Fitbit
Develop a highly effective health companion for
behavior change
Fitbit
Develop a highly effective health companion for
behavior change
Overview
Fitbit — the health companion always by your side
As a Senior UX & Behavior Change Researcher, I was tasked with leading an initiative to design for behavior change across all of Fitbit’s software and hardware product portfolio. We began with the question, “How might we reimagine Fitbit as the world’s most effective health companion — always by your side?”. My scope expanded from overseeing this Behavior Change Initiative for the Design organization to cross-functionally for the entire company, with the CEO also highlighting the Behavior Change Initiative as Fitbit’s top priority during this time. This work enabled Fitbit’s more than 29 million active monthly users to develop healthy habits and was the foundational UX research for Fitbit Premium. My research covered the breadth of product conception to post-product launch iteration.
“All of the work Kirby put into partnering closely with the design + product teams has been great to see. The influx of knowledge stemming from all the research has clearly helped teams understand where they are and help shape future direction. Overall, Kirby has done a great job of taking initiative and showing leadership — having a roadmap he’s working toward and bringing the teams along, versus being purely reactionary to inbound requests. It is a great example of how our team should be positioning ourselves as leaders throughout the organization.”
Context
Guide users to move more, sleep better, and eat healthier
Fitbit already had 29 million active monthly users and was one of the most effective companies at health related behavior change. However, the company did not yet have a clear strategy for how all of its products could work together to form a cohesive user experience. We also needed to create a comprehensive framework for determining impact, in particular, the extent different products and features enabled user to move more, sleep better, eat healthier, and lower stress levels.
My Role
Lead the Behavior Change Initiative for Fitbit
My role was to (1) manage the cross-functional team for designing for behavior change across Fitbit’s product portfolio and (2) conduct the UX research for what became Fitbit Premium.
Start with our users, then test early and often
We pursued an iterative, five step process to address the problem of designing for behavior change. We started with ethnographic field studies among 28 existing and prospective Fitbit users. Our field studies focused on how Fitbit could be an effective health companion for users to develop health habits, in particular pertaining to fitness, sleep, and nutrition. We then clearly defined user needs and mapped them to behavioral loops that guided the company’s future product roadmap. After a series of design workshops, ideation sessions, and bi-weekly iterative testing we were able to improve CSAT of Fitbit Premium by 39% in the months leading up to its launch.
Empathize
Empathize
fIELD STUDIES
Meet users where they’re at
Our journey began with seeking a deep understanding of the people who use Fitbit products. Through in-depth ethnographic field studies, we immersed ourselves in the lives of 28 existing, previous, and prospective Fitbit users. We explored their fitness routines, sleep struggles, and nutrition habits, uncovering the small but significant ways they aspired to live healthier lives. These conversations were eye-opening, revealing not just pain points but also deep-seated motivations and opportunities to design for real, sustainable behavior change. By listening intently, we were able to see the world through their eyes—a vital first step in creating a product that truly resonates. I designed the research to feel more like fun interactive sessions, letting go of conventional user “interview” constructs where desirable, so that the participants could reveal their authentic selves. We also used the dscout tool to remotely collect dairy study data from an additional 48 research participants.
Empathy HALL
Infusing User Empathy into the Work Culture
To deepen stakeholder engagement and ensure our research insights drove meaningful action, I created a "User Empathy Hall"—a dynamic, interactive space where stakeholders could immerse themselves in user experiences. The hall featured curated artifacts from the research, including user quotes, journey maps, and behavioral loops, allowing stakeholders to engage both synchronously and asynchronously. During co-synthesis sessions, cross-functional teams collaborated in real time to identify key themes and clarify critical insights. For those unable to attend live, the hall offered an asynchronous experience where they could explore findings at their own pace, providing feedback and contributing to the conversation. This initiative fostered a shared understanding of user needs, building alignment and buy-in across the organization while amplifying the impact of the research.
Define
Define
Co-Synthesis
Clarify Behavior Change Challenges for Users
From our ethnographic field and diary studies, we identified five key recurring themes of how our users struggled most to progress on their healthy habits journey. We decided to build product focused on addressing these challenge areas.
