MTB Finder
I saw an opportunity to make the Specialized MTB range easier for riders to navigate and took the initiative to develop a new way of organizing and communicating the category.
I created the MTB Finder to help riders connect their riding experience to the right bikes, understand the differences between models, and find a more approachable starting point within a complex product range.
I developed the initial concept and information flow, working with Product and Brand teams to shape the experience and art direct the final execution across multiple retail formats.
My Role: Concept Development · Information Architecture · Art Direction · Retail Experience
The Challenge
Specialized had strong product stories for individual bikes, but lacked a clear way to help riders understand the MTB range as a whole.
With dozens of bikes and communication often centered on technology and product features, the shopping experience could feel overwhelming. Riders needed a simpler way to understand the range, identify what kind of riding they wanted to do, and narrow their options.
I saw an opportunity to shift the conversation from starting with the product to starting with the rider.
The Approach
I created a rider-first experience that simplified the range by connecting bikes to how riders actually ride. The goal was to narrow the range to 2–3 relevant options, creating an easy starting point for conversation, comparison, and test rides while bringing a more graphic, information-led element to the retail environment.
THE SYSTEM
RIDER FIRST
Start with how they ride, not the technology.
NARROW THE RANGE
Guide riders toward 2–3 relevant options.
START THE CONVERSATION
Create a natural bridge to staff, comparison, and test rides.
BUILT FOR RETAIL
Develop multiple formats to support different retail environments and points of engagement. Banners, digital screens, takeaway brochures.
Execution & Outcome
I developed the information architecture and overall concept, defining how the MTB range could be organized around the rider rather than the product hierarchy.
Working with Product and Brand, I translated the concept into a flexible visual system and art directed the final execution across multiple retail formats.
The MTB Finder became a test and platform for exploring this approach across other product categories, including Active, Road, and Gravel. The thinking also extended beyond retail, influencing how Specialized could talk about products across other brand touchpoints, including the website and other consumer-facing channels.
By shifting the focus from individual product features toward how products fit into the rider's needs and experience, the project helped introduce a more approachable, experience-led way of communicating the product range.
More than a retail tool, the MTB Finder demonstrated how consumer-centered product organization and communication could create a clearer path from category discovery to product consideration.