XTRA Case Study: Manifesto & Website Design

Have you ever been at the crossroads of having this perfect vision in your mind that you want to translate into a tangible product, but you’re missing the design skills to do so? This is a common place to be, but an effective solution can be hiring a freelance designer to bring your idea to life.

I was recently connected with XTRA, a fitness startup that is changing the virtual fitness game through innovative technology. We worked on two projects together through Rise – first a Trainer Manifesto marketing document and secondly a two-page website redesign.

The Process

After an initial conversation with the XTRA team, I had an understanding of the design direction they wanted to take their Trainer Manifesto. We had complete open lines of communication through email, messaging and phone calls throughout the design process to ensure my designs were accurately translating their vision into reality. The goal was to elevate the existing Manifesto document to reflect that XTRA is an innovative tech company that attracts the best of the best.

I was inspired by XTRA’s tech-forward nature for many design elements. I also wanted to exemplify the fluidity between the instructor-client relationship on XTRA through the background design.

I believe in keeping close lines of communication with a client throughout the duration of a project to ensure the design aligns with the client’s expectations. Below is a before and after of the Trainer Manifesto.

Before

After

Following, I started my second project with XTRA – a revamp of two pages of their website. The design was heavily based on the Trainer Manifesto aesthetic that we had already established, as the design reflected the brand ethos.

In addition to elevating the design of XTRA’s home page and live class page, I implemented design changes to create a stronger user experience. These included reworking the information architecture to ensure the user was drawn to the call to action right away, organizing content to be more concise and direct the user through the page, and removing extraneous fields in the newsletter sign up process to increase chances of a user signing up. Below is a before and after of the website design.

Before

After

Throughout every design process, my favorite part is connecting with my client, understanding their need and translating it into a design that bridges the gap between form and function. To me, freelance design is much more than a “job.” It is an opportunity to form relationships with clients and companies I never knew existed, help them elevate their aesthetic, and simultaneously, their brand.