Out n About
Designing a service to create richer and more immersive product discovery experiences that gives emerging adventurers the guidance and confidence they need to explore the outdoors.
Studio Project Researching
L.L. Bean
Work
Work
Team
Joshua Greenberg, Susan Ni, Ann Mulgrew, Steven Chen
Category
Design Strategy - Innovation - Service Design - Prototyping With AI
Time Frame
10 weeks
Modernizing Heritage: Transforming L.L.Bean for the Next Generation of Outsiders
L.L.Bean is a century-old icon of reliability, yet it faces a challenge: perceived stagnation among younger, "emerging" adventurers. This design strategy project creates an end-to-end engagement ecosystem, "Out n About" designed to bridge the "confidence gap" for beginners. By combining gamified monthly challenges with physical retail touchpoints, we repositioned the brand as an active guide rather than just a legacy manufacturer.
Navigating the Competitive Terrain
We performed a SWOT analysis to identify internal and external levers for growth. While L.L.Bean possesses an approachable American heritage, its primary threat is a "nostalgia trap" that limits relevance to younger consumers. We identified a white-space opportunity to build family-focused, high-tech propositions that competitors like REI or Patagonia haven't fully claimed for beginners.
Designing for "Helen": Solving the Hesitant Beginner’s Dilemma
Through 20 deep-dive interviews and on-site research at experiential retailers like CAMP, we uncovered that beginners don't just lack gear—they lack the social validation and planning confidence to start. Our primary persona, "Helen," needs welcoming, low-pressure pathways into nature. We transitioned the brand's goal from "selling products" to "authoring stories" for these emerging adventurers.
Out n About: A Gamified CX Ecosystem
The solution is a multi-touchpoint journey that begins in-store with an interactive kiosk and moves to a personalized mobile application. Features include AI-curated challenges tailored to skill level, location-based check-ins, and a "Memories Calendar" that turns annual activities into a tangible brand artifact. This creates a self-sustaining "Adventure Cycle" that incentivizes repeat engagement through store points and social validation.
Scaling for Long-Term Brand Loyalty
To ensure viability, we developed a 5-year roadmap ranging from immediate social media collaborations to long-term partnerships with national parks and AI-driven e-commerce integration. By evolving L.L.Bean from a traditional retailer into a "Lifestyle Companion," we unlock a revolutionary offering for new customers while deepening existing loyalty.
What made this project special was the rigorous push to sharpen our design research skills. We focused on synthesizing insights in a way that didn't just identify problems but offered a viable future for L.L.Bean. Integrating implementation strategy into our workflow gave our final vision the necessary strength and professional polish.
As my final EDI group project, this was an unforgettable experience. I am grateful to have worked alongside such a smart, funny, and talented group of designers who brought their best work to the table to build this unique proposition.
Scroll horizontally to review our final presentation.