Yeti Cycles: Master of the Gnarniverse
Every once in a while you have the opportunity to work with a partner who is bold enough to take the risks that others won’t take, creating something that is truly authentic and original. Yeti Cycles has been setting the bar and breaking the rules for years and this is very much a part of their culture and who they are as a brand.
Yeti Cycles creates some of the best carbon fiber mountain bikes in the world today, and they have a simple philosophy that has driven them from the start - “We build bikes that we want to ride”. They have created a culture that continues to push the boundaries of what can be done on a bike. They have the medals to prove it, sponsoring some of the best riders in the world who regularly stand at the top of the podium and hold multiple world titles. Looking to match their winning position on the trail, we partnered with Yeti to elevate their distinctive branding narrative through their digital experience.
Yeti had a great looking website, one that represented the brand well, however, it did not serve the brand team very well. Behind the scenes, Yeti lacked a design system or structure that over time created a fragmented and tangled technical backend that posed significant challenges when making changes to the site. The marketing team had been in a position where they were overly reliant on developers to make any changes.
From a design perspective, the focus was to create a more cohesive visual narrative, amplifying the brand by expanding on the cultural nuances and brand experiences that must be spot on for a brand like Yeti Cycles. The lines are drawn with absolute intent and precision, being mindful not to overcorrect or imprint when the objective is to enhance versus redesign. The designs were meticulously crafted to serve a holistic narrative flow. We created animated inflections that are similar to what one would audibly add when telling a story, but in this case, we used visuals to add that dimension and tone. When one scrolls through the bike pages, it feels like the stories are breathing, with purposeful segues that intuitively direct one to the next chapter of the story as it unfolds.
Though an e-commerce site, the brand culture and stories are the primary influencers of user experiences on the site. The broader intent was to continue to nurture and grow the loyal community and culture that Yeti has cultivated over the years, yet attract new customers by producing and present world-class content from their excursions, sharing the stories and experiences that come with ownership—inspiring and visualizing what it would be like to be on a Yeti.
Given the challenges that the marketing team had in the past, we worked closely with the Yeti team to create design systems and components that would maximize marketing velocity and extend our design and development efforts beyond the launch of the site. We couldn’t be more proud of the work that we accomplished together with the Yeti Cycles team and will continue to find new ways to connect with those who are as passionate about riding as they are.
Visit the site at: http://www.yeticycles.com
