Steamline: Revolutionizing the Thermaculture Experience

A UX Case Study in Community, Connection & Seamless Booking

Problem

Have you ever been in a sauna? How about a cold plunge?

The practice of going back and forth between the heat of the sauna and the chill of an ice cold tub is often referred to as thermaculture or contrast therapy. This process of alternating between extreme hot and cold is exhilarating and has been shown to offer numerous health benefits and has been practiced by Scandinavian cultures for thousands of years.

Currently, the practice of thermaculture is growing rapidly in the United States with facilities that offer a sauna and adjacent cold plunge tubs opening up in both major cities and small towns across the country.

While there is plenty of buzz around this trend, the operating software being used by these type of businesses and their clientele is severely lacking in its ability to meet the unique demands of this wellness niche.

Research

I conducted research interviews, contextual shadowing of practitioners while undertaking thermaculture sessions & immersion experiences visiting thermaculture facilities myself.

By becoming a detective in the world of wellness, interviewing passionate thermaculture enthusiasts. What I discovered changed everything I thought I knew about this industry.

After my research, I had a plethora of data to sort through so I used several methods to derive insights from my research interviews. Affinity mapping (pictured left) helped me identify core themes and trends.

Everyone I interviewed stressed that the social aspect of being in the sauna and that meeting people was a major draw that set this practice apart from their other hobbies and wellness routines.

Since many wellness enthusiasts are always on the go, the ability to seamlessly book a sauna and cold plunge session is a crucial part of the experience.

However, many practitioners reported that the current systems they use to book thermaculture sessions were cumbersome and clunky, which impeded their ability to easily invite friends to join them and interfered with what should ultimately be a relaxing endeavor.

From Problems to Possibilities

Business Operations Challenge

Clunky systems causing daily headaches for thermaculture business owners

  • Inefficient check-in processes

  • Difficult payment handling

  • Poor client management tools

User Experience Challenge

Booking friction killing the joy of planning wellness sessions

  • Complicated interfaces

  • Disconnected from community aspect

  • Poor mobile experience

Example Task Flow for Client Side of Solution

Example Task Flow for Business Operations Side of Solution

Minimum Viable Product Vision

  • Scheduling System: Streamlined check-in process

  • Point of Sale: Handle drop-in sessions seamlessly

  • Client Profiles: Payment info, packages, and bookings in one place

  • Two-Sided Platform: Business admin + client booking interface

Mid-fidelity Wireframes Based On User & Task Flows

Business Operator Wireframe Flow

These wireframes show the dashboard that a business operator would see upon opening the web app followed by the roster for an individual thermaculture session and then shows what the operator would see upon clicking into an individual client’s profile.

Business Admin Dashboard Screen:

  • List of each session for the day

  • Important Notes

  • Daily & monthly revenue

  • Sauna & cold plunge temperatures could be controlled using this dashboard

Business Admin Roster Screen:

  • List of each client that’s scheduled for the 9am session

  • Important notes

  • Ability to check-in clients as they arrive

  • Alerts display for particular clients that may need to pay for their session or have some other outstanding issue with their account

Business Admin Client Profile Screen:

  • Displays their current package/membership

  • Important notes

  • Shows their payment method with the option to add/edit payment methods

  • Has their signed waiver on file

  • Displays their visit history and upcoming bookings

Thermaculture Client Wireframe Flow

These wireframes show the process of a new client creating their account, signing the waiver, adding a payment method, purchasing a package, booking a session and ends on the confirmation of their session booking.

Bringing the Steamline Brand to Life

To help guide my branding decisions, I built a mood board drawing on inspiration from the lifestyle of sauna and cold plunge.

I selected colors that represent the heat of the sauna and the cold of the plunge and brand values that reflect the essence of this modern incarnation of the ancient practice of contract therapy. I explored various ways businesses are representing this practice digitally to inform my approach to building the Steamline concept.

I landed on the following brand values to anchor my design and brand direction:

Sharp

Clean, precise interfaces

Intuitive

Flows that feel natural

Hip

Modern approach to timeless wellness

Joyful

Celebrating the wellness journey

Wise

Respecting the ancient practice

Steamline: The Final Product

Business operations side of the web app for tablet as most thermaculture facilities have employees roaming so they can check in clients and complete sales on the move.

Client side of the web app for mobile as most thermaculture clients book sessions while out and about.

Key Takeaways

  • Community & Convenience: People will pay for connection

  • Research is Detective Work: The best insights hide in plain sight

  • Synthesis Takes Time: Let insights percolate before forcing conclusions

  • Two-Sided Solutions: Sometimes solving one problem solves two