IronLinked
IronLinked is a professional networking platform for athletes, coaches, brands, gyms and federations. Networking in fitness still runs through Instagram DMs, scattered event pages and personal contacts.
I led the full UX and product process — from problem definition and research to visual design, flows and MVP launch — aiming for a focused “LinkedIn for fitness”: profiles, discovery and events in one place.
At a glance
Role: Product Designer (founder) — end-to-end UX/UI
Type: Personal product — professional network for the fitness & bodybuilding ecosystem
Timeline: May 2024 – Dec 2025
Focus: Profiles · Discovery · Events (MVP)
Live: Visit live product → https://www.ironlinked.com/
Tools: Figma, React, Supabase, Lovable, HTML/CSS
Context & Role
Networking in the fitness world happens through fragmented channels, Instagram, DMs, scattered event pages and personal contacts. Athletes and industry professionals can feel isolated; your involvement can help build a more connected community.
IronLinked aims to solve this by becoming a focused professional network, a “LinkedIn for the fitness universe”, consolidating profiles, discovery, and events into one accessible platform for industry professionals.
Problem and Product Goals
Problem
People in the fitness ecosystem lack a structured environment to connect and find opportunities. Existing social platforms are not designed for professional visibility, results tracking or event discovery.
Product goals
• Provide professional profiles focused on achievements, categories and roles
• Make it easy for athletes, coaches and brands to find each other
• Offer a centralised calendar for competitions and events
• Build an MVP that proves value before scaling
UX Approach
Research
I conducted quick interviews and informal conversations with athletes, coaches and brand owners to understand
• How they discover people and events today
• Where they lose time and opportunities
• What information matters in a professional profile
Key Insights
• Instagram is widely used, but not ideal for professional networking
• Athletes want visibility, brands want filters and clarity
• Event information is scattered and inconsistent
• People want something simple, fast and organised
Structure
Based on these insights, I defined three core pillars
• Profiles
• Discovery and search
• Events and competitions
These became the foundation for the navigation and user flows.
Design and Key Flows
Core flows
I prioritised three essential journeys for the MVP
• A brand finds an athlete and initiates contact
• An athlete discovers upcoming competitions
• A federation adds an event to the platform
Wireframes to UI
Design highlights
• Card based layout for profiles and events
• Clear CTAs and consistent components
• Simple, intuitive search and filtering
• Visual identity defined with logo, colours and typography built in Figma
I created low fidelity wireframes to test hierarchy and layout, then moved into the final UI with a clean, bold and dark visual style aligned to the fitness world.
Building the MVP
To accelerate delivery, I implemented the MVP with AI-assisted build tools, using Figma mockups and a design system as the source of truth, then iterating layouts and components by hand where needed.
I used prompts to describe screens and behaviours
I provided Figma mockups and a design system as visual guidance
I iterated quickly, adjusting layouts and components manually when needed
Launch and Early Results
I launched the MVP with an initial group of athletes, coaches and fitness contacts, then iterated from surveys, interviews and usage feedback.
Conclusion
IronLinked shows a full product loop: define the problem, structure the MVP, validate with users, and ship. AI tools sped up implementation; UX strategy, flows and visual design stayed designer-led.