PUBLIC BIKES:
increasing the sale of electric biCYCLES

PROJECT

Client:
PUBLIC Bikes /
General Assembly
class project

Duration of project:
2 weeks

Team:
Dan Geddes
Megan McKinley
Pooja Harsha

THE BRIEF

PUBLIC is a San Francisco-based bicycle and gear company. They design and sell “European-inspired” urban bikes, along with accessories to make riding more enjoyable, practical, and chic. PUBLIC has been watching the electric bike (e-bike) market explode in numbers all around Europe and Asia, especially in big cities. So it has created a new line of stylish modern e-bikes.

PUBLIC knows that these e-bikes are wonderful, but people are not rushing to buy them. Our task was to change this.

My Roles

Heuristic analysis
User surveys
User research
Competitive analysis
Contextual inquiry
Sketching & ideation
Wireframing using OmniGraffle
Usability testing of prototype using InVision
High fidelity mockup using Sketch
Presentation

THE SOLUTION

While we concluded that the website needed some navigation and information architecture restructuring, our research and competitive analysis revealed that the larger issue for PUBLIC e-bikes revolved around marketing.

Test rides are extremely important in closing the sale. Consumers’ opinions about e-bikes change favorably after riding one. Heavy promotion of test rides both in-store and online was strongly recommended. Store signage on the street should promote test rides as well.
Appeal to a larger demographic. If the branding consists of candy-colored bikes in bright eye-catching designs, then the electric bikes should be offered in more colors than just black and dark blue. We recommended an online custom “bike builder” feature where consumers could design their own bike with a variety of options and accessories.
Spread the word. Using the “bike builder” feature on the site, we recommended connecting people via social media (Facebook, etc.…) using a monthly bike give-away contest. This would increase traffic to the site, potentially leading to more test-rides, and consequently, sales of e-bikes.
Improve the online experience. Site navigation needed simplification and improvements. There was too much unnecessary visual clutter. The test-ride option should be highly visible in multiple places.
Improve in-store display and street signage. E-bikes were just lined-up next to similar-looking traditional bikes with no signage or differentiation between the two. We suggested displaying e-bikes separately with bold signage. In addition, store windows and sidewalk menu boards should promote test rides.

RESEARCH

HEURISTICS & COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

Our research started with a general investigation of the market for electric bikes, competitive analysis of other online retailers, and a heuristic analysis of the existing PUBLIC website.

Key insights:

Competitors did a much better job of promoting their e-bikes online with clear, concise information and prominent test-ride promotions.
Analysis of the PUBLIC site revealed confusing, inconsistent, and redundant navigation, and a surprising lack of emphasis on scheduling test-rides. PUBLIC's navigation needed improvement and simplification. There was too much visual clutter. The test-ride option should be highly visible in multiple places.

CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY

Visits to the local PUBLIC retail store, as well as to their competitors, gave us insight to the demographics. Test-rides and lengthy conversations with the business owners and employees broadened our understanding of the product, and the market.

Key insights:

Very few e-bikes were actually purchased online. Most sales were completed in-store. Getting people into the store for test-rides is crucial.
PUBLIC did not use any in-store signage to highlight or differentiate the e-bikes from their traditional bikes. E-bikes were displayed in a line with similar looking traditional bikes and consequently just blended in. Store signage, both inside and out, needed to promote e-bikes and test-rides.

INTERVIEWS & SURVEYS

Personal interviews were conducted, as well as online surveys of 50+ people. These included current e-bike owners, potential e-bike owners, as well as traditional cyclists.

Key insights:

Many people aren't even sure they know what an e-bike is.
PUBLIC is a unique brand, but not well known.
People who are already familiar with the PUBLIC brand are not aware that they also sell e-bikes.
E-bike owners often researched online first before purchasing at a store.
Test rides are crucial to understanding what an e-bike is, and to finalizing the purchase.
E-bike buyers are generally a different demographic than the traditional PUBLIC Bikes customer.
- Many are over 50 and have injuries preventing them from riding a traditional bicycle
- Some are sick of parking expenses, public transportation, and tedious commutes to work.
- Others wanted help climbing hills, and didn't want to arrive at their destination all sweaty.

Current e-bike owners:
Are you familiar with the bicycle brand "PUBLIC"?

Current E-Bike Owners:
If you are familiar with PUBLIC bikes, did you know they sell electric bikes?

RECOMMENDATIONS

Synthesizing our research, we made the following recommendations to PUBLIC to increase e-bike sales.

Heavily promote test-rides: On the website, as well as using signage at the store.
Appeal to a larger demographic: We recommended an online “bike builder” feature where customers can create a custom version of their bike by selecting from a variety of options, other than just the same exact plain black bike for everyone.
Spread the word: Using the “bike builder” feature, and social media, create a monthly contest where customers can win the custom bike they just created online. Spreading the word through social media outlets will enter them into the drawing, as well as increase traffic to the website.
Improve the online experience: Fix confusing navigational issues on the website and streamline the information about e-bikes so that it is clear, succinct and easier to locate.

DESIGNING, TESTING, ITERATING

PERSONAS & REVISED SITE MAP

To solidify our understanding of the demographic, and to guide our next steps, we developed three personas and scenarios compiled from our surveys, interviews and store visits. A preliminary site map was also created.

PRELIMINARY LOW-FIDELITY WIREFRAMEs FOR "BIKE BUILDER" FEATURE

Click to enlarge images

Low-fidelity wireframes were created for the home page, e-bike page, and key pages in the "bike builder" process. The contest, and scheduling a test-ride, were prominently featured on the home page hero image. Usability testing revealed confusing issues with labels on some buttons, but overall the design tested positively.