Reimagining

Storm Bowlings Website

From a static product catalog to a living hub for the bowling community.

This wasnโ€™t just a redesign โ€” it was a multi-phase transformation guided by research, strategy, and Implementation.

Every phase was driven by a clear UX vision that shaped each decision.

๐ŸŽฏ

UX STRATEGY

Educate, inform, and entertain โ€” not just about Storm products, but about the sport of bowling itself. Every piece of content adds value while reinforcing the brand.

๐Ÿ’ก

UX VISION

Empower users with tools and clarity. Engage them through interaction and storytelling. Excite them with thoughtful design and brand energy.

๐Ÿš€

UX GOAL

Transform StormBowling.com the go-to destination for bowlers. A place for learning, exploring, and connecting with the brand.

Case Study Roadmap

1. Research & User Understanding

Understanding why bowlers visit the platform, what they expect from a bowling brand website, and where friction existed across education, product understanding, and community engagement.

Key Sections
  • Research Synthesis
  • User Behavior Patterns
  • Opportunity Areas
  • Strategic Outcomes
Explore Research โ†’

2. Educational Ecosystem Design

Designing connected learning pathways that helped bowlers progressively understand bowling technology, lane play, surface adjustments, ball motion, and technical terminology.

Key Sections
  • The Challenge
  • Ecosystem Thinking
  • Educational Implementations
Explore Education โ†’

3. Navigation & Information Architecture

Restructuring the platform experience to support scalability, discoverability, browsing behavior, and clearer organizational pathways across products, education, and community content.

Key Sections
  • The Scaling Problem
  • Navigation Exploration
  • Mega Menu Exploration
  • Refined Information Architecture
  • Navigation Testing
Explore Navigation โ†’

4. Ball Buying Research & Decision Systems

Investigating how bowlers research equipment, compare products, build arsenals, and navigate complex purchasing decisions โ€” leading to scalable motion language, comparison systems, and reaction-based tools.

Key Sections
  • Behavioral Research
  • Personas & Experience Maps
  • Ball Reaction Design System
  • Matchmaker Redesign
  • Arsenal Builder
  • Reaction-Based Filtering & Navigation
Explore Ball Buying โ†’

Research & User Understanding

Section 1: The Question

"What are users actually coming to StormBowling.com for?"

863

Survey Responses

1 Week

Rapid Research Sprint

Open Ended

Responses captured in users' own words

Section 2: Research Synthesis

As responses were grouped and analyzed, larger behavioral patterns began to emerge.
Key Patterns Identified
  • Education & Learning
  • Product Comparison
  • Understanding Ball Motion
  • Guidance & Confidence
  • Connection to the Sport
Affinity Map Pyramid Cycle Diagram

Section 3: The Realization

Users weren't just visiting the site to browse products โ€” they were looking for education, guidance, comparison, and a deeper understanding of bowling equipment and the sport itself.

While users consistently expressed a desire for learning and product guidance, the website primarily functioned as a static product catalog with limited educational pathways or decision-support tools.

Original StormBowling.com
StormBowling.com โ€” before redesign

A product catalog with no educational content, no learning pathways, and no tools to help users understand equipment or the sport.

Section 4: Opportunity Areas & Future State Outcomes

1. Improve Product Understanding

Users struggled to compare bowling balls and understand technical differences between products.

Proposed Direction
Current Experience
Current Experience - Product Understanding

The current experience lacked product guidance and decision-support systems, making product exploration overwhelming for many users.

Future State Outcome
Future State - Product Understanding

The future-state experience focused on helping users better understand products through guided education, comparison tools, and clearer product communication.

2. Build an Educational Ecosystem

Users wanted clearer learning pathways around bowling technology, lane play, surface prep, and ball motion.

Proposed Direction
Current Experience
Current Experience - Educational Ecosystem

The existing experience provided limited access to educational content, making it difficult for users to build a deeper understanding of bowling technology, lane play, and equipment behavior.

Future State Outcome
Future State - Educational Ecosystem

The future-state experience focused on creating connected learning pathways that helped users better understand bowling technology, equipment behavior, and lane play through structured educational content.

3. Strengthen Brand & Community

Users wanted more visibility into Storm's athletes, culture, events, and company content.

Proposed Direction
Current Experience

While Storm had a strong presence within bowling culture, the website offered limited opportunities for users to engage with the broader community, brand identity, athlete stories, and ongoing events surrounding the company.

Future State Outcome

The future-state direction focused on transforming the website from a primarily catalog focused platform into a more connected ecosystem that better reflected Storm's culture, athletes, events, and community presence.

Section 5: Strategic Outcomes

Phase 1 established the strategic foundation for the broader website transformation by identifying key gaps in education, product understanding, and community engagement across the platform.

These findings directly informed the creation of:

  • The development of a scalable educational ecosystem
  • Expanded learning pathways and technical content
  • Evolving approaches to product discovery and comparison
  • More connected community and brand-focused experiences
Strategic Outcomes

Section 6: Early Implementations

Rather than waiting for larger initiatives to be completed, several improvements were implemented immediately based on the opportunities identified during Phase 1. These efforts focused on content visibility, product discovery, educational access, and platform engagement.

Content Visibility & What's New

Content Strategy ยท Platform Engagement

Reinforce recurring engagement and make fresh content easier to discover.

  • Homepage "What's New" section
  • New articles
  • New videos
  • Community content
Content Visibility

Educational Content Expansion

Content Architecture ยท Learning Pathways

Create clearer learning pathways for bowlers looking to improve their understanding of equipment and the sport.

