Mini-study: REI.com
Client: REI
Project: REI.com redesign
Responsibilities: Research & Discovery, Competitive & Comparative Analysis, Task Analysis, Site Architecture, Wireframes, Best Practice consultation
Challenges: REI was in the midst of a brand refresh and visual identity update that were constantly changing and impacting our timeline and design deliverables
The brief:
Recreational Equipment Inc (REI) is known for the quality and character of its brick-and-mortar store environments, sales associate (aka "Green Vests") knowledge and genuine enthusiasm for discovering the outdoors, and its passionate community members. Like many online retailers, REI had come to the realization that what made them special was not mass product and lowest prices, but brand integrity, service and expertise. REI wanted its website to better reflect the in-store environment, Green Vest expertise, and community experience without interfering with the shopping funnel and purchase process.
Competitive analysis
Comprehensive audit of REI competitors ranging from large sporting good suppliers to more niche retailers.
Analysis summary
Defining design patterns
The timeframe required an agile approach across all phases. Design patterns were mapped out on whiteboards in collaborative brainstorming sessions, then translated into high fidelity delivery files.
Whiteboard brainstorming
Strategy: expertise to gear ratios
Mapping the ratio of outdoor expertise content to product (gear) across the shopping funnel for planning and strategy purposes.
Funnel strategy visualization
Strategy: user exposure
User flow representation applied to the expertise and gear diagram to visualize the user experience throughout the site.
User flow visualization
Higher fidelity wireframes
Higher fidelity wireframes represent final information and hierarchy requirements.
Masthead wireframes
Footer wireframes
Final visual designs
Final designs represent a holistic design system. Pages constructed from a series of scalable, flexible and reusable components and patterns with corresponding best practice and governance.
Masthead hi-fidelity specifications
Footer
Best practice recommendation: Categories
Best practice recommendation: Filters
Results: The final outcome was the shift in delivering a responsive website to the creation of an extensively detailed e-commerce strategy and implementation guide that would enable REI to build their e-commerce experience when their brand refresh and updates were complete.
Last updated: July 2024