1 | Planning is helpful, but often difficult, time consuming, and mundane
2 | Unhealthy in-the-moment decisions based on triggers or other urges
3 | Social influences should help rather than inhibit a healthy lifestyle
4 | Existing tools are not personalized enough
5 | Too many conflicting viewpoints on what is “healthy”
Develop a Framework to Inspire Design
I worked with the Design, Product, Engineering, R&D, Clinical, and Marketing organizations to develop the Fitbit Behavior Loops (pictured below), which synthesized our UX research insights and my background with health coaching (from my time with Duke University’s Integrative Health Coaching Program) with the work of leading Behavioral Scientists. The behavior loops were designed to empower users to develop new habits, in particular, addressing the limitations of bounded rationality (Kahneman, 2003). This served as a framework to help us design for the five key challenge areas mentioned above.
The larger teal behavior loop (below) is how Fitbit products now guide users’ conscious decision making, akin to System 2 from Daniel Kahneman’s “Thinking, Fast and Slow” (2011), typically on a daily or weekly basis. The smaller purple Behavior Loop is how Fitbit products now guide users’ unconscious decision making, akin to System 1, often on a shorter milliseconds-to-hours time scale. This framework I developed became central to how Fitbit developed and designed its products cross-functionally across the company.
Ideate
Ideate
ideation Workshops
Reimagine the future of Fitbit
To develop meaningful solutions, we brought together teams from different parts of the organization, including designers, engineers, and product managers. In these workshops, we worked side by side to come up with ideas that directly addressed the needs and behaviors we uncovered in our research. Everyone contributed their unique perspective, which helped us explore creative and practical ways to improve the product. These sessions weren’t just about generating ideas—they were about finding solutions that made sense for users while being achievable for the team to deliver.
Co-Design Sessions
Bringing users to the design table
In this phase, we invited participants to actively contribute to the design process by co-creating experiences through behavior loops. These loops served as a framework for understanding the cyclical patterns of user actions and motivations. By involving users directly in ideation workshops, we unlocked creative solutions that felt both intuitive and empowering. This collaborative process wasn’t just about gathering ideas—it was about building alignment with users, ensuring that the designs addressed real-world challenges and seamlessly integrated into their daily routines.
Prototype & Test
Prototype & Test
Mobile App Home Tab
Redesign the Fitbit app to focus on the present “Today”
Our initial prototypes focused on improving the Today Tab, the central hub of the Fitbit experience. We aimed to make it more actionable, intuitive, and personalized, helping users stay engaged with their daily health data. Through iterative testing, we refined the way information was presented, ensuring that users could easily track their activity, sleep, and other key metrics at a glance. By emphasizing real-time insights and progress tracking, the Today Tab evolved into a more effective and motivating tool for users to stay on top of their health goals.
engagement Feature
Personalize with Weekly Programming
After improving the daily experience, we expanded our focus to weekly programming, designing features that provided structured, personalized guidance over time. This included tailored workout recommendations, habit-building strategies, and adaptive health insights that evolved based on user behavior. Through user testing, we ensured that the weekly programming struck the right balance between structure and flexibility—giving users actionable plans without feeling overwhelmed. This shift transformed Fitbit from a passive tracker into a proactive health companion, offering meaningful support for long-term behavior change.
Impact
Impact
Post Testing
Iterate to improve the user experience
Through our rigorous research and design efforts, the Fitbit Premium experience saw a dramatic improvement in its Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), jumping 46% from 2.8 in our first public beta test to over 4.1 out of 5 stars after the production launch. These results reflected not only enhanced functionality but also the intuitive and delightful design we created. The success of the project earned recognition within the industry, further validating the power of research-driven design to deliver impactful user experiences.
Human Impact
Improving the health of 29+ million users
Beyond the metrics, the most meaningful outcome was the difference we made in people’s lives. Over 29 million users gained a health companion that provided personalized, actionable support to help them build healthier habits. By addressing real-world challenges—like planning, decision-making, and personalization—we created a product that empowered users to take control of their health journeys, fostering lasting positive change. This was a testament to the value of putting people at the heart of design.