Working with the team at Start Design, we developed an interactive retail experience that would act as a centre piece to adidas' new Home Court Arena (HCA) concept store in Beijing.
The solution aims to digitally showcase the adidas footwear range – the brand's core component – at the heart of the physical environment.
Role: UI Designer
Initial concepts
Early concepts explored ways we could create a cohesive digital ecosystem at the centre of the store through interactive signage, shelving and touchscreens.
User research
During the research phase, 3 customer mindsets were identified according to their stage of the purchase journey. These included:
- Hunter – Strong brand awareness, likely to have shortlisted and researched products heavily before visiting
- Prospect – Good brand and product understanding, likely to require a more guided experience to reassure them of their buying choices
- Browser – Little understanding of the brand with no immediate desire to purchase, looking to be entertained rather than educated.
User experience
Many existing systems are highly-product centric, often forcing users to browse product details and little else. Our solution aims to create an experience with multiple entry points – users can explore branded content, learn more about adidas technology or drill into specific product specifications – dependant on their needs.
ShoeFinder
A core component of the HCA experience is a product recommendation engine – ShoeFinder. Designed to satisfy a Prospect mindset but catering to customers at each point in their journey, users can input their needs and requirements to find the perfect shoe for them.
Technology
The HCA experience was developed using WebGL and HTML5. This provided a flexible and modular system, that works seamlessly across varying store sizes and devices.
In an attempt to merge the physical and digital environments, each shoe within the store is fitted with an RFID chip. When placed next to the touch screen, customers can enjoy product-specific content to help reinforce their decision.
Outcome
The HCA experience allows customers to go beyond the physical store environment, assisting them in their decision-making process. Since it’s launch in Beijing in 2014, the brand has rolled out the experience to 34 of its stores across 14 countries.