  • Bowling 101
  • Tutorials
  • Articles
  • Educational videos
Educational Content Expansion

Product Discovery Improvements

Product Comparison ยท Information Architecture

Make bowling balls easier to browse, compare, and understand.

  • Ball Rack
  • Reaction Graphs
  • Product visibility enhancements
Ball Rack Reaction Graphs

Platform Experience Redesigns

UX Improvements ยท Platform Strategy

Better align the platform experience with evolving user needs and content strategy.

  • Homepage redesign
  • About page redesign
  • Newsroom development
Homepage Redesign

Educational Ecosystem Design

Section 1: The Challenge

Research revealed that users wanted clearer educational pathways for understanding bowling technology, equipment behavior, lane conditions, and technical terminology. However, the existing platform lacked structured learning systems that supported progressive understanding.

In response, I explored the creation of a scalable educational ecosystem designed to make technical bowling concepts more accessible, interconnected, and easier to navigate.

Educational ecosystem user flows
Early exploration โ€” mapping how users would move through educational content

Mid-fidelity flows exploring how technical concepts could be organized into connected learning pathways across the platform.

Section 2: Ecosystem Thinking

Designing Connected Learning Pathways

Rather than treating educational content as isolated articles, the goal was to create interconnected learning pathways that allowed users to progressively explore bowling technology, equipment behavior, lane play, and ball motion.

Bowling Basics Setup & Performance Technology
How a Ball Hooks Arsenal Building Coverstocks
Ball Components Lane Play Weight Blocks
Ball Care Surface Adjustments A.I. Core
Terminology Layout Systems T.I.P.

Section 3: Educational Implementations

Educational ecosystem diagram
Educational pages were intentionally cross-linked to encourage deeper exploration and support progressive learning across technical bowling concepts.
Design system screenshot
How a Ball Hooks

Core educational page covering ball motion fundamentals.

Design system screenshot
The Coverstock

Breaking down coverstock types and their effect on ball motion.

Design system screenshot
The Weightblock

How core shape influences motion shape and timing.

Design system screenshot
Surface Adjustments

Grit levels, surface prep, and how they change ball reaction.

Design system screenshot
Ball Maintenance

Cleaning, oil extraction, and long-term equipment care.

Design system screenshot
Lane Play

Reading conditions, adjusting angles, and moving with the oil.

Design system screenshot
Pin Buffer Layout System

How pin-to-PAP distance affects motion shape and transition.

Navigation & Information Architecture

Section 1: The Scaling Problem

As educational content, product systems, and community-focused experiences expanded across the platform, the existing navigation architecture became increasingly difficult to scale and navigate effectively.
Original Storm Bowling navigation
01

Structural Scalability

Top-level navigation space became increasingly constrained as the ecosystem expanded, limiting the ability to introduce deeper organizational layers and scalable submenu structures.

02

Organizational Scalability

Top-level navigation space became increasingly constrained as the ecosystem expanded, limiting the ability to introduce deeper organizational layers and scalable submenu structures.

03

CMS & Brand Architecture Constraints

Top-level navigation space became increasingly constrained as the ecosystem expanded, limiting the ability to introduce deeper organizational layers and scalable submenu structures.

Section 2: Navigation Exploration

As the platform ecosystem expanded, I explored new organizational structures designed to better group products, educational systems, community content, and company information into more scalable navigation pathways.
  • Consolidated product categories into a unified product system
  • Introduced dedicated pathways for educational and resource content
  • Expanded separation between company, community, and event experiences
  • Created more scalable category groupings for future ecosystem growth
Products Learn / Resources Community Company Events
Balls Ball Care Athletes About Storm Youth Championships
Bags Layouts Youth News
Shoes Surface Social Partners
Apparel Buyers Guide Honor Scores Regional Managers
Accessories Ball Anatomy

Section 3: CMS Transition & Mega Menu Exploration

The migration to a new CMS platform created opportunities to expand the navigation architecture through scalable mega menu systems, deeper hierarchy organization, and more flexible desktop and mobile navigation patterns.
Early Navigation Direction

Early navigation concepts focused on utilizing desktop mega menus for broader content exploration while introducing landing-page systems designed to simplify mobile navigation and create more consistent cross-platform pathways.

Early mega menu concept

Desktop navigation concepts focused on broader ecosystem visibility through expandable mega menu systems that surfaced products, educational content, and community pathways more directly.

Mobile Navigation Simplification

Mobile navigation concepts explored simplifying top-level pathways through landing-page systems designed to reduce nested navigation complexity and create more focused exploration flows.

Mobile navigation concept
Mobile navigation screens
Landing Page Navigation Flows

Desktop navigation concepts focused on broader ecosystem visibility through expandable mega menu systems that surfaced products, educational content, and community pathways more directly.

Landing page flow 1 Landing page flow 2 Landing page flow 3 Landing page flow 4 Landing page flow 5 Landing page flow 6
Implementation Challenges
As the CMS transition evolved, implementation challenges and incomplete supporting systems limited the ability to fully realize the original navigation vision. These constraints ultimately exposed additional opportunities for refinement around hierarchy clarity, content organization, and cross-platform consistency.
CMS implementation challenges
  • Incomplete supporting systems
  • Evolving CMS integration
  • Scalability refinement
  • Architectural reassessment

