9

Templates

26

Modular

Components

100%

WCAG 2.1 AA

Compliant

REI Uncommon Path is a reimagining of REI’s editorial platform as a digital gateway that supports today’s increasingly casual outdoor audience. The project connects storytelling, guidance, and REI’s broader ecosystem to help users move from inspiration to confident participation.

Role

UI/UX Designer

Timeline

September - December 2025

Team

Woohee Byun, XD Fellow

Final Designs
Business Challenge

REI is a leader in the outdoor retail market

REI has built deep trust with outdoor enthusiasts through expertise, quality gear, and a strong member community. But audience habits are changing.

Research from the Outdoor Industry Association shows that while outdoor participation has grown significantly since 2019, the average number of outings per person has declined, signaling a shift away from highly frequent “core” users toward a more casual audience. This change surfaces a mismatch between Uncommon Path’s existing experience and the needs of today’s users.

User Research & Insights
Current & Competitive Audits

We conducted twenty-one competitive and comparative audits across outdoor retailers, content platforms, and media brands, along with sixteen current-state audits of REI’s own experience. This work revealed that while competitors emphasized discovery and approachability, Uncommon Path remained siloed from REI’s ecosystem and lacked pathways for deeper engagement, personalization, and action.

Current & Competitive Audits

We conducted twenty-one competitive and comparative audits across outdoor retailers, content platforms, and media brands, along with sixteen current-state audits of REI’s own experience. This work revealed that while competitors emphasized discovery and approachability, Uncommon Path remained siloed from REI’s ecosystem and lacked pathways for deeper engagement, personalization, and action.

Current & Competitive Audits

We conducted twenty-one competitive and comparative audits across outdoor retailers, content platforms, and media brands, along with sixteen current-state audits of REI’s own experience. This work revealed that while competitors emphasized discovery and approachability, Uncommon Path remained siloed from REI’s ecosystem and lacked pathways for deeper engagement, personalization, and action.

Card Sorting

In card-sorting sessions with seven participants, users consistently grouped content by literal categories such as activities, gear, and tips or advice rather than by editorial format. This behavior demonstrated a clear recognition of intent and goals over content type, reinforcing the need to restructure navigation around how users think about getting outside.

Card Sorting

In card-sorting sessions with seven participants, users consistently grouped content by literal categories such as activities, gear, and tips or advice rather than by editorial format. This behavior demonstrated a clear recognition of intent and goals over content type, reinforcing the need to restructure navigation around how users think about getting outside.

Card Sorting

In card-sorting sessions with seven participants, users consistently grouped content by literal categories such as activities, gear, and tips or advice rather than by editorial format. This behavior demonstrated a clear recognition of intent and goals over content type, reinforcing the need to restructure navigation around how users think about getting outside.

User Personas

Insights from the OIA research and our qualitative findings informed two primary personas: the First-Time Explorer and the Experienced REI Member. The First-Time Explorer represents users early in their outdoor journey who are looking for trusted guidance, safety reassurance, and beginner-friendly entry points, while the Experienced Member reflects confident users who value efficiency and depth but still need help discovering new activities that fit their lifestyle, family context, or location.

User Personas

Insights from the OIA research and our qualitative findings informed two primary personas: the First-Time Explorer and the Experienced REI Member. The First-Time Explorer represents users early in their outdoor journey who are looking for trusted guidance, safety reassurance, and beginner-friendly entry points, while the Experienced Member reflects confident users who value efficiency and depth but still need help discovering new activities that fit their lifestyle, family context, or location.

User Personas

Insights from the OIA research and our qualitative findings informed two primary personas: the First-Time Explorer and the Experienced REI Member. The First-Time Explorer represents users early in their outdoor journey who are looking for trusted guidance, safety reassurance, and beginner-friendly entry points, while the Experienced Member reflects confident users who value efficiency and depth but still need help discovering new activities that fit their lifestyle, family context, or location.

Strategic Focus

To create a digital gateway that meets users where they are at in their outdoor journey by uniting storytelling with actionable tools that drive discovery, personalization, and deepened engagement.

To create a digital gateway that meets users where they are at in their outdoor journey by uniting storytelling with actionable tools that drive discovery, personalization, and deepened engagement.
Discovery & Exploration

Reimagining site architecture and content layouts to make exploration intuitive, organizing stories, guides, videos, and podcasts around user intent.

Discovery & Exploration

Reimagining site architecture and content layouts to make exploration intuitive, organizing stories, guides, videos, and podcasts around user intent.

Discovery & Exploration

Reimagining site architecture and content layouts to make exploration intuitive, organizing stories, guides, videos, and podcasts around user intent.

Community & Trust Building

Highlighting the voices of REI members and contributors to humanize the platform, foster belonging, and strengthen trust in expert, community-driven storytelling.

Community & Trust Building

Highlighting the voices of REI members and contributors to humanize the platform, foster belonging, and strengthen trust in expert, community-driven storytelling.

Community & Trust Building

Highlighting the voices of REI members and contributors to humanize the platform, foster belonging, and strengthen trust in expert, community-driven storytelling.

