User Research

In-store interviews with experienced campers revealed that they shopped for gear in preparation for a trip. But surprisingly, specialty retailers often offer little or no online guidance to the folks going into the wilderness for the first time.

Heuristic Analysis

Campmor, Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS), The North Face (TNF), and REI are among the major players in this space. Their websites vary wildly in the breadth and depth of their offerings – and their presentation:

There is little correlation between the number of products offered and their organization, filters or categorization. Heuristics – site-wide and categorically – vary tremendously.

Comparative/Competitive Analysis

Campmor's heuristics are ... challenging:

• The "Gear" top nav's secondary navigation contains 41(!) items arranged in alphabetical order, with "The Beach" following "Tents."
• There are two "guides" on the Tents landing page:
  • The first is hidden under the splash image caption.
  • The other 'guide' is buried in the footer under "Expert Outdoor Advice."

The EMS guide highlights five (5) tent features. But it does not explain how to choose among the 300+ tents they have on sale.

REI has the most comprehensice guides by far -- but they are not readily accessible.

"Expert Advice" is available from the 'supra nav', Camp & Hike expanded Top Nav, or on the Camp & Hike landing page.

The article is well-written and includes a video(!) and links to related articles. However it could be better presented: while Campmor's FAQ has its shortcomings, the FAQ format allows users to preview and index content.

Yet none of these guides offer specific product recommendations.

Synthesis: Persona & Problem Statement

Chuck and Carla are thirty-something Williamsburghers planning a honeymoon camping trip in August.

They like the outdoors but do not have any camping experience. They are shopping for the gear they need for a successful trip.

How might we improve these campers' outcomes – and REI's bottom line – by better matching campers' needs to suitable products?

Design: Information Architecture

Founded in 1938, REI was hiding their greatest asset – their knowledge base – due to poor [siloed] information architecture.

The first step was to contextualize REI's Expert Advice by revising the IA. Show original site map

By putting contextual advice at the product level, I positioned this information:

• Where it is needed most
• Where users might expect to find it
• In a form where it is most valuable, useful and actionable, allowing users find the products that best meet their needs. (Especially the ones they didn't know they had).

  While revising the IA made that guidance accessible, the Gear Wizard made it actionable (driving sales).

Design: Gear Wizard

Engage the User by Personalizing Her Experience with an Interactive Tool

User Benefits One-stop shopping Comprehensive checklist Top-rated gear recommendations Increased confidence based on informed decision

Business Benefits Increase sales Reduce returns Build brand loyalty