2018
REI x NC State Studio Collaboration
REI.com
Background
REI MASH (Member Activity & Social Hub) was a concept project aimed at reimagining REI’s member experience through community engagement. Our team designed a platform where outdoor enthusiasts could connect, share experiences, and discover local adventures—expanding REI’s mission beyond retail into real-world connection.
Core problem
While REI’s membership program offered strong brand loyalty, its digital experience lacked features that fostered social connection and activity tracking.
The challenge:
How might we help REI members connect, collaborate, and stay active — online and outdoors?
Our goal was to design an experience that encouraged users to explore more frequently, engage with local events, and build a sense of community within the REI ecosystem.
Approach
Our process began with in-depth research into outdoor lifestyle apps, social fitness platforms, and REI’s existing member benefits.
As a team, we:
Conducted user surveys and interviews with outdoor enthusiasts
Identified behavioral patterns around motivation and group activity planning
Created personas to represent casual and committed adventurers
Sketched and wireframed key user flows for event discovery and challenges
Built an interactive prototype to visualize the experience
Solution
We designed REI MASH, a digital hub where members could:
Discover or host local activities and challenges
Track achievements and share outdoor stories
Connect with like-minded explorers nearby
The interface used REI’s familiar natural tones with simplified navigation and community-focused interactions, creating a modern yet authentic brand experience.
Outcome
REI MASH was a foundational UX project that deepened my understanding of community-driven design and the role of storytelling in digital engagement. Collaborating as a team, we learned how research, user empathy, and interface design can work together to strengthen brand connection.
If revisiting this project today, I would expand personalization and accessibility features using modern tools and design systems to enhance scalability and inclusion.