FORM Swim

Designing trust into training,

one heart rate zone at a time.

Product Management

Agile Planning

UX Research

About FORM Swim

FORM is a fitness technology company revolutionizing the way swimmers train through augmented reality smart goggles that display real-time performance data directly in the swimmer’s line of sight. Their products are trusted by triathletes, competitive swimmers, and everyday fitness enthusiasts to track metrics like pace, heart rate, and stroke rate, all without interrupting their swim. 

With an emphasis on seamless hardware-software integration, FORM is shaping the future of immersive, data-driven swimming experiences.

FORM is a fitness technology company revolutionizing the way swimmers train through augmented reality smart goggles that display real-time performance data directly in the swimmer’s line of sight. Their products are trusted by triathletes, competitive swimmers, and everyday fitness enthusiasts to track metrics like pace, heart rate, and stroke rate, all without interrupting their swim. 


With an emphasis on seamless hardware-software integration, FORM is shaping the future of immersive, data-driven swimming experiences.

My Role

As a Product Management Intern, I worked cross-functionally with product, UX design, engineering, QA, and research teams to help define and deliver meaningful user features. 


My focus centered on the development of a Custom Heart Rate Zones feature, a critical enhancement for power users who train by specific heart rate targets. I led competitive analysis, user research synthesis, feature specification writing, and supported agile sprint planning and beta testing coordination. 


The internship gave me end-to-end ownership of a feature from discovery through to pre-development readiness, sharpening my product thinking and user advocacy skills in a fast-paced, hardware-integrated environment.


Setting The Scene

When I joined FORM Swim, the company was preparing for the release of its next-generation smart goggles, a powerful piece of fitness technology that overlays real-time swim data into the user’s field of view.


The goggles were already delivering live heart rate data mid-swim, but in our product review meetings, a consistent user theme kept bubbling up:


“I already have my heart rate zones. Why does the
app tell me something different?”

“I already have my heart rate zones. Why does the app tell me something different?”

“I already have my heart rate zones. Why does the app tell me something different?”

This opened the door to something deeper than a UI tweak, it exposed a

trust gap.

This opened the door to something deeper than a UI tweak, it exposed a trust gap.

This opened the door to something deeper than a UI tweak, it exposed a trust gap.

The Problem Beneath The Surface

FORM’s app calculated heart rate zones based solely on a user's maximum heart rate. For beginner swimmers or casual users, this worked. But for triathletes and performance-driven users, FORM’s most loyal and demanding audience, it wasn’t enough. These athletes had precise zone data from lactate threshold testing, HR reserve calculations, or coach-defined training plans.

FORM was giving them beautiful, real-time data, but it didn’t match the rest of their training ecosystem. And when the numbers didn’t align, their trust in the platform eroded.

This wasn’t just a UX gap —> it was a credibility gap.

This wasn’t just a UX gap,

it was a credibility gap.

Reframing the Opportunity

At first, I believed we were solving a design problem: perhaps the zones needed clearer labels or improved UI. But after diving into support tickets, conducting user interviews, and benchmarking leading competitors like Garmin, Apple, and Fitbit, it became clear: Users didn’t just want more data. They wanted control over how that data worked for them.

“Custom zones” wasn’t a request, it was a
baseline expectation for high-performance users.

Key Research Insights

The competitive analysis along with the support tickets submitted by our users, it allowed for me to bring clarity on the following:


  • Athletes follow their own heart rate models (Max HR, HR Reserve, or Lactate Threshold)

  • Competing products offered varying degrees of control, but few offered clarity.

  • FORM’s static system created workflow friction and broke training consistency.

  • There was no explanation in-app of what each HR zone meant.

Without explanation, customization, or alignment with

external tools, our ‘smart’ system didn’t feel that

smart to advanced users.

Without explanation, customization,

or alignment with external tools,

our ‘smart’ system didn’t feel that

smart to advanced users.

Crafting the Solution

Together with the product and design teams, I helped reframe the feature to reflect two types of users:


  • Automatic Mode for casual swimmers who wanted a simple setup.

  • Manual Mode for athletes who needed precision and control.


