Used Gear
The Used Gear program was created as an extension of REI’s stewardship efforts and sustainability principles. The program focuses on extending the lifespan of a product, as well as a life outdoors. The Used Gear brand team updated their brand guidelines and reached out to our team for help on the redesign of their site.
-
My role
Over the course of this project, I was responsible for building the Used Gear homepage.
-
Teamwork
I collaborated with 1 product manager, 2 designers, and 1 UX writer.
-
Timeline
5 months to launch the entire site
Objective
The goal of the homepage was to drive sales across the following categories: unique gear offerings, deals on high-priced items, and the range of categories REI offers. To reach this goal, I focused on establishing a clear brand voice that gives customers a reason to buy used gear more than once. I worked closely with the design team to visualize the Used Gear story and incorporate compelling messaging and imagery.
Competitive analysis
-
Patagonia
Patagonia’s take on used gear is Worn Wear. A hub for keeping their gear in use. They offer steps for how customers can participate, facts on how it helps the environment, and testimonials from customers about how used garments have impacted their lives.
-
The North Face
The North Face RENEWED’s main focus is to sell high-quality used gear. The purchasing experience is very similar to their new products.
-
Arc’teryx
Arc’teryx’s Rock Solid program is a recycling hub focused on making their gear last longer.
Explorations
During the earlier stages, I worked with developers to determine the constraints. Due to the short time frame, we decided to take a modular approach for the homepage. That way, we could re-use components when building out the rest of the site. Each concept gave stakeholders insight into the overall structure and helped us determine the placement for the categories that we wanted to focus on, i.e., top gear offerings and top brands.
Final design
The final design alternates between informative pieces about used gear and selling points. At the top of the page, you can see REI’s top used gear offerings. This allows customers to dive right into the shopping experience without having to conduct a full search of the website. The rest of the page includes fun facts about choosing a sustainable alternative, REI’s top categories and brands, and how to get started with REI’s Used Gear program.
