ROLES
UX Research, Product Concept, Visual Design, Prototyping
COLLABORATORS
3 Experience Designers
1 UX Researcher
DURATION
6 Weeks, 2023
TOOLS
Figma, After Effects, Illustrator
Simplifying Outdoor Adventures with AI
OVERVIEW
Shopping Online for Winter Wear is Hard
A lot of factors go into shopping for winter wear online. The North Face, despite being a leading outdoor wear and sports company, has a pretty confusing user experience. Through research and prototyping, we identified key issues faced by users - which turns out extends beyond shopping.
The North Face is evolving to
welcome everyday explorers.
The North Face is expanding beyond its athlete-first identity to reach everyday adventurers and lifestyle users. The brand is working to make outdoor exploration more approachable and inclusive
Digital engagement is rising, but user confidence isn't
While digital traffic is growing, our research revealed that many non-athletes still feel lost online. This signals not a lack of interest, but a gap in support.
Enter Nova: An AI Assistant for all your adventure needs
From UX audits, 6 interviews, and 40+ survey responses, we saw that people had problems with shopping, but even after that.
CHALLENGE
Understanding The Problem
From UX audits, 6 interviews, and 40+ survey responses, we saw that people had problems with shopping, but even after that.
Decision Paralysis
“I don’t know if I am picking the right product for me”
Reliance on Borrowing
“I tend to borrow gear from friends if
I won’t use it often”
Travel Anxiety
“I usually get anxious about packing for trips”
Struggle with Product Care
“I don’t know how to take care of my products”
Interviews, Surveys, Observational Analyses, User journeys, Personas, Affinity Mapping, UX Audits
PROCESS
The Shift from Product to Service
Digital products now extend beyond selling to enhance the user experience. With The North Face’s purchase data and clear user pain points, AI-driven features can offer personalized guidance, simplify shopping, and improve digital performance.
Literature Reviews, Brand Research, Brainstorming
Why Conversational AI
Our research showed that users value conversational support. They often seek reassurance and guidance and from their ‘expert’ friend. Voice is intuitive, human, and future-forward, making The North Face more accessible to different users.
Defining Nova’s Features
Looking at the problem areas and the capabilities conversational AI brings us, we thought about what features Nova could offer
A Reliable and Expert Personality
Aligning North Face’s values with Nova’s features, we derived Nova’s Personality: A reliable, expert, and eco-conscious AI assistant.
A More Welcoming Brand Presence
Currently, the North Face palette is minimal, bold, and intimidating with a black, white and red palette. We expanded on this palette, introducing, young, energetic, fun colors derived from their product imagery in marketing materials.
We introduced new typeface, Space Grotesk to the visual system in combination with DM Sans. This balances out dynamism, modernity, and readability.
Nova’s logo
With the form, we wanted Nova to capture the steadiness of a mountain. We landed on our finalized form after multiple rounds of iteration.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Shapes: Dynamic forms
Colors: Red, White
Styles: Modern, Geometric
Feel: Approachable, Inspiring
Final Form
An abstraction of a mountain
Arrow to signify resilience
Motion States
Chat Interface
Visual Differentiation for Cognitive Clarity
Simplifying the navigation bar
Fixing UI inconsistencies
DESIGN