating a need for more authentic social proof.

Navigating Trade-Offs & Constraints:

The Payload Headless CMS required significant customisation, meaning designs had to be approached pragmatically and phased to align with technical feasibility.

Due to tight deadlines, I ensured design documentation was lightweight yet effective, facilitating a strong UX-to-development handoff without compromising quality.

Stakeholder expectations favoured bold, disruptive UX changes, but I strategically advocated for phased implementation to reduce risk.

Key Insights & Decisions: Data-driven UX optimisation

Through user research and usability testing, I uncovered several critical insights that shaped design decisions:

Pricing Transparency Issues – 80% of users found pricing confusing due to hidden fees and vague labels like “From £XX.XX.” Users expected clear, upfront pricing.

Location Search as a Priority – 40% of users’ first action was searching for a nearby gym, highlighting the importance of a prominent location search feature.

Cognitive Overload on the Homepage – 30% of users felt overwhelmed by excess content, struggling to navigate effectively.

Scepticism Toward Testimonials – 40% preferred verified, third-party reviews over brand-selected testimonials, indicating a need for more authentic social proof.

Navigating Trade-Offs & Constraints:

The Payload Headless CMS required significant customisation, meaning designs had to be approached pragmatically and phased to align with technical feasibility.

Due to tight deadlines, I ensured design documentation was lightweight yet effective, facilitating a strong UX-to-development handoff without compromising quality.

Stakeholder expectations favoured bold, disruptive UX changes, but I strategically advocated for phased implementation to reduce risk.

Solution: A scalable, user-centric platform

Simplified & Prioritised the Homepage – Focused on Find a Gym, clearer pricing, and removing distractions to reduce cognitive load.

Optimised Gym Selection – Added geolocation search, structured filters, and gym-specific reviews, addressing user priorities.

Redesigned the Pre-Join Journey – Created a step-by-step, intuitive sign-up flow, reducing drop-offs and improving conversion confidence.

Strengthened UX Collaboration & Mentorship – Guided PureGym’s team in UX best practices, fostering a long-term UX strategy.

Impact & Outcomes: Business and User Success

70% increase in user confidence when signing up, as validated in usability tests.

40% reduction in pricing confusion, leading to improved conversion rates.

Stronger internal UX knowledge, equipping PureGym with better UX processes and strategic thinking.

Greater UX investment, PureGym sought continued UX engagement with myself and my colleagues, including work on their App Strategy.

Additionally, stakeholder perception of UX evolved, leading to greater executive buy-in and process improvements.

Impact & Outcomes: Business and User Success

70% increase in user confidence when signing up, as validated in usability tests.

40% reduction in pricing confusion, leading to improved conversion rates.

Stronger internal UX knowledge, equipping PureGym with better UX processes and strategic thinking.

Greater UX investment, PureGym sought continued UX engagement with myself and my colleagues, including work on their App Strategy.

Additionally, stakeholder perception of UX evolved, leading to greater executive buy-in and process improvements.

Reflection & Learnings: Growth as a UX Leader

Through user research and usability testing, I uncovered several critical insights that shaped design decisions:

Scaling UX requires balancing consistency & localisation – ensuring a unified experience across markets while accommodating regional needs.

Pricing transparency is crucial for trust & conversions – unclear pricing directly impacted decision-making, reinforcing the need for upfront clarity.

Stakeholder education strengthens UX maturity – embedding UX thinking into business discussions drove stronger, research-backed decision-making.

Leadership beyond UX – This project expanded my leadership, mentorship, and stakeholder engagement skills, teaching me proactive problem-solving at scale.

Next Steps:

Expansion into new markets – Denmark, Switzerland, and the U.S. are next in line for the rollout, requiring further UX adaptation and localisation.

Continued UX optimisation – Iterating on pricing transparency, personalisation, and conversion improvements based on ongoing user testing

Further integration of UX into business strategy – Strengthening UX governance and collaboration models to ensure that research insights continue to drive key business decisions.

Final Thoughts


PureGym’s PICO initiative was an exciting opportunity to blend UX leadership, research, and strategic alignment at scale. This project reinforced the importance of balancing user needs with business constraints, advocating for research-driven UX in an agile, high-stakes environment.

Leading this initiative strengthened my leadership in UX strategy, stakeholder engagement, and mentoring, positioning PureGym for long-term UX maturity and global expansion.

Reflection & Learnings: Growth as a UX Leader

Through user research and usability testing, I uncovered several critical insights that shaped design decisions:

Scaling UX requires balancing consistency & localisation – ensuring a unified experience across markets while accommodating regional needs.

Pricing transparency is crucial for trust & conversions – unclear pricing directly impacted decision-making, reinforcing the need for upfront clarity.

Stakeholder education strengthens UX maturity – embedding UX thinking into business discussions drove stronger, research-backed decision-making.

Leadership beyond UX – This project expanded my leadership, mentorship, and stakeholder engagement skills, teaching me proactive problem-solving at scale.

Next Steps:

Expansion into new markets – Denmark, Switzerland, and the U.S. are next in line for the rollout, requiring further UX adaptation and localisation.

Continued UX optimisation – Iterating on pricing transparency, personalisation, and conversion improvements based on ongoing user testing

Further integration of UX into business strategy – Strengthening UX governance and collaboration models to ensure that research insights continue to drive key business decisions.

Final Thoughts


PureGym’s PICO initiative was an exciting opportunity to blend UX leadership, research, and strategic alignment at scale. This project reinforced the importance of balancing user needs with business constraints, advocating for research-driven UX in an agile, high-stakes environment.

Leading this initiative strengthened my leadership in UX strategy, stakeholder engagement, and mentoring, positioning PureGym for long-term UX maturity and global expansion.

If you’re interested in how I solve complex UX challenges, take a look at my approach, or dive into some of my work to see the impact in action.

If you’re interested in how I solve complex UX challenges, take a look at my approach, or dive into some of my work to see the impact in action.

If you’re interested in how I solve complex UX challenges, take a look at my approach, or dive into some of my work to see the impact in action.

Curious about better experiences? Let’s connect.

Curious about better experiences? Let’s connect.

Font used PP Object Sans by Pangram Pangram Foundry

©2025

Curious about better experiences? Let’s connect.

Font used PP Object Sans
by Pangram Pangram Foundry

©2025