Section 4: Refined Information Architecture

As the platform ecosystem expanded, I explored new organizational structures designed to better group products, educational systems, community content, and company information into more scalable navigation pathways.
Refined information architecture diagram
Community & Company Consolidation
  • Community content was consolidated under the broader About ecosystem
  • Resources and Events were restructured into dedicated sub-pathways
  • Additional company-focused hierarchy was introduced through "Who We Are" and Newsroom systems
Product Ecosystem Separation
  • Product navigation was separated into Bowling and Merchandise pathways
  • This reduced category density while creating clearer product distinction between performance equipment and lifestyle products
  • The restructuring also created opportunities to expand navigational guidance around bowling ball exploration
Educational System Integration
  • The original "Explore" structure evolved into a dedicated "Learn" ecosystem
  • Educational pathways were reorganized into: Equipment Basics, Setup & Performance, Technology
  • This structure aligned the navigation directly with the educational architecture established in Phase 2

Section 5: Navigation Testing

To validate the revised navigation architecture, I conducted a navigation tree test using UXtweak focused on discoverability, learnability, and educational content pathways across the evolving ecosystem.
Testing Overview | Key Findings
Navigation test task results
Navigation test success and directness
Navigation test task structure

Tasks were intentionally designed to evaluate whether users could successfully navigate educational systems, technical bowling concepts, product-comparison pathways, and equipment guidance without prior knowledge of the navigation structure.

Key Learnings & Iteration

Based on testing observations, task pathways, and discoverability performance, several organizational and terminology refinements were identified within the educational navigation system.

Refinement 1

Repositioning Maintenance Content

Testing revealed that users frequently associated maintenance-related content with foundational bowling-ball knowledge rather than performance-tuning systems. Task pathways showed repeated navigation overlap between Setup & Performance and Equipment Basics.

Before

Ball Maintenance โ†’ Setup & Performance

After

Ball Maintenance โ†’ Bowling Ball Basics

Refinement 2

Clarifying Maintenance Terminology

The original "Ball Maintenance" label created ambiguity around care, upkeep, resurfacing, and ownership-related guidance. To improve discoverability and terminology clarity the label was renamed.

Before

Ball Maintenance

After

Bowling Ball Care & Maintenance

Refinement 3

Aligning Educational Categories with User Mental Models

Testing revealed that "Equipment Basics" did not clearly communicate the educational scope of the category, which focused on fundamentals, terminology, anatomy, and ownership education.

Before

Equipment Basics

After

Bowling Ball Basics

Ball Buying Research & Decision Systems

Understanding how bowlers research equipment, compare products, build arsenals, and navigate complex purchasing decisions.

Section 1: Research Foundation

The Problem

Selecting a bowling ball is an unexpectedly complex decision-making process.

Users struggled to:

  • understand technical terminology,
  • compare differences between products,
  • determine fit based on style, lane conditions, and arsenal needs,
  • and build confidence in purchasing decisions.
Research Scope

This initiative evolved into a large-scale UX research and systems-thinking project focused on understanding:

  • how bowlers research and compare equipment,
  • how they build and organize arsenals,
  • where uncertainty and confusion emerge,
  • and what guidance systems were missing throughout the decision-making journey.

The project included:

  • 3,000+ participant survey data,
  • screener studies,
  • qualitative interviews,
  • affinity mapping and behavioral coding,
  • thematic synthesis,
  • personas and experience maps,
  • and future-state product strategy exploration.
Research Focus Areas
Behavioral Analysis How bowlers evaluate and compare equipment
Decision Friction Where uncertainty and confusion emerge
Mental Models How users think about ball motion and fit
Arsenal Building Understanding how bowlers organize equipment systems
Educational Systems Identifying gaps in learning and product guidance
Product Taxonomy Developing clearer motion and comparison language
Future Tooling Exploring systems for comparison, guidance, and discovery
As bowling-ball technology expanded, bowlers increasingly relied on fragmented research across YouTube videos, reviews, pro shop operators, and disconnected product information systems.
Research Framework

This document established the foundational research goals and investigative questions that guided the entire ball-buying research initiative.

Research framework document
The study was structured around investigating:
  • purchasing behavior,
  • comparison processes,
  • confidence and uncertainty,
  • educational gaps,
  • product evaluation,
  • and decision-making support systems.
Screener Survey Foundation
The initial screener survey was designed to capture broad behavioral patterns, purchasing habits, confidence levels, and research behaviors across a large range of bowlers with varying experience levels.
Participant background survey questions
1. Participant Background
Questions Explored
  • bowling experience
  • participation level
  • equipment ownership
  • player engagement frequency
Purpose

Understand participant diversity, bowling experience ranges, and equipment familiarity across the respondent pool.

Purchase and research behavior survey questions
2. Purchase & Research Behavior
Questions Explored
  • where bowlers research products,
  • how they compare equipment,
  • what resources influence decisions,
  • and how purchasing decisions are validated.
Purpose

Identify how users navigate the bowling-ball research ecosystem and what external systems influence decision-making.

Motivation and selection criteria survey questions
3. Motivation & Selection Criteria
Questions Explored
  • purchase motivations,
  • performance expectations,
  • emotional drivers,
  • and product-selection priorities.
Purpose

Understand the underlying factors that drive bowling-ball purchases and how users evaluate product fit.

Confidence and satisfaction survey questions
4. Confidence & Satisfaction
Questions Explored
  • confidence during product selection,
  • satisfaction with previous purchases,
  • and future purchase behavior.
Purpose

Identify where uncertainty, reliance on guidance, and decision-making friction emerge throughout the buying process.

Quantitative Discovery
The screener survey established a quantitative foundation for identifying recurring behavioral patterns, confidence gaps, and research tendencies across a broad range of bowlers.

1. Bowlers Are Highly Engaged

Before analyzing decision-making behaviors, I first needed to understand who these participants were and how involved they were in bowling overall.

