Omni-channel | E-comm
Service Design for unmet needs of novice athletes parents find the right sport equipments for their kids
PROBLEM STATEMENT
How can DSG create a differentiated customer experience?
Dick's Sporting Goods (DSG) is America's largest sporting goods retailer, operating over 850 stores nationwide offering athletic equipment, apparel, footwear and outdoor recreation. The problem statement we were presented was to create a differentiated customer experience. We proposed a new service that provided a competitive edge and solved user painpoints by empowers parents and young athletes by providing personalized equipment recommendations. I lead user research and designed the app experience.
PROCESS
Balancing research & design
OUTCOME
Projected a 20-25% conversion rate and a 2.5-5% increase in retention rate
USER STORY
USER RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Having a DSG store nearby is a common reason for shopping at DSG.
A significant number of shoppers are parents who shop at DSG right before their kids game to make last minute purchases.
Competitors brands with loyal customer base provide a non-transactional value to their customer base.
Non-sales-focused experiences and spaces can help enrich athletes’ overall retail experience and perception of the company.
Premium and well-crafted end-to-end athlete retail experiences leads to higher brand loyalty in competitor brands.
Associates (Sales staff) need easy access to information and help to feel confident while helping customers.
The supportive nature of associates towards athletes leads to a great user experience in DSG stores.
Security measures make it challenging for athletes to access some products, and make athletes feel surveilled.
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS
The store layout is constantly updates. However, the lack of alignment between the DSG store layout and the athletes’ mental models of the store’s products makes it challenging for athletes and teammates to find products.
Digitally-adept athletes feel empowered to shop with DSG due to integrated and appropriate technology.
Lack of effective communication between corporate HQ and individual store managers makes it challenging to plan associates’ shifts ahead of time. These communication issues then make it difficult for associates to plan their schedules.The associates’ (sale staff) experiences differ depending on their roles and store traffic.
What can we impact?
We looked closely at themes that seemed to have a direct impact on our problem space. Within problems internal to our scope, we had insights about employees, store and DSGs organizational structure.
Research techniques like fly-on-the wall observations, user interviews were undertaken to understand user needs. Additionally, we look at competitive brands and their brand experience. The major insights were:
HYPOTHESIS
The research shows an opportunity to foster learning to increase DSG brand loyalty by being a part of the user athletic journey.
Team insights were transformed into hypotheses. Recognizing repetition, I clustered and rephrased them for clarity and easier voting. The team dot-voted, finalizing the most popular hypothesis, from which a service proposition was crafted.
SEGMENTATION
The team took the Service proposition and brainstormed service innovations. We realized that there were multiple stages in an athlete’s journey where DSG can create value. We prioritized three customer personas in different stages of their journey:
Curious Beginners: The athletes want to try sports before committing to one kind of sport
Bougie Athletes: The athletes who want personalized training in a particular sport
Loafer Gamers The athletes that have trainers and equipment but less motivation
From hypothesis to service value propositions.
FEEDBACK
We aimed for more then what we can be reasonably handled in the timeline
After presenting our progress we received the feedback that we need to narrow down to a service and find a defined problem to solve. We knew that DSGs customers visit the store primarily due to location, price, convince, and product options. We also knew that creating brand loyalty would help DSGs profits. We also knew that DSG can differentiate itself from e-commerce platforms like Amazon by being involved in the communities.
Keeping these insights in mind we began brainstorming a new service proposition.
Could DSG differentiate itself from e-commerce giants like Amazon by being involved in the communities it already has a physical presence in?
DESIGN ITERATIONS
Experiential truck-a mobile unit can assist athletes in finding sports equipment tailored to their body type and needs
The team regrouped, returning to the brainstorming stage with a focus on addressing a user pain point in a community setting. We found potential in the idea of an experiential truck-a mobile unit can assist athletes in finding sports equipment tailored to their body type and needs.
The truck, stationed at major community sports events, offers tests that generate body reports. Customers can access their results through their DSG account on their phones. Post-test, athletes receive personalized sports equipment recommendations, with a specific focus on running.
The service got positive feedback from DSG shoppers, particularly among parents of novice athletes as many parents don't take their kids to specialty shoe stores due to (1) lack of awareness of such services, (2) limited accessibility, and (3) perceived higher costs associated with custom shoes.
A mobile testing equipment, stationed at major community sports events that can test and generate reports based on athletes' techniques & body types.
SOUTION
PROTOTYING TESTING & OUTCOMES
Users prefer to take tests outdoors compared to indoor testing space
Using a quick-and-dirty prototype, we tested the service by simulating the service scape. Participants stood on "mats" (paper carpets) and underwent the test.
“Having someone guide me to right shoe for my son, makes me feel more confident about the purchase”
- Sue, mother of three athletes
Reflection/ Learning
ROI calculations made it easier to communicate the value to the stakeholders
It would have been helpful to converge earlier in the design process to spend more time in detailing the service blueprint and wireframes
Presenting the user journey instead of a pitch deck helped stakeholders understand user needs