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Adventure without Limits

Adventure without Limits

Fit runners want hydration gear, but navigation and product clarity barriers reduce discovery and purchase confidence

Social Networking

Social Networking

Turning Interest Into Hydration Sales

Project Overview

Project Overview

Conducted a competitive analysis for Nathan Sports, exploring how navigation, product clarity, and trust on Salomon’s site influence discovery and purchase of hydration gear.

Problem Statement

Problem Statement

Nathan Sports wanted to understand how competitors like Salomon showcase hydration products, identifying design patterns that either motivate purchase or create friction, so they could adopt best practices and avoid common pitfalls.

Industry

E-Commerce / Sports Retail

E-Commerce / Sports Retail

My Role

Planning and Moderating

Insight Synthesis

Recommendations

Timeline

August 2025 - December 2025

August 2025 - December 2025

Goal

Goal

Understand what motivates runners to purchase hydration gear and identify friction points that reduce discovery, trust, or conversion.

Study Details

Study Details

Remote moderated sessions with six active runners, using task-based think-aloud scenarios to observe navigation, search, and product interaction.

Outcome

Outcome

Competitive analysis revealed that runners are motivated once hydration options are discovered, but scattered placement, unclear product details, and ineffective search reduce trust and confidence. Recommendations addressed these issues to improve discoverability, clarity, and conversion for Nathan Sports’ DTC experience.

Key Findings

Key Findings

[01] Hydration is hard to find from the main menu

Users expected hydration under Accessories, but products were scattered across categories and duplicated across activities.

[02] Product detail is not complete enough to decide

Users wanted more visuals, clearer descriptions, materials, use cases, and clarity on what is included.

[03] The site does not educate new users on hydration

Educational content was not placed where users needed it, so casual runners could not judge whether hydration gear was necessary.

[04] Discovery increases interest

Once users explored options, many became more interested and found alternatives they preferred.

[05] Search reduces trust

Searching hydration vests returned irrelevant items and lacked helpful filters, forcing trial and error.

[06] Brand and visuals raise quality expectations

The site’s professional presentation increased perceived quality and willingness to pay more.

[01] Hydration is hard to find from the main menu

Users expected hydration under Accessories, but products were scattered across categories and duplicated across activities.

[02] Product detail is not complete enough to decide

Users wanted more visuals, clearer descriptions, materials, use cases, and clarity on what is included.

[03] The site does not educate new users on hydration

Educational content was not placed where users needed it, so casual runners could not judge whether hydration gear was necessary.

[04] Discovery increases interest

Once users explored options, many became more interested and found alternatives they preferred.

[05] Search reduces trust

Searching hydration vests returned irrelevant items and lacked helpful filters, forcing trial and error.

[06] Brand and visuals raise quality expectations

The site’s professional presentation increased perceived quality and willingness to pay more.

Recommendations

Recommendations

What to Keep

What to Keep

  • Fit runners are interested in hydration once they understand what exists and why it matters.

  • Motivating, active imagery builds positive perception and trust.

  • Navigation, search, and product detail clarity are the biggest blockers to discovery and purchase confidence.

What to Change

What to Change

  • Consolidate hydration placement and reduce duplication across categories

  • Improve search relevance and filtering for hydration terms

  • Refine product naming and clarify included components

  • Strengthen product descriptions with materials, intended use, and what comes in the box

What to Add

What to Add

  • A centralized Hydration category (vests, belts, flasks, reservoirs, bottles)

  • Filters: capacity, fit, compatibility, activity type, material

  • Short use case blurbs: best for short trail runs, ideal for long distance

  • More images in context and short demo videos

  • Comparison table to differentiate hydration options

  • Search synonym mapping for common runner language

  • Related product suggestions to build bundles

What This Means For Nathan Sports

What This Means For Nathan Sports

  • Keep what already builds trust: clean UI, strong visuals, sizing clarity.

  • Fix what interrupts the path to purchase: findability, naming clarity, search accuracy, and included components.

  • Add lightweight education and comparison to help runners confidently choose the right hydration, improving conversion while staying budget mindful.

Reflection

Reflection

This project reinforced the value of competitive UX research, showing how analyzing competitor patterns can uncover friction points and inspire actionable recommendations to improve product discoverability, clarity, and purchase confidence.

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