Do you bowl in a league? How often do you bowl?
How many bowling balls do you own? When was your last purchase?
Interpretation

The survey revealed a highly engaged audience:

  • 65% bowled in leagues
  • 89% bowled weekly
  • 71% owned four or more bowling balls
  • 56% had purchased a ball within the last three months

These were not casual consumers. Most participants were deeply invested in the sport and actively purchasing equipment.

Why This Mattered

This established an important foundation for the research. Even highly experienced bowlers still appeared to experience friction during the ball selection process.

2. Research Behavior Was Fragmented

As I analyzed how bowlers researched equipment, a more fragmented decision-making ecosystem began to emerge.

What information do you rely on most? Research behavior data
Interpretation
  • 85% researched online
  • 68% compared different bowling balls
  • 60% relied primarily on videos or manufacturer information
  • 65% asked for recommendations
  • 32% relied on recommendations for their primary source of info
Why This Mattered

Rather than relying on a single trusted source, bowlers were stitching together information from YouTube videos, reviews, manufacturers, pro shop operators, and peer recommendations to make decisions.

While users were heavily researching products, the data also suggested that access to information did not necessarily translate into confidence.

3. Performance Dominated Decision-Making

Performance consistently emerged as the dominant factor influencing purchase decisions.

Motivation to buy Factors that matter most
Motivation To Buy
  • Performance needs 86%
  • Reading or watching videos 57%
  • Recommendations from others 45%
  • Good reviews 40%
  • Desire to try something new 40%
Factors That Matter Most
  • Performance 95%
  • Reviews/feedback 44%
  • Brand reputation 40%
  • Price 38%
  • Color 27%
Interpretation

Across every purchase-related question, "performance" significantly outweighed other factors such as price, appearance, or brand reputation.

Users were primarily motivated by improving ball reaction, matching conditions, and finding equipment that better fit their game.

Why This Mattered

Bowlers knew they wanted to achieve specific reactions or outcomes, but lacked a shared language or framework for understanding what type of motion they actually needed, how performance related to their needs, or how to confidently identify the right ball for their style and conditions.

4. Users Were Informed โ€” But Still Uncertain

One of the most important contradictions emerging from the quantitative research was the gap between information access and decision confidence.

Confidence in choosing the right ball Perceived performance decision map
Interpretation
  • 7% say they are not confident at all and need lots of guidance
  • 54% say they are somewhat confident but need to rely on others for help
  • 39% say they are very confident and know exactly what they are looking for
Why This Mattered

The information currently available to bowlers did not necessarily create confidence in decision-making. Users were consuming large amounts of performance-related information, but often lacked a shared language for comparing reactions, or confidence in how products related to their own style, conditions, and arsenal needs.

Decision-making was heavily influenced by fragmented streams of external feedback: videos, reviews, recommendations, pro shop conversations, and manufacturer marketing.

Section 2: Qualitative Deep Dive

To move beyond surface-level metrics and better understand how bowlers think through purchasing decisions, I conducted a second phase to uncover the uncertainty, decision logic, emotional tension, and open-ended storytelling prompts guiding ball selection.
Moving Beyond Metrics

Unlike the first survey, which focused on behavioral metrics and broad purchasing trends, this phase used open-ended storytelling prompts to understand how bowlers think through equipment decisions. The goal was to uncover the uncertainty, decision logic, emotional tensions, confidence gaps, frustrations, and mental models guiding ball selection.

1. Struggle

"Tell me about a time when you struggled to choose a bowling ball."

2. Confidence

"What made you feel confident or hesitant in your final choice?"

3. Expectation

"Tell me about a time when something was exceeded or fallen short of your expectations."

4. Reflection

"What do you wish you had known before buying?"

Selecting Participants for Deeper Research

Participants were selected based on intersecting combinations of behaviors, demographics, purchasing habits, and experience levels in order to capture a broad range of perspectives on bowling ball buying.

Shopping Behavior
  • Online shoppers
  • Pro shop shoppers
Bowling Engagement
  • League bowlers
  • Tournament bowlers
  • Recreational bowlers
  • Casual bowlers
Purchase History
  • 0โ€“6 months
  • 6โ€“12 months
  • 1โ€“2 years
Equipment Ownership
  • 1 ball
  • 2โ€“3 balls
  • 4 or more
Additional Demographic
  • Various age ranges
  • Mixed experience levels
  • Varied coaching backgrounds
Coding Qualitative Responses

As responses came in, I began coding recurring ideas, behaviors, frustrations, and decision patterns across participants.

Qualitative coding affinity map

Each response was tagged and grouped based on emerging themes related to:

  • looking for "similar" balls,
  • filling gaps in an arsenal,
  • ball motion and lane interaction,
  • relying on reviews or YouTube,
  • comparing multiple options,
  • pro shop recommendations,
  • layouts and drilling concerns,
  • trusted pro shop recommendations,
  • and reactions to balls exceeding or failing expectations.

This process helped translate large volumes of qualitative feedback into structured behavioral patterns that could later be synthesized into deeper insights.

Emerging Mental Models

Bowlers repeatedly described products using conceptual archetypes rather than official manufacturer terminology.

Emerging mental models diagram

Users were already organizing bowling balls into their own mental classification systems.

This revealed an opportunity to design navigation, filtering, and educational experiences around the language users naturally rely on when exploring products:

  • Clean Symmetrical Pearl
  • Continuous Solid
  • Strong Asymmetrical
  • Benchmark Ball
  • A Transition Ball
Affinity Codes

Related behavioral codes were synthesized through affinity mapping to surface broader behavioral patterns across the dataset.

