Personal Trainer Network
by ESX
Creating the First Fitness Expert Platform in Romania
#Fitness #Health #Nutrition #Network #ProductDesign #WbApp #MVP
Summary
PTN is shaping Romania's fitness industry by connecting users with a diverse range of fitness experts—trainers, nutritionists, and physiotherapists. With over 400 experts enrolled in the first month, PTN is leading a shift in how Romanians access fitness professionals.
Project
Health & Fitness
Industry
7 months
Timeline
Lead Product Designer
My role
“We want to transform Romania’s fitness industry 🇷🇴 by creating a platform that seamlessly connects people with 💪 fitness experts.”
Andrei Trofin
CEO @ ESX
Scope
The project was centered around designing a smooth, end-to-end experience for PTN’s MVP.
Fitness experts needed an efficient way to connect with clients, while users needed a platform where they could find the right expert quickly and effortlessly.
Collaboration played a key role in this project. The extended team consisted of:
Sebastian Petrina
Lead Product Designer
ESX, Romania’s largest fitness network with over 160k customers, saw an opportunity to bridge the gap in the fitness market.
Powered by ESX
esx.ro
Designing ✍️ a seamless end-to-end experience for the MVP 🚀 crafted for both fitness experts and clients.
#MVPLaunch #WebPlatform #DesignThinking
01
Strategy
04
Testing
02
Research
03
Design
Fitness experts struggled with visibility and organization, while users found it hard to connect with qualified professionals.
Romanian market
Fitness experts
The journey wasn’t linear—it required creativity, careful planning, and a collaborative team.
Client view
Expert view
Discussions with the stakeholders brought
the project’s vision into focus.
Business goals • User goals • Challenges • Scope • Risks • Roadmap
A deep dive into competitive platforms and real user feedback provided valuable insights.
Competitive research
User reviews
User interviews
Our research revealed two new market opportunities for PTN to expand in the feature
The research was clear—users wanted simplicity. With that in mind, we mapped out user personas and journeys to focus on the key pain points.
Affinity map
User personas
Journey maps
We kicked off the ideation phase with high-energy brainstorming sessions.
✏️ Crazy 8’s
Client
Expert
👉 User flows
🚧 Wireframes
With the wireframes ready, we built high-fidelity interactive prototypes.
High-Fidelity
Figma
Our testing revealed areas to improve—particularly around the expert listing and search features.
Usability Testing
Maze
Client
Expert
With the wireframes ready, we built high-fidelity interactive prototypes.
High-Fidelity
Figma
Sprint 1 - Home page
Map • Sketch • Decide • Prototype • Test
One major change was turning the expert listing into the main home page for PTN. This redesign aimed to give users faster access to relevant experts and make the browsing experience effortless.
Expert card
Personal trainer • Nutritionist • Physiotherapist
The expert card became a core feature in PTN, providing users with a quick, interactive overview of each expert. It starts with the session prices and any special offers, followed by swipes showcasing the expert’s areas of expertise and a brief bio.
Sprint 2 - Search & Filters
Map • Sketch • Decide • Prototype • Test
A critical component of the PTN platform, the search and filter functionality needed refinement. We followed the same five-day sprint format, ensuring that the filters were optimized for user ease.
Interactions
Search • Filter • Map • Pins • Gym card
The search function helps users find experts quickly, while filters allow them to narrow down results based on criteria like price or location. Map pins visually display expert locations, making it easy to spot nearby professionals. Tapping on a pin brings up location cards with essential details, such as availability and expert info.
Sprint 3 - Expert profile
Map • Sketch • Decide • Prototype • Test
The expert profile page also underwent a redesign to offer users richer details and easier access to important information. This sprint focused on improving how experts present themselves and ensuring clients have all the information they need to make informed decisions.
Sprint 4 - Onboarding
Map • Sketch • Decide • Prototype • Test
Expert onboarding was a critical part of the user experience for fitness professionals. The process had to be simple yet comprehensive. We streamlined the steps, ensuring experts could personalize their profiles quickly and effectively.
At the end of the design phase, we delivered a fully detailed UI design and a robust design system.
Mircea Ciuchea
Lead Developer @ ESX
The Design System
Best practices • World-class standards
The design system was built with scalability and flexibility in mind, ensuring the platform could grow alongside its user base. We ensured consistency across platforms, fostering collaboration between teams, and keeping accessibility at the forefront.
“We now have a platform that’s fresh, efficient, and perfectly tailored to the needs of both fitness professionals and clients.”
Andrei Trofin
CEO @ ESX
