Help a global sportswear brand gain a clearer understanding of customization for potential design innovation – especially focussed on sneakers amongst core users in Shanghai and Beijing. This project was run while China was still living with Covid restrictions and much of the research was conducted online using video interviews and visual diaries.
Our client was on a mission to redesign an online experience that allows easy and engaging customization of sneakers for their customers in China. The original app was designed for the US market and it was essential to understand the unique needs and perceptions of the Chinese market in order to increase engagement and satisfaction.
Team Heist was brought in to build this understanding and help the US team gain a genuine perspective on the attitudes of young people in Shanghai and Beijing vs New York and Los Angeles.
As China was still dealing with Covid restrictions, this study was conducted by building a duo team between Shanghai and Singapore. The team in Singapore helped design and manage the project while our team in Shanghai managed the recruitment and the interviews for both Shanghai and Beijing.
We used a range of recruitment techniques to help identify a wide range of individuals – from style bloggers to yoga fanatics. We also spoke with people who collect and trade in sneakers. As always, our local network and communities were integral for getting access to some of the ‘coolest kids’ in Shanghai and Beijing.
The use of digital ethnography techniques such as video diaries enabled us to get a better look at our respondents’ sneaker collections – from customization to display cabinets. We also used social media listening for a trend scape.
Once fieldwork was completed, a digital sharing board was set up using Miro. This allowed the teams in 3 locations to work collaboratively across time zones. Insights were built from our conversations and turned into potential opportunities for our client. One of our key insights centred around sneakers as an investment – collecting pieces to display just like a work of art. Another interesting insight centred around hyper customization being misunderstood as ‘fake’ in a market flooded with ‘ShanZhai’ (counterfeit) goods.
Each story and opportunity helped our client understand the Chinese user and design keeping their unique needs and world views in mind. Our client has since had the app redesigned with key features built on our research findings.
Curious where Heist can take you? Call us today.