Affinity mapping codes
Patterns emerging

Bowlers think in lineup roles

  • Supporting role dynamics
  • Complementary needs
  • Gaps & holes

Decision confidence is layered

  • Bargaining code concerns
  • Trust signals
  • Anchored baselines

Expectation gaps create uncertainty

  • Mismatch code concerns
  • Ball didn't perform
  • Confusion persists
Themes Formed
01
Theme 1 affinity map

Building the Arsenal

Core user tension

How bowlers think about lineup roles, fit, and ball relationships

What are they trying to figure out?

"Will this meaningfully expand my lineup โ€” or just duplicate what I already have?"

How they reason
  • Benchmark ball
  • Ball down
  • Big hook piece
  • Transition option
  • "I'm looking for X"
Where they get stuck

They struggle to understand what their current arsenal is actually doing โ€” and whether a new ball truly changes anything.

What it reveals

Bowlers think in systems, not standalone products.

02
Theme 2 affinity map

Decision-Making & Comparison

Core user tension

How bowlers build confidence before committing to a purchase

What are they trying to figure out?

"How do I know this is the right ball?"

How they reason
  • Reviews & YouTube
  • Spec comparisons
  • Process of elimination
  • PSO validation
  • Gut feel / brand trust
Where they get stuck

Too many sources, conflicting opinions, and no clear way to compare options apples-to-apples.

What it reveals

Decision confidence is built through layered trust โ€” but the process is fragmented.

03
Theme 3 affinity map

Uncertainty & Mismatches

Core user tension

Where expectations don't align with real-world performance

What are they trying to figure out?

"Will this actually do what I think it will?"

How they reason
  • Spec shorthand ("pearl = flip")
  • Marketing language
  • Gut assumptions
  • Layout optimism
  • Expected motion formulas
Where they get stuck

The ball doesn't behave the way they expected โ€” and they can't tell if the issue was specs, layout, or lane conditions.

What it reveals

Expectation gaps create post-purchase uncertainty and erode trust.

04
Theme 4 affinity map

Positive Confirmation

Core user tension

Moments where bowlers feel like they got it right

What are they trying to figure out?

"Did I make the right decision?"

How they reason
  • Reflecting on ball performance
  • Comparing against past equipment
  • Reinforced trust in specs or feel
  • Emotional payoff / confidence
  • Brand or ball-type loyalty
Where they get stuck

They often can't clearly explain why the ball worked โ€” making that success difficult to replicate in future decisions.

What it reveals

Positive ball experiences become emotional trust anchors that shape future buying behavior.

05
Theme 5 affinity map

Mental Models of Ball Motion

Core user tension

How bowlers try to predict ball motion before ever throwing it

What are they trying to figure out?

"What will this ball actually do?"

How they reason
  • Visual analogy ("bigger core = bigger motion")
  • Descriptive shorthand ("snappy," "strong," "smooth")
  • Simplified formulas ("asym solid = early roll")
  • Category assumptions
  • Mental motion shortcuts
Where they get stuck

Motion language is inconsistent, specs interact in complex ways, and expectations often don't match real-world ball behavior.

What it reveals

Bowlers rely on overly simplified mental shortcuts to predict motion โ€” but those models often break down in real use.

Section 3: Deepening the Human Story

Behavioral themes revealed broad patterns across the dataset, but interviews, personas, and journey mapping helped uncover the human stories, decision logic, and emotional friction behind those behaviors.
Going Deeper Through Interviews

Interviews were conducted to probe these themes more deeply, uncovering the reasoning, personal stories, and decision-making logic that broad survey responses alone could not fully explain.

Highest-Value Insight Source

Regional Managers produced some of the richest discussions because they:

  • work directly with bowlers in the field
  • hear recurring customer struggles firsthand
  • observe buying behaviors across many player types
  • provide boots-on-the-ground perspective beyond individual self-reporting
Interview Sample
  • 5 participants scheduled
  • 3 interviews yielded rich qualitative insight
  • response depth varied based on participant engagement
Interview Selection Criteria

Participants were selected based on:

  • thoughtful screener responses
  • evidence of real decision friction
  • answers that suggested deeper reasoning worth exploring
  • willingness to elaborate beyond surface-level responses
Interview Discussion Guide

Semi-structured interviews were designed to probe the recurring themes uncovered in earlier synthesis, exploring how bowlers think, compare, trust, struggle, and imagine a better buying experience.

Arsenal Thinking & Roles

How bowlers think about lineup construction, ball roles, gaps, replacements, and motion expectations.

Decision-Making Logic

How bowlers compare options, weigh tradeoffs, and ultimately commit to a purchase.

Research Behavior & Tools

What information sources bowlers rely on, how they compare content, and what tools help (or fail) during research.

Trust in Pro Shop Operators

How expert influence shapes decisions, validates assumptions, or introduces doubt.

Expectation Mismatches

Moments where ball performance didn't align with expectations โ€” and how that changed future decision-making.

Ideal Buying Experience

What bowlers wish they could see, understand, or do differently before making a purchase.

Interview Insights

Interviews added human depth to the themes, revealing how bowlers navigate uncertainty, build confidence, interpret motion, and rely on external guidance in real decision-making moments.

Insight 1 โ€” Bowlers Think They Know What They Want, But Often Don't Know How to Get There
Supporting evidence:
  • desired outcome is often oversimplified
  • buzzwords become false confidence
  • bowlers chase reaction without understanding cause
  • assumptions about fit are made before true evaluation begins
  • "more hook" and "fills a gap" don't always reflect actual need
RSM:

"Some guys walk in looking to fill a gap. Others just want to see their ball hook more than their buddy's."

"People use buzzwords they've heard โ€” but they don't always apply to their style."

Matt:

"The kids will say, 'I want the ball to do that shape,' and I have to explain that stronger doesn't mean snappier โ€” it means earlier."

