Roles
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- User Research
- Interface Design
- Visual Design  
- User Testing
Tools

- Axure RP
- Illustrator
- Photoshop
- Powerpoint

Project Overview

REI GO is a website concept for REI, Inc, a Kent, WA based outdoor recreation retail co-op. With camping in the US on the decline, REI sought to reduce barriers and increase the amount of time campers spent in the outdoors. REI GO ​works in tandem with REI.com, allowing users to plan their trip and purchase items in a single location. ​

Challenge

Campers consult multiple sources and use a variety of techniques to plan trips. I needed to provide an easier way to better connect campers with their favorite outdoor activities. 

Solution

I aimed to provide a one stop resource that matched the simplicity campers seek in the wilderness. ​I focused on accessible yet comprehensive search, centralized planning, and customizable gear lists.

​Research

  • Analyzing market research reports on campers in the U.S., I learned who to begin looking for user research.

  • I conducted seven user interviews, screening for campers who liked to plan their trips and wished they could camp more often.

  • The persona that emerged, Erica, is a grad student who adores camping but has little time to plan.
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After extensive research, I found users trusted and valued REI's expertise and products. 

Plan

  • User journeys, stories, and scenarios of my primary persona helped determine her motivation for using the site and the steps she would take to plan her trip. 

  • A storyboard of my chosen scenario detailed the stress my user felt when planning a trip with little free time.
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  • I created concept maps to decide how to organize and label my site navigation.

Design

  • I drew comprehensive sketches of the most important screen states in many iterations.

  • I designed a new logo and gathered the graphics and icons I wished to use in my prototype and presentation, many coming from the National Park Service Icon library.

  • I created a detailed wireframe for my prototype in Sketch which I turned this into a clickable prototype with InVision.

Test

  • I drafted a detailed usability test plan and script, making sure to discreetly guide the testers through the tasks. 

  • I found testing extremely useful. The data I collected resulted in many iterations, the final including changes to labeling, layout, and navigation.
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  • Consulting with a web developer by having him review tech specs revealed the limits and challenges of building some of my proposed features. 

Results 

To my delight, users conveyed a great sense of relief when exploring the prototype. They all knew the difficulties of planning a camping trip first hand, and the ability to coordinate all aspects of their trip on a single site was a novel experience they wished was a reality. 

© Copyright Patrick Heckethorn 2017