Reducing the pressure

Insights

• Specificity is when clear, detailed options feel more designed-for-purpose. Freeletics uses specific fitness labels so that users feel confident picking their real level, which can reduce anxiety and improve input quality.

• Cognitive Load is the mental effort needed to complete a task. By adding written descriptions to each fitness level, Freeletics lowers the cognitive load, making choices feel easier and less stressful to complete.

• Nike uses a similar technique, by anchoring effort ratings to real-world activities like "able to talk". Both Nike and Freeletics make abstract self-assessment easier by giving users relatable, concrete options.

• Gentler Streak highlights user input with color and haptics as effort increases. Both Gentler Streak and Freeletics use dynamic feedback to help users calibrate their responses, so their answers feel more accurate and personal.

• Strava sometimes uses labels like "casual" or "serious" to push users toward a choice. Freeletics avoids this pressure by letting users pick their own label, which can help users feel more in control and less judged.