CX @ Nike

2013-2015

- ROLE

Sales Associate (UX Designer!)


- FOR

Nike


- TYPE

Case Study


After I graduated college, I embarked on a career path within Nike. I started of as a part-time retail “athlete” and worked my way into a managerial position. My dream was to make it to a corporate design job, but I ultimately changed my path because I did not want to leave home (most Nike careers lead to Oregon). Even though I chose a different direction, Nike still had an everlasting effect on my career.


This case study showcases how my experience at Nike helped me take my first steps as a UX Designer.

TLDR


Problem: Lack of UX experience made it hard to break into the UX field


Solution: Taking a step back and applying UX principles to my past experience made me realize that I was using UX and just never realized it


Result: 7+ years later and UX has ruined my life

Design Thinking


As a consumer, there’s so many options to choose from when it comes to sneakers. There’s different categories like running, training, basketball, etc. which can be broken down even further. Sometimes consumers are left choosing a product not designed for their needs, and end up unhappy with their choice. How do you fit the best product for the particular customer? Design thinking.


My Role


As an employee, it’s our purpose to find exactly what they are looking for. You're equipped with training techniques to interview customers, cross-reference different technologies, as well as be able compare product with different competitors. Every customer is a project with a short turn-around time.


The Challenge


Different customers have different stories. One could be looking for a running shoe to inspire them to start running again. Another could be looking for a basketball shoe that’s lightweight, but didn't sacrifice impact protection. Customers also presented unique problems like not knowing what they wanted, budget constraints, or even aesthetic taste.



The Approach


I didn’t realize back then, but we were using design thinking to sell products. For this case study I’ll focus on running shoes.

It Starts with Empathy


A customer walks into the store and heads straight for an associate. They get to discussing the customer’s running habits. A user interview. They currently run in the Nike Free, unaware that the shoe is built for barefoot running, low impact, low mileage. They claim that the longer they go the more their feet hurt, and the fatigue weighs down even more. With this information, we can define the problem: they have minimal cushioning on their current shoe.


We Come Up with Ideas


Synthesizing feedback from the “interview,” we infer that the customer is looking a for more impact protection, and stand the mileage of a longer run. We generate a couple ideas to choose from Nike’s footwear technology that possess these features, and come up with a "prototype:"


The Nike Zoom Pegasus 35 – Zoom air cushioning for a responsive(energy returning) ride. Engineered-mesh upper for a breathable, traditional fit.

Implementation


We present the shoe to the customer for usability testing. We make observations on their movement, and they remove the shoe. New data is gathered. They miss the feel of the Nike free because it was like an extension to their body. However, they do enjoy the cushioning.


Sometimes, the customer can be happy on the first try and walk out the door. Other times, like for this scenario, we would have to back track on the design process and reiterate. We come up with another suggestion:


The Nike Epic React – React cushioning for a softer, impact-absorbing ride. A Flyknit upper for a sock-like fit.


This time, they immediately fall in love.

Run It Back


This is just one of many scenarios that would happen during my time working for Nike, and you can see how it translates into UX.

I've even used the UX process to create sneaker concepts on some of my favorite basketball players.


It wasn't the way I thought it'd be, but working at Nike foreshadowed how my career would go, and I'm happy to be where I am now with UX.