RVILLAGE
Evolving an Online Community for Life on the Road
As the largest and most active online community for RV and road travel enthusiasts, RVillage has always strove to connect travelers wherever they are. When RVillage was acquired by THOR in 2021 and added to the Roadpass Digital suite of products, I was brought on to create a vision for this new phase and how we might evolve the brand and digital products to connect with a new generation of travelers, while continuing to foster the vibrant existing community.
Evolving the Brand
Discovery
Before being acquired by THOR, RVillage operated like most start-ups by being scrappy, putting out fires, and doing a lot with little resources. One of my first tasks was to gather research and create a foundational understanding of the current state of RVillage, as well as the market to inform future strategic decisions.
ACTIVITIES
Stakeholder interviews • Market & competitive research • Site audit • Analytics review • User surveys • User interviews
Laying the Groundwork
After synthesizing the research and obtaining a better understanding of pain points within the current experiences and opportunities to evolve the brand, I began working on an identity re-fresh to better position RVillage as a community platform for all road travel enthusiasts.
ACTIVITIES
Mood boards • Competitive research • Logo design • Color palette (WCAG 2.0 compliant) • Typography • Visual assets • Brand guidelines
Designing a New Online Experience
Experience Design
Armed with a solid understanding of the evolving market make-up and a fresh new brand, it was time to work on an updated online experience. The update would go beyond just a visual refresh to address the changing needs of the new user base. Rather than just being a way to meet fellow RVers on the road, the new RVillage would be a tool for people to curate their own communities with the knowledge and expertise relevant to their needs and interests.
ACTIVITIES
Journey Mapping • Persona Development • Site Map • Wireframe • User Flows • Visual Design• Usability Testing
OUTCOME
The past few years have shown a great change in the make-up of people who are interested in RVing as a lifestyle. It is no longer primarily retired people, but a community of all ages, backgrounds, and demographics with a shared love of exploration and adventure. This refreshed brand and product updates focused on supporting these varying users has made RVillage a more open and inclusive community.
Credits