Insight framing:

Many bowlers begin with a strong idea of what they think they need, but that confidence is often built on incomplete understanding, borrowed language, or over-simplified assumptions about how ball motion actually works.

Insight 2 โ€” Bowling Ball Research Is Highly Influenced by Fast Signals and Incomplete Context
Supporting evidence:
  • buzzword hooks
  • YouTube phrase-based persuasion
  • reviews create fast assumptions
  • style mismatch makes content hard to apply
  • one strong signal can shape expectations quickly
RSM:

"They'll hear one phrase โ€” like 'great for slow speed players' โ€” and that's what hooks them."

"It's like fishing โ€” if the word fits how they see themselves, they bite."

David:

"I can't really replicate what I see. No matter how good you think you are... you're not a professional for a reason."

Duncan:

"Same bowler, different balls. That helps me actually understand how they compare."

Insight framing:

Research content influences decision-making quickly, but without relatable context or clear comparison frameworks, bowlers often struggle to determine whether what they're seeing actually applies to them.

Insight 3 โ€” Bowlers Build Confidence by Layering Multiple Forms of Validation
Supporting evidence:
  • demos
  • reviews
  • PSO input
  • family / trusted human advice
  • prior experience
  • gut feel
  • no single source is enough
David:

"I'd bet 99% want to throw the ball first rather than taking a blind shot in the dark."

"Seeking the advice from those that know more than you โ€” that's probably the number one thing that helps you get close to the right path."

Duncan:

"My dad knows my game...he'll just say, 'That one's not gonna match up.'"

Matt:

"All the info was there. I was just wrong."

Insight framing:

Confidence is rarely built through a single source โ€” bowlers stack multiple signals, opinions, and experiences together in an attempt to reduce uncertainty before buying.

Insight 4 โ€” PSOs Still Serve as the Final Layer of Translation and Trust
Supporting evidence:
  • online research creates assumptions
  • buzz and hype don't guarantee fit
  • PSOs contextualize recommendations
  • assumptions get corrected at the point of decision
  • human guidance still closes the confidence gap
RSM:

"They bring in a ball they bought online and a layout they picked โ€” and it's on the PSO to say, 'This probably won't work for you.'"

Duncan:

"I ask the shop what they think, and they'll say, 'Yeah, that one's been better for most people.'"

David:

"Seeking the advice from those that know more than you..."

Insight framing:

Confidence is rarely built through a single source โ€” bowlers stack multiple signals, opinions, and experiences together in an attempt to reduce uncertainty before buying.

Personas Created

The interview insights exposed recurring themes around comparison behavior, trust, uncertainty, and ball motion understanding. Personas were then developed to translate those themes into concrete user archetypes that could be mapped across the full buying journey.

"I want to make sure this actually fills a gap in my arsenal."

Bob โ€” The Arsenal Builder
Core motivation:

Build a complete arsenal with intentional role-based ball choices

Key friction:

Hard to understand how a new ball compares to what he already owns

"I just want something that will hook...I don't know what any of this means."

Sarah โ€” The Mis-Matcher
Core motivation:

Find a ball that works without needing to understand advanced specs

Key friction:

Confused by technical terminology and style mismatch risk

"I want my first real hook ball."

Ty โ€” The Aspiring Learner
Core motivation:

Experience meaningful hook and feel like he's leveling up

Key friction:

Doesn't understand ball motion or what makes one ball stronger than another

"I know the role I need โ€” I just need the right ball."

Chris โ€” The Advanced Optimizer
Core motivation:

Find a highly specific performance fit for competitive play

Key friction:

Too many similar options create decision overload

Persona Journeys & Experience Maps

To understand how these behavioral patterns unfold across the buying journey, each persona was mapped across moments of awareness, research, evaluation, and decision-making to surface emotional shifts, friction points, and design opportunities.

Bob Arsenal Builder journey map Sarah Mis-Matcher journey map Ty Aspiring Learner journey map Chris Advanced Optimizer journey map

Section 4: Opportunity Areas

The personas and experience maps revealed recurring friction across the buying journey โ€” from uncertainty around ball motion and lane conditions to comparison overload and lack of confidence in decision-making.

The following opportunity areas and "How Might We" questions were created to guide future ideation and product direction.

Opportunity Area 1 โ€” Translating Ball Motion & Fit

Brief explanation:

Bowlers struggled to connect specs, motion descriptions, and real-world lane behavior. Many relied on vague or borrowed terminology that didn't always align with actual fit.

Key HMW Questions
  • HMW help bowlers understand what a ball does, when it works, and who it works for?
  • HMW clarify how coverstock strength translates to actual lane behavior?
  • HMW help bowlers connect what they see on the lane with what kind of ball they should use?
Potential Directions
  • motion visualizers
  • style-first education
  • real-world reaction examples
  • lane matchup explainers

Opportunity Area 2 โ€” Arsenal Building & Comparison

Brief explanation:

More advanced bowlers struggled less with "what is this ball?" and more with "how is this meaningfully different from what I already own?"

Key HMW Questions
  • HMW help bowlers identify gaps in their arsenal?
  • HMW help bowlers compare similar options more confidently?
  • HMW show how balls complement or overlap with existing equipment?
Potential Directions
  • arsenal visualizers
  • overlap detection
  • role-based filtering
  • side-by-side comparison tools

Opportunity Area 3 โ€” Building Decision Confidence

Brief explanation:

Confidence was rarely built through one source. Bowlers layered reviews, demos, PSO advice, comparisons, and gut feel to reduce uncertainty.

