Bike Builder Web App
Role: UX Researcher, UX Designer
Industry: Consumer Product
Summary: Intense Bikes had an unconventional idea — sell the frame first and let riders build from there — but needed a digital experience that could actually pull it off. I led UX on a custom 3D bike configurator, recommended the technical approach based on competitive research, and navigated a mid-project pivot driven by investor feedback by asking the right questions instead of just executing. The configurator drove a 70% engagement rate and a conversion rate that jumped from 1% to 5% after launching a Buy Now feature.
Situation
An industry overdue for a better experience.
Intense Bikes takes an unconventional approach to selling mountain bikes. Instead of complete builds, they lead with the frame and let riders configure from there. It was a first for the industry, and it needed a digital experience that could actually do it justice.
Competitive research told me most custom bike configurators on the market were running on old technology. The experiences felt dated and didn't reflect the quality of the products they were selling. There was real room to do something better.
Competitor research
Task
Build something the industry hadn't seen yet.
Intense needed a digital solution that could bring their frame-first model to life and drive sales. It had to feel as premium as the product and handle a level of customization that existing tools weren't built for.
Action
New technology, and a pivot.
Based on what I found in my research, I recommended partnering with a third-party 3D configurator integrator rather than trying to build on existing solutions. That decision set the project on a stronger technical foundation from the start.
The configurator let riders pick their frame, choose components, and see their build in real time. I worked closely with our internal dev team and the integration team in Belgium, incorporating technical constraints into the design as we went. Sometimes those conversations also surfaced things we could do that we hadn't expected.
Partway through, a key investor came in with strong personal design preferences and the project needed to pivot. Rather than just executing the feedback, I set up a conversation to understand the reasoning behind it. Asking user-centered questions got us to clear, specific direction instead of vague preferences. The redesign went smoothly because of it.
Design iterations.
Result
Increased engagement and conversions.
Results were tracked over three months through Google Analytics.
70% engagement rate among users who interacted with the configurator
Conversion rate went from 1% to 5% after launching a Buy Now feature — a 4x jump, well above the typical 2-3% e-commerce benchmark
Buy Now had been in the plan from the beginning but had to wait until Intense had the infrastructure to support it. When it launched, the results were immediate.