This dual-mode approach aligned with FORM’s broader goal of serving both emerging and elite users, and was designed to integrate smoothly with the rollout of Dory (our next-gen goggles) and Smart Coach (an adaptive training system within the app).


I authored the feature specification from the ground up:


  • Defined user stories and usage scenarios

  • Outlined input validations and edge cases

  • Scoped the MVP in collaboration with engineers

  • Framed the logic for future zone feedback integration in real-time goggles use


I also worked with QA to translate the spec into test cases, and supported the coordination of early-stage beta testing logistics.

I learned that clear documentation isn’t

just for engineers — it’s a cross-functional

alignment tool.

I learned that clear documentation

isn’t just for engineers,

it’s a cross-functional

alignment tool.

I learned that clear documentation isn’t

just for engineers — it’s a

cross-functional alignment tool.

Building the Right Thing, the Right Way

I led sprint planning discussions, maintained JIRA tickets, and worked across product, design, QA, and analytics to keep the vision aligned. I helped identify priority stories for each sprint and ensured decisions were grounded in user context.


Knowing that feature scope creep could derail quality, I championed phased development:


Phase 1: In-app customization and onboarding
Phase 2: Real-time goggles feedback (post-launch enhancement)


This approach helped us move efficiently while ensuring future extensibility.

Product specs don’t deliver value alone -> execution does.

Product specs don’t deliver

value alone -> execution does.

The Results

While the feature was still in development when my internship concluded, we achieved key milestones:


  • Approved dual-mode customization feature, balancing simplicity and control

  • Delivered a full spec that passed design and product reviews

  • Aligned user needs with FORM’s hardware/software roadmap

  • Sparked internal momentum for broader personalization across the product ecosystem


Most importantly, we began to restore trust for our high-performance users, giving them a setup that aligned with how they already trained.

We weren’t just fixing a feature;

we were restoring confidence in the product.

We weren’t just fixing a feature;

we were restoring confidence

in the product.

What I Learned

This project taught me that data is only as useful as it is believable.

I came in thinking this was a data visualization challenge, but I left understanding that it was fundamentally about user trust and autonomy. This insight transformed how I approached decision-making throughout the product process.


It also showed me the importance of clear documentation as a cross-functional tool. A thoughtful, user-first spec doesn’t just guide developers, it brings teams together around a shared outcome.

This project taught me that data is only as useful as it is believable. I came in thinking this was a data visualization challenge, but I left understanding that it was fundamentally about user trust and autonomy. This insight transformed how I approached decision-making throughout the product process.


It also showed me the importance of clear documentation as a cross-functional tool. A thoughtful, user-first spec doesn’t just guide developers, it brings teams together around a shared outcome.

This project taught me that data is only as useful as it is believable. I came in thinking this was a data visualization challenge, but I left understanding that it was fundamentally about user trust and autonomy. This insight transformed how I approached decision-making throughout the product process.


It also showed me the importance of clear documentation as a cross-functional tool. A thoughtful, user-first spec doesn’t just guide developers, it brings teams together around a shared outcome.

What I’d Do Differently

With hindsight, I would push sooner for contextual onboarding. While we nailed the configuration flexibility, we missed the opportunity to educate less experienced users about why heart rate zones even matter.


Guidance, not just customization, is often what creates a truly empowering UX.


Credits

Closing Thoughts

This project wasn’t just about heart rate zones.

It was about empowering athletes to train on their terms, and helping them feel confident that FORM was an extension of their training strategy, not a replacement for it.


As a product manager, my job was to bridge the gap between what users expected and what the product delivered.


And that’s the kind of work I’m passionate about doing, building with empathy, strategy, and clarity of purpose.

Services

Product Strategy

UX Research

Feature Specification

Agile Sprint Planning

Stakeholder Collaboration

Beta Testing Coordination

Tools

Figma

Atlassian Jira

Confluence

Slack

Google Sheets

Google Docs

team

Manager

Dave Kruzeniski

Lead UX Designer

Lauren Annabelle

Company

FORM Swim

YEAR

2023

All rights reserved © 2025

All rights reserved © 2025

All rights reserved © 2025