Rather than just making slight adjustments to the Onewheel itself, we decided to put emphasis in redesigning the social experience around the product by changing our target audience and the channels we would use to reach them, resulting in a better overall alignment in needs and interests.
Meet Our User
Given the adventurous, novelty-embracing culture of the tech industry, we decided to target women working at tech companies. Because she is interested in the latest technology, our target user is a first-adopter when it comes to cool gadgets. As a woman working in a male-dominated industry, she cares about gender equality and making a supportive statement. At the same time, as we learned in class, she is similar to other American women in that she cares about how she is perceived socially, and cares about bonding with others. In order to reach her, we decided to use her company as a channel. In general, tech companies are known to invest greatly in promoting company ‘culture’ and connecting their employees, for having a great culture motivates their employees and attracts young talent. By using companies as a channel to reach female employees, we solve for access (because companies can spread the word and rally employees), cost (companies will be the ones buying the products first), and social perception (riders will have a built-in social network because they can ride with colleagues on the company’s campus or at company-wide events).
Note: we were careful not to market the product specifically to female users – rather, we sought to target both male and female employees, keeping the branding gender-neutral and making sure it represents both genders. The central message of marketing material would be that the Onewheel is a bonding activity that brings people together.
How it Works
First, Onewheel sales reps will contact company HR teams and pitch the product, offering a free demo. Employees (both male and female) will have their first Onewheel experiences together with their colleagues in a friendly workshop at the company. We will further incentivize the users to practice it by organizing a small competitive event where they have a chance to meet and bond with their colleagues. After knowing that the product is perceived as socially acceptable at the workplace, the female users will be more likely to ride it in campuses or nearby park for fun and start to integrate it in their lives. Moreover, while they don’t need to buy the product themselves to use it, they can buy their individual Onewheel if they so choose (conveniently, as young professionals working in the tech industry, they are likely to have the disposable income to do so).
Finally, we also redesigned the Onewheel itself by adding the following features:
- A built-in handle on one side and tiny wheels on the other, which pop out at the press of a button. This makes the Onewheel much more portable without having to significantly reduce its size or weight. Also, the handle ensures a better grip for women with small hands and/or long nails
- A new paint job that makes it look more friendly and fun. We thought the original appearance made it seem too unfinished and raw for the average young professional.
The Experience Map
For the full details of our redesigned experience, see our experience map below. Click here to view larger version!