Key HMW Questions
  • HMW reduce uncertainty before purchase?
  • HMW create confidence without requiring "try before buy"?
  • HMW make comparison content feel more relatable?
Potential Directions
  • same-style comparison videos
  • personalized recommendations
  • confidence-building summaries
  • contextualized review systems

Opportunity Area 4 โ€” Lane Condition Understanding

Brief explanation:

Many bowlers struggled to identify or describe the environments they regularly bowl on, making ball selection difficult from the start.

Key HMW Questions
  • HMW help bowlers identify their lane environment?
  • HMW teach lane breakdown without technical jargon?
  • HMW give bowlers useful reference points for oil and transition?
Potential Directions
  • lane condition quizzes
  • house-shot estimators
  • behavior-based lane profiling
  • transition education tools

Opportunity Area 5 โ€” Supporting PSO Collaboration

Brief explanation:

Interviews consistently revealed that PSOs still act as translators between product information and personal fit.

Key HMW Questions
  • HMW prepare bowlers to have better PSO conversations?
  • HMW create shared language between bowlers and PSOs?
  • HMW help bowlers communicate what they're seeing on the lane?
Potential Directions
  • PSO prep tools
  • printable summaries
  • shared comparison reports
  • in-shop QR experiences

Section 5: Translating Research Into Clearer Ball Motion Systems

Problem

The research revealed broader gaps in how bowling ball motion was described, compared, and understood across the buying experience.

Industry Gap

While bowlers regularly searched for reactions like "smooth," "angular," or "clean," there was no consistent framework for categorizing or comparing bowling balls by reaction type.

Ball Reaction Design System
This led to the development of a scalable ball reaction design system built around shared motion language, comparison logic, and reaction-based classification.
Motion Shape
Motion Shape

Defined the overall visual shape of ball motion โ€” from smooth, blended reactions to high-angle skid-flip motion.

This created a shared framework for discussing backend shape without relying on inconsistent buzzwords or vague comparison language.

Hook Phase Timing
Hook Phase Timing

Established where the ball begins reading the lane, helping bowlers differentiate between early traction, benchmark reads, and delayed backend motion.

This helped connect lane conditions and oil volume to reaction timing in a more understandable way.

Friction Response
Friction Response

Translated technical friction response behavior into more intuitive phrases bowlers already use in conversation โ€” like "Smooth Off The Spot" or "Responsive To Friction."

This created a clearer bridge between technical ball motion and real-world player language.

Archetype System
Archetype System

Combined motion shape, hook timing, and friction response into higher-level ball archetypes that could support browsing, comparison, pairing logic, and future recommendation systems.

This created one of the first scalable reaction-based classification frameworks for organizing bowling balls by motion type instead of only technical specs.

Building Consistency Across the Catalog
Building consistency across the catalog

As the framework was applied across the product catalog, consistent behavior relationships began emerging between shape, friction response, and timing characteristics.

Ball reaction comparison diagram
Skid flip balls consistently align with faster friction responses while smoother shapes aligned with slower friction responses.
Motion Shape Blend Controlled Moderate Quick Immediate Hook Timing
Smooth โœ… โœ… โš ๏ธ โŒ โŒ Early
Round โœ… โœ… โœ… โš ๏ธ โŒ Early โ†’ Midlane
Arc โŒ โœ… โœ… โœ… โš ๏ธ Midlane
Angular โŒ โŒ โš ๏ธ โœ… โœ… Midlane โ†’ Late
Skid Flip โŒ โŒ โŒ โœ… โœ… Late
Applications Across the Ecosystem

Once the framework established a consistent language for ball motion and comparison, it became a scalable foundation for multiple tools, educational systems, and product experiences across the ecosystem.

Matchmaker application
Matchmaker
  • Reaction Matching
  • Arsenal-Based Logic
  • Lane Context
  • Recommendations
Product pages application
Product Pages
  • Motion Metrics
  • Player Fit
  • Pairing Logic
  • Archetypes
  • Tool Tip Explanations
Filtering and navigation application
Filtering & Navigation
  • Browse by Reaction
  • Motion Categories
  • Archetype Filtering
  • Comparison Tools
Arsenal builder application
Arsenal Builder
  • Role Differentiation
  • Gap Analysis
  • Transition Strategy
  • Benchmark Logic
Product Page Enhancements

Instead of relying purely on technical specs, product pages began incorporating reaction-based classification, player-fit guidance, pairing logic, and motion visualization systems built directly from the framework.

Product page enhancements
Matchmaker Redesign (WIP)

The original matchmaker relied heavily on technical bowler specs and generalized filtering logic, creating friction for users who didn't fully understand their game, equipment, or reaction needs.

01
Matchmaker shift 1
Shift 1 โ€” From Specs โ†’ Reaction Goals

Instead of requiring bowlers to understand technical specs upfront, the redesigned experience guided users toward shared reaction goals and motion archetypes using terminology grounded in real bowling language.

02
Matchmaker shift 2
Shift 2 โ€” Arsenal-Aware Recommendations

The recommendation logic was rebuilt around the three primary decision mindsets identified in the research: replacing an existing ball, filling a gap in an existing arsenal, and trying a different reaction shape. This allowed recommendations to become more contextual instead of purely spec-driven.

03
Matchmaker shift 3
Shift 3 โ€” Existing Equipment Context

To improve recommendation accuracy, the matchmaker incorporated existing equipment context into the decision process. Instead of recommending balls in isolation, the system evaluated new options relative to a user's existing arsenal โ€” avoiding smoother, earlier, stronger, or more angular recommendations based on what they already throw.

