The Client

RAM Racing organizes some of the largest races in the country and certainly the largest races in the Midwest. The Hot Chocolate Race, the Mag-Mile Race, and the Chicago Marathon are some of the races that RAM organizes year-round in the city of Chicago.

The Brief

The client had given us two problem statements​.

• The runners were very experimental in the sense, they participated in one race for the experience and wouldn't come back for the same race the next year. There was a lack of retention.

• There was an abundance of data being collected from the users but the client did not know how to use the data to their advantage.

User Research

Modes of Research

Shadowing (Runners)
We started running some of the races organized by RAM Racing in order to understand the user experience.

Open Observation
We also stood in the stands and acted as volunteers of the race to get a feel for the functioning of the races.

Intercepts
To facilitate a co-creating session with the users we set up a stall in one of the package pickup areas to pull users in to see what they thought about the system and get feedback.

The Insights

"I feel anticipation at the start of each race which builds up [throughout the race experience into excitement.""RAM is really good at setting up a noticeably different race experience" [as compared to other race organizers]"I love to be rewarded for whatever I have achieved. For a lot of us, it is our first time and a reward feels great.""I am always looking for ways to be motivated to run more often."

The Existing System Blueprint

The Pain Points

Discrete platforms:
User platforms are different by each race. Even within one race, the many information comes in from different entities to runners. A sense of center lacks.

Little in-race performance indicators:
There are only mile markers (or km markers) and a clock that indicates only the total time passed. WIthout expensive personalized gadgets, in race management can be difficult.

Insufficient reciprocity from RAM:
Repeat runners are not recognized much by RAM. There is no apparent distinction in the experience for new runners and RAM loyalists.

The Personas

We sorted the different runners who ran these races in an attempt to better identify a potential target audience and define their needs

The Needs

Re-imagining the RAM Legacy Experience

The legacy program provides a packaged, captivating, distinct and intimate race experience, helping the runners receive internal and external validation while building an identity around the activity of running. It does this by creating an ecosystem of RAM Races and personalizing the experience using data as the runners move ahead in their own individual and collective journeys.

RAM Legacy program offers a variety of valuable ‘perks’ tangible and intangible for repeat runners as they participate in more RAM races.

The Approach

To build a stronger engagement

The journey to becoming a ‘RAM Loyalist’

The Prototypes

At the Allstate Hot Chocolate 5K/15K packet pickup doing a simple card sorting exercise and interaction with runners to understand what they would be keen on having as part of the RAM legacy program.

Web Interface Prototypes

The following images are of the prototypes that I created for the web interface and related digital service touchpoints.

Next Steps

• Prototype the service at a race

• Potentially link training applications to the RAM ecosystem

The Team

Jeshwanth | Prapthi | Adithya | Diane