Snowbird User Research

Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 1

PROBLEM • Beginner snowboarders can’t make their decision because the information they need is split between two different environments. – Less money for business – Less play for snowboarders Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 2

DISJOINT EXPERIENCE • Can I afford it? • Online • Who else uses it? • Online • Other people’s UX? • Online • Can I trust them? • Online ~ In store • Does it solve my problem? • Online ~ In store • Does it match? • In store • Does it fit? • In store Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 3

DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS Provide pricing and benefits tool for customers that • [U01] help compare products based on their desires in store Help customers identify and evaluate products in • [U02] store that compliment all of their existing equipment – Include color, brand and feature filters Increase and sustain excitement level on/offline • [U03] Provide a tool that explain features and terminology • [U04] Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 4

BUSINESS RECOMMENDATIONS Track and showcase sales staff’s snowboarding • [B01] experience publicly Increase customer intelligence through casual • [B02] ongoing relationship management Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 5

INSIGHTS • Price is a high priority in a beginner’s purchasing process • Sales staff from a specialty store earn trust by being up in the mountains with their potential customers • It’s hard for shoppers to evaluate compatibility between new and existing equipment • Videos, photos and art excite shoppers online and in store • Sub brands and branded features don’t make sense to beginners Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 6

PRICE IS A HIGH PRIORITY IN A BEGINNER’S PURCHASING PROCESS • Search online prior to visiting a store to gauge price expectation • Search sales section after reviewing other products in retail Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 7

IT’S HARD FOR SHOPPERS TO EVALUATE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN NEW AND PRICE IS A HIGH PRIORITY IN A BEGINNER’S PURCHASING PROCESS EXISTING EQUIPMENT

SALES STAFF FROM A SPECIALTY STORE EARN TRUST BY BEING UP IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH THEIR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS • Seeing and meeting with people on the mountains creates new business or reinforces existing ones • Sales staff tell personal stories that relate to customers • Sales staff tell personal stories to explain features Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 9

SALES STAFF SHOPPERS TO EVALUATE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN NEW AND IT’S HARD FOR FROM A SPECIALTY STORE EARN TRUST BY BEING UP IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH THEIR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS EXISTING EQUIPMENT

IT’S HARD FOR SHOPPERS TO EVALUATE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN NEW AND EXISTING EQUIPMENT • Female shoppers want to match by color • Female shoppers seek advice from friends for soft goods • Female shoppers seek advice from experienced friends or sales staff for hard goods (see above) • Male shoppers want to match by brand and features • Shoppers feel better about their equipment when they have items that match functionally and aesthetically • Beginners limit their choices because they have a misconception that they need to shop for the same brand on all their gear Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 11

IT’S HARD FOR SHOPPERS TO EVALUATE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN NEW AND EXISTING EQUIPMENT Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 12

VIDEOS, PHOTOS AND ART EXCITE SHOPPERS ONLINE AND IN STORE • Shoppers get excited about going up to snowboard when they see videos of others, especially professionals who do tricks • Shoppers are initially intimidated by the amount of culture that is on display in specialty stores • Snowboards themselves carry emotional value because it allows the person to remember where they’ve been and how far they’ve come Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 13

IT’S HARD FOR SHOPPERS TO EVALUATE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN NEW AND VIDEOS, PHOTOS AND ART EXCITE SHOPPERS ONLINE AND IN STORE EXISTING EQUIPMENT Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 14

SUB BRANDS AND BRANDED FEATURES DON’T MAKE SENSE TO BEGINNERS • Beginner and intermediate don’t understand the different kinds of technology on the hang tags • There’s no need to understand the technical details until people reach a higher skill level because then they would need specific features for their riding style Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 15

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES • Multi Device [U01, U02, U03, U04] • Integrating tools and information between different devices in and outside of the store • Multi Channel [B01, B02, B03] – Marketing and communicating with customers across different contexts (e.g. SMS, SNS, Email, etc) • Community [U03, B01, B03] – Leveraging social media data that informs and promotes purchasing criteria Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 16

MULTI DEVICE • Pricing and feedback from friends or experienced snowboarders in store similar to online experience – [U01, U02, U03, U04] Observations • Computer station availability in store to access inventory via web • Shoppers with smart phones searching for prices via mobile web Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 17

MULTI CHANNEL • Connecting shoppers with sales associates (experts) everywhere, from in store, online to on the mountain slopes via SMS, Twitter or SNS • [B01, B02] Observations • Customers, and prospective customers seeing and talking to the sales staff on the mountain builds trust • Store owner updating customers on new promotions and company reflections through the blog Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 18

COMMUNITY • Snowboarders influencing each other on what brands they buy, what they own, their skill level, their style and where they have snowboarded – [U03, B01, B03] Observations • Brand awareness through other people’s equipment • Sharing product information on Facebook • Sending sale promotions between friends via email • Borrowing or passing down equipment along siblings Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 19

VIDEO http://www.vimeo.com/2935704 Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 20

PARTICIPANTS • 7 total participants – 1 store owner – 1 store employee – 3 novices – 1 intermediate – 1 advanced Snowbird | 1/26/2009 | 21

Snowbird User Research

by Olen Ronning on Jan 26, 2009

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Snowbird User Research — Presentation Transcript