04
Matchmaker shift 4
Shift 4 โ€” Deeper Educational Touchpoints

The redesign also introduced deeper educational pathways directly within the recommendation experience, allowing users to explore why specific balls were recommended and how different reaction characteristics related to their goals.

Try the Working Prototype

The matchmaker is live โ€” go through the full experience yourself and see how the recommendation logic plays out in practice.

Open Matchmaker โ†’
Arsenal Builder
Arsenal builder select strong ball Arsenal builder select weak ball

The Arsenal Builder translated Storm's existing arsenal matrix philosophy into a more guided and understandable selection experience using the shared reaction language established through the ball reaction framework.

Guided Selection Logic

The experience used the reaction framework to control which bowling balls appeared at different stages of the matrix process.

Consistent Reaction Classification

The shared motion framework created a more consistent way to organize and categorize bowling balls across the matrix experience.

Making an Internal System More Accessible

The project helped translate an expert-driven internal framework into a more approachable and functional experience for bowlers navigating arsenal decisions.

Try the Working Prototype

The matchmaker is live โ€” go through the full experience yourself and see how the recommendation logic plays out in practice.

Open Arsenal Builder โ†’
Filtering & Navigation

The shared reaction framework also created new opportunities for browsing and comparison by allowing bowlers to navigate equipment by reaction type instead of relying only on coverstock names, release dates, or brand familiarity.

Before
Filtering before
After
Filtering after
Reaction-Based Navigation

The framework introduced navigational pathways built around reaction archetypes such as:

  • Skid Flip Pearl
  • Early Traction Ball
  • Responsive Asym Pearl
  • Stability Benchmark

This allowed bowlers to browse equipment using the same motion language commonly used in real bowling conversations.

More Explainable Product Discovery

Instead of forcing users to interpret technical specs in isolation, the system surfaced reaction shape, hook timing, and friction response directly within browsing experiences and product cards.

This created a more understandable comparison process across similar-looking products.

Shared Language Across the Ecosystem

Because the same classification framework propagated across navigation, product pages, filtering systems, and recommendations, users could build more consistent mental models as they moved through the ecosystem.

This helped reinforce reaction terminology through repeated contextual exposure instead of isolated technical education.

Filtering navigation Filtering product cards
Filtering archetypes bar
This introduced a browsing model that is largely absent across the bowling industry, where equipment is typically organized by release date, coverstock, or manufacturer naming conventions rather than reaction behavior.

Outcome & Next Steps

The research and resulting design systems established a scalable foundation for how bowling ball motion could be described, compared, and operationalized across the ecosystem. Several systems, including the redesigned Matchmaker experience, moved into implementation and testing environments, while broader validation and organizational rollout remained ongoing.

This work influenced:

  • recommendation logic
  • product education
  • arsenal-building systems
  • reaction-based navigation
  • motion classification frameworks

Rather than functioning as isolated deliverables, the work established a shared interaction language capable of supporting future educational, recommendation, and comparison experiences across the platform.

Additional Front-End Contributions

Beyond the research and systems work โ€” here's the other high-impact work I contributed across the Storm platform.

Product Launch & Marketing Experiences

Design system screenshot
Level Bowling Ball

Custom launch page with GSAP motion and product storytelling.

Design system screenshot
Cove & Ember Bowling Ball

Interactive product experience with scroll-driven animation.

Design system screenshot
Roto Grip Triple Threat

Responsive landing page built for a seasonal product release.

Design system screenshot
Equinox Bowling Ball

Full-page campaign experience built around a new ball line.

Design system screenshot
900 Global Vengeance Takeover

Animated hero section with motion-driven product reveal.

Design system screenshot
Ion Max

Limited edition release page with countdown and launch sequence.

Performance Auditing & Optimization

Core Web Vitals ยท Asset Optimization ยท Load Performance

Before

Performance audit before

After

Performance audit after

API Integrations & Dynamic Content

REST APIs ยท Dynamic Content ยท Custom JavaScript

Building connected experiences through external APIs, dynamic content feeds, interactive tools, and custom JavaScript implementations across the Storm ecosystem.

API integration screenshot

Design Systems & Style Guide Development

Design Tokens ยท UI Patterns ยท Component Systems

Reusable design standards, UI patterns, and front-end systems that improved consistency across products, pages, and future implementations throughout the Storm platform.

CMS Migration & Platform Support

CMS Migration ยท CDN Integration ยท Front-End Refactoring

Supported the transition to a new CMS architecture โ€” restructuring front-end assets, integrating CDN-based media delivery through DigitalOcean Spaces, and maintaining consistency across migrated experiences.

01
Asset Migration

Restructured and migrated front-end assets to align with the new CMS architecture.

02
CDN Integration

Integrated DigitalOcean Spaces for optimized, CDN-based media delivery across the platform.

03
Front-End Refactoring

Updated templates, components, and page structures to align with the new platform architecture.

04
Cross-Page Consistency

Ensured visual and functional consistency across all migrated pages and experiences.

Final Reflection

Alongside my day-to-day responsibilities of maintaining and developing the Storm website โ€” including product launches, landing pages, educational experiences, and broader front-end platform work โ€” I led a large-scale UX research initiative focused on understanding what bowlers were actually looking for from the digital experience.

What began as research into website expectations and bowling ball buying behavior ultimately expanded into broader systems for education, comparison, motion language, and decision support across the Storm ecosystem.

The work helped establish more scalable ways to describe ball motion, support arsenal-building decisions, and connect technical bowling concepts to more understandable user experiences.

And while many of these systems continue to evolve, the project reinforced the value of combining UX research, systems thinking, front-end development, and domain expertise into scalable product experiences and shared motion language across the ecosystem.

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