Open: Breathwork + Meditation

What it does

Open is a digital mindfulness studio that blends meditation, breathwork, movement, and sound into a cohesive wellness experience. The app offers a library of on-demand classes, structured multi-day programs like a '7-Day Nervous System Reset,' and daily practices to help users build a consistent routine. Beyond digital content, Open integrates a booking system for in-person classes at its physical studios, creating a hybrid experience for its community.

Where it shines

Open excels at creating an immersive and aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. The experience begins with a cinematic, text-led intro (00:05) that immediately sets a calm, introspective tone, filtering for users aligned with its mindful philosophy. The in-session player UI is another highlight, featuring a minimalist design with a hypnotic, color-shifting orb that visualizes the breathwork or meditation state (04:12). This focus on ambiance over complex controls allows users to stay present. The app also successfully bridges the digital-to-physical gap by allowing users to browse and book real-world classes directly from its Venice studio schedule (13:23).

UX highlights

Atmospheric Player: The meditation player (03:59) avoids distracting UI, using a simple pulsating gradient and subtle audio cues to guide the user.
Content Categorization: The main navigation is clearly divided into four pillars: Meditate, Breathe, Move, and Sound, making it easy for users to find a practice that suits their current need (06:20).
Teacher-Centric Discovery: Users can explore teacher profiles (10:07) and see all classes taught by a specific instructor, fostering a sense of connection and loyalty.
Robust Filtering: The content filtering system (12:34) is comprehensive, allowing users to narrow down sessions by duration, outcome, teacher, and technique.
Offline Mode: The app offers a dedicated offline section (06:36) where users can access downloaded sessions, a crucial feature for a meditation app used during travel or in low-connectivity areas.
Community Feed: A social feed (09:59) shows what practices friends have recently completed, adding a layer of social connection and accountability to a typically solo activity.

Monetization & growth

Monetization is introduced after a mandatory sign-up process via a soft paywall at 02:51. It offers a 14-day free trial for two subscription tiers: Annual and Monthly. The paywall highlights the savings on the annual plan and uses social proof with logos from publications like Forbes and Vogue to build trust. A unique growth tactic is the post-subscription survey (03:13), which asks how the user heard about the app, capturing valuable attribution data from high-intent users. Additionally, the app features a separate credit system for booking in-person classes (13:49), creating a second revenue stream.

Who it’s for

Open is designed for individuals seeking a modern, aesthetically-driven approach to mindfulness and wellness. Its target audience likely appreciates high-quality design and is interested in a holistic practice that includes not just meditation but also movement and breathwork. The inclusion of in-person classes and a community feed suggests it's also for those who value connection and want to be part of a larger wellness community, both online and offline.

Notes & opportunities

The onboarding flow, while beautifully branded, is quite long and requires full account creation before the user can see any content or the paywall. This high-friction start could lead to significant user drop-off. Showing the value proposition or a glimpse of the app's content earlier might improve conversion. Similarly, the profile screen's biometrics section shows 'DATA UNAVAILABLE' (15:19) after HealthKit sync, which could be confusing. Providing a clearer state or guidance on when data will appear would improve the user experience.