Snowbird User Research

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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?• Who else uses it?• Other people’s UX?• Can I trust them?• Does it solve my problem?• Does it match?• Does it fit?

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• Online• Online• Online• Online ~ In store• Online ~ In store• In store• In store

DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS

• [U01] Provide pricing and benefits tool for customers that help compare products based on their desires in store

• [U02] Help customers identify and evaluate products in store that compliment all of their existing equipment– Include color, brand and feature filters

• [U03] Increase and sustain excitement level on/offline

• [U04] Provide a tool that explain features and terminology

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BUSINESS RECOMMENDATIONS

• [B01] Track and showcase sales staff’s snowboarding experience publicly

• [B02] Increase customer intelligence through casual 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 EXISTING EQUIPMENTPRICE 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

• 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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IT’S HARD FOR SHOPPERS TO EVALUATE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN NEW AND EXISTING EQUIPMENTSALES 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

• 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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IT’S HARD FOR SHOPPERS TO EVALUATE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN NEW AND EXISTING EQUIPMENT

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 EXISTING EQUIPMENTVIDEOS, PHOTOS AND ART EXCITE SHOPPERS ONLINE AND IN STORE

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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