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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
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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
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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]
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BUSINESS RECOMMENDATIONS
Track and showcase sales staff’s snowboarding
• [B01]
experience publicly
Increase customer intelligence through casual
• [B02]
ongoing relationship management
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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
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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
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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
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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
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IT’S HARD FOR SHOPPERS TO EVALUATE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN NEW AND
EXISTING EQUIPMENT
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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
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IT’S HARD FOR SHOPPERS TO EVALUATE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN NEW AND
VIDEOS, PHOTOS AND ART EXCITE SHOPPERS ONLINE AND IN STORE
EXISTING EQUIPMENT
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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VIDEO
http://www.vimeo.com/2935704
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PARTICIPANTS
• 7 total participants
– 1 store owner
– 1 store employee
– 3 novices
– 1 intermediate
– 1 advanced
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