Sustained Engagement

Connecting Uncommon Path with REI’s broader ecosystem—Expert Advice, e-commerce, workshops, and Cooperative Action—to turn inspiration into participation.

Sustained Engagement

Connecting Uncommon Path with REI’s broader ecosystem—Expert Advice, e-commerce, workshops, and Cooperative Action—to turn inspiration into participation.

Sustained Engagement

Connecting Uncommon Path with REI’s broader ecosystem—Expert Advice, e-commerce, workshops, and Cooperative Action—to turn inspiration into participation.

Personalization

Providing tailored discovery through AI-powered search, smart filtering, and logged-in personalization to surface the most relevant stories and opportunities.

Personalization

Providing tailored discovery through AI-powered search, smart filtering, and logged-in personalization to surface the most relevant stories and opportunities.

Personalization

Providing tailored discovery through AI-powered search, smart filtering, and logged-in personalization to surface the most relevant stories and opportunities.

User Journeys

Journey mapping revealed that first-time explorers often felt inspired but unsure how to proceed, while experienced members struggled to find content tailored to their constraints such as location, family context, or owned gear. These gaps informed features that support progressive discovery and clearer next steps.

User Journeys

Journey mapping revealed that first-time explorers often felt inspired but unsure how to proceed, while experienced members struggled to find content tailored to their constraints such as location, family context, or owned gear. These gaps informed features that support progressive discovery and clearer next steps.

User Journeys

Journey mapping revealed that first-time explorers often felt inspired but unsure how to proceed, while experienced members struggled to find content tailored to their constraints such as location, family context, or owned gear. These gaps informed features that support progressive discovery and clearer next steps.

IA Redesign

The information architecture was restructured to organize content around user intent and progression rather than format or expertise level. Activities, guides, stories, and impact content were surfaced through flexible entry points, supported by filtering and AI-assisted discovery. This redesign allowed users to move fluidly between inspiration, learning, and action without committing to a single linear path.

Defining the Experience
Zone Diagrams

Established content hierarchy and clarified how storytelling, tools, and commerce coexist across templates.

Wireframes

Focused on modularity, clarity, and scalability across use cases.

High-fidelity Designs

Translated strategy into polished, brand-aligned interfaces that feel more inviting while preserving REI’s authority.

Design System
Design System

Built 26 net-new components using Code & Theory’s CTDS, leveraging tokens, a shared component library, and a modular system to ensure consistency and scalability across teams.

Component Library
Tokens
Flexible Breakpoints
New Features
Content Ecosystem

A flexible content system supports stories, guides, videos, podcasts, products, and events through consistent card patterns. Contextual ecosystem cards connect editorial content to REI offerings such as classes, workshops, Re/Supply, and Cooperative Action, turning inspiration into participation.

Content Ecosystem

A flexible content system supports stories, guides, videos, podcasts, products, and events through consistent card patterns. Contextual ecosystem cards connect editorial content to REI offerings such as classes, workshops, Re/Supply, and Cooperative Action, turning inspiration into participation.

Content Ecosystem

A flexible content system supports stories, guides, videos, podcasts, products, and events through consistent card patterns. Contextual ecosystem cards connect editorial content to REI offerings such as classes, workshops, Re/Supply, and Cooperative Action, turning inspiration into participation.

Pathfinder

Pathfinder is a guided, quiz-like experience that lowers the barrier to exploration by capturing user interests, location, owned gear, confidence level, and group context. It delivers a single, personalized activity recommendation followed by curated stories, resources, and classes that support the user’s next step.

Pathfinder

Pathfinder is a guided, quiz-like experience that lowers the barrier to exploration by capturing user interests, location, owned gear, confidence level, and group context. It delivers a single, personalized activity recommendation followed by curated stories, resources, and classes that support the user’s next step.

Pathfinder

Pathfinder is a guided, quiz-like experience that lowers the barrier to exploration by capturing user interests, location, owned gear, confidence level, and group context. It delivers a single, personalized activity recommendation followed by curated stories, resources, and classes that support the user’s next step.

AI-Powered Search

AI-powered search supports natural language input, suggested prompts, and contextual filtering to help users discover relevant content even when they are unsure what to search for. Results integrate AI-generated summaries and optional AI suggestions while maintaining user control.

AI-Powered Search

AI-powered search supports natural language input, suggested prompts, and contextual filtering to help users discover relevant content even when they are unsure what to search for. Results integrate AI-generated summaries and optional AI suggestions while maintaining user control.

AI-Powered Search

AI-powered search supports natural language input, suggested prompts, and contextual filtering to help users discover relevant content even when they are unsure what to search for. Results integrate AI-generated summaries and optional AI suggestions while maintaining user control.

Documentation & Accessibility
Built for Scale and Inclusion

Documentation and accessibility were foundational to the system. All components and templates were fully annotated and supported by a living CRD to clarify behavior and edge cases. Accessibility considerations informed contrast, motion, keyboard navigation, and focus states throughout, ensuring WCAG 2.1 AA compliance and inclusive participation.