BURTON
Revolutionizing Burton's Online Experience through User-Centered Design
UX Design / Research / Product Strategy
BACKGROUND
I partnered with Burton's retail division and was provided a unique challenge: to deeply understand and enhance the board shopping experience both in the US and in Japan, where an ecommerce overhaul was about to kick off. The business had two core problems it wanted answered: do US and Japanese customers have the same shopping needs and what is required to sell technically detailed boards online.
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was straightforward yet ambitious - craft the best possible shopping experience for Burton’s flagship product: the snowboard. By delving deep into global customer insights, we set the stage for rigorous design and testing phases throughout the year.
APPROACH
Embrace User Centric Design Methodologies:
We deployed a triple diamond design process. In this process, our first step was to define the problems users had between global products and barriers to shopping online and in store. With generative research we were able to focus on which problems to solve with our design hypothesis.
Observational research:
Engaging directly with potential board purchasers in-store, we interviewed board shoppers in Tokyo’s flagship store, and invited them to also shop online, meticulously recording screen activity, emotional reactions, and body language. These interactive interviews provided rich insights into a pool of shoppers which surfaced consistent shopping patterns and highlighted key differences between US and Japanese customers. A deep dive into the US and Japanese snowboard retail landscape in store and online also provided core insights that helped solidify our design hypotheses.
Tapping into Online User Behavior:
To go beyond observational research and ground our insights in data, we collaborated with Userlytics™ to study online Japanese shoppers less acquainted with the Burton brand. This invaluable online research shed light on aspects that in-store customers didn’t surface. Furthermore, it allowed us to gauge the website's General Usability score and compare the NPS scores across different audience segments.
Research Synthesis and Design Direction:
We distilled 20+ hours of research footage and retail insights, and systematically organized it into a focussed set of problems that were prioritized by level of effort and impact. This established our design focus. A curated research highlight reel was also shared internally with execs to bring all stakeholders on the same page with our roadmap.
Transitioning Insights to Design:
Informed by our findings, we sketched out our ideas, crafted a comprehensive creative brief for our marketing partners, and produced detailed wireframes. This usable framework helped provide clarity to our creative directors and directional working material for our engineers, moving us closer to a shippable product quickly.
OUTCOME
Collaborating closely with a blend of internal and external talents, we debuted a rejuvenated board detail page, consistently spanning all snowboards, along with a new board comparison tool, and new rich content across the site which became a critical educational tool for the retail sales experience. The tangible impact? A soaring conversion rate, up by 60%, and an exploratory comparison tool with omnichannel benefits.
REFLECTION
The design journey is perpetual. With Burton, we not only achieved our objectives but reaffirmed our commitment to continuous testing and iterations. The fusion of in-depth research and innovative design proved transformative, cementing our belief in user-centric methodologies.
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