DELIVERABLES: First prototypes, UX Research, User Interviews, Content Design, Localisation, UX Guidelines
I joined adidas back in 2017 when the brand was in the early stages of developing the adidas app. During this time, I worked as a UX writer and UX research producer, working on early prototypes and performing qualitative research together with the UX research team. Our focus was to understand our main target audience: sneakerheads and football (soccer) enthusiasts.
Fast forward to 2019 when I was made the dedicated content designer for the app. Working closely with the product team at all stages of the design process, my role was to make the user experience human, seamless and on brand.
In addition to content design and strategy, I oversaw and managed the localisation of the app into 35 markets.
Notable projects during my 3 years on the app team were the creation of the highly popular IVY PARK by Beyoncé release experiences, the AR Virtual Try On functionality on PDP, the Bring It To Me feature for in-store shopping via the app, the launch of the On The Radar tab, and the redesign of the new membership profile.
Project specs:
Employer: adidas group
Location: Amsterdam
Team: adidas Digital Design / Native Apps
My role | Full-time freelance content designer & UX research producer
Task | Phase 1 (2017-2018): create and test first prototypes of the adidas app. Phase 2 (2019-2022): continue to develop the app and establish UX best practices and guidelines.
Timeline | 5 years, from 2017 to 2022
The adidas app saw over 30 million downloads worldwide as of 2022.
UX Research & early adidas app prototypes
Early on in my role as UX Research Producer at adidas, I worked closely with the UX Research team on Qualitative studies aimed at understanding the adidas consumer and their needs as users of the future adidas app. I was responsible for managing the studies, from recruitment to final deliverables. This often included writing scripts and performing user interviews alongside the UX researchers.
Based on our findings, we identified two main user groups: football (soccer) fans and streetwear hounds. We interviewed consumers from around Europe and the US and created personas based on our insights. Once we had an understanding of our target audience’s mental models, pain-points and intents, we began building first prototypes and performed user tests to validate and improve our designs.
Content design for the adidas app
After taking a short break from adidas to work on another platform, Nexdoor.it, I returned in 2019 on a full-time freelance contract as the dedicated content designer for the recently launched adidas app.
As the sole content designer on the team, I worked on every piece of UX copy that went into the product. This meant I worked across the entire product team, owning the UX tone of voice and creating a consistent user experience (from a UX content perspective) from start to finish.
In addition to creating guidelines and growing the content design practice within the company, I was responsible for managing translation and localisation of the app into 34 markets.
A few things that I worked on during my time on the adidas app team
This here is the Wishlist tab I helped create. The left screen shows the empty state. The messaging tells users what the Wishlist is for and how to save items. We included a CTA to prompt users to add items they recently viewed. On the second screen you see what the Wishlist looks like populated. A filter lets users quickly find items they’ve saved and a CTA let them easily move an item to their bag so that they can check out. Badges let the user know if an item is low in stock, on sale, or sold out.
Infinite Play. Currently only available in the UK, Infinite Play is an effort to help reduce waste by keeping adidas gear out of landfill. The initiative, and new feature in the app, lets users send in their old adidas gear for a gift card. I helped create the Infinite Play hub and return flow in the app. In order to send their gear, users need to authenticate and register their item for a quote. Once the items are received and accepted, the user gets a gift card. The challenge for this one was creating a return flow that helped users locate the serial number on their garment or shoes, since (as we discovered) most of the product tags differ depending on the year and product type. To solve this we used icons and concise, instructive copy.
Studio LDN. Access to exclusive fitness programmes and events is one of the many perks of having an adiClub membership. For our UK customers, we partnered with the London-based trainers of Studio LDN to offer members free online and in-class workouts. Available only to UK members via the app, users open the Studio LDN landing page to view class schedules, learn about nutrition, get to know their trainers, and book classes. For the popular in-class sessions, we created a lottery system to make the booking process fun and fair.
adidas x Ivy Park by Beyoncé. One of adidas’s most popular products is the Ivy Park collaboration with Beyoncé. In my role as lead content designer for the app, I helped in the successful launch of 3 Ivy Park drops. To give users a unique and premium experience, we designed a special PLP and checkout flow for each drop. Unique to the Ivy Park experience is the Waiting Room. In order to avoid a crash, users queue in the Waiting Room and wait their turn to shop. Using learnings from the first drop, we made numerous improvements, including creating callouts around size and fit, a sizing guide, and educational messages prior to the launch explaining how the release works. Another improvement we made was the possibility for a quicker checkout. Users can save their payment details before the release to save time when it comes to placing their order.
Membership Onboarding. One of the first things I worked on as part of the app team was the creation of the membership onboarding flow. The goal of the onboarding was to collect information in order to give users a more personalised experience when using the app. To do this, we created a welcome flow that encourages users to add their details, sizes and interests so that we can cater to their profile. The challenge was to gather the information in as few screens as possible while also explaining to the user why adding their information would be beneficial to their shopping experience. An entry point in the Account page prompts them to complete their profile if they haven’t already.
AR Try On. Designed with the help of Augmented Realty, the AR Try On feature lets users get a better feel for shoes they might be interested in by enabling them to see the shoes in 3D and try them on. Shoes that have this feature are identified on the PDP with a special icon and callout. We included callouts in other touch points as well, like in the Wishlist. Once activated, simple instructions help users move the 3D model and see how the shoes will look on their feet.
Shopping with points. For the revamped adidas membership, I helped create a feature that allows users to buy special products and vouchers, also referred to as ‘rewards’, using their membership points. Together with my team, I created entry points in the membership tab and designed a checkout flow that lets members quickly and easily shop using their points.
Bring It To Me is a new feature we created that enables users who are inside physical adidas stores to request shoes to try on using the app. After granting the necessary Bluetooth and location permissions, customers can use their phones to scan the shoes they like and request a size. Store staff receive the requests and bring the customers their shoes. Thanks to beacons, staff can easily locate customers while they browse and move around the store.
On The Radar. A new tab created for the redesign of the app. The tab, which can be found on the bottom far right of the navigation, is dedicated to helping users engage with local adidas communities. It’s the space where users can go to find out about groups, stores, special events, and other activities in their area. Depending on their location and saved interests in the app, the feed will populate with topics that are personalised to them. For this project, I was heavily involved in the research behind the tab name and defining the type of content that is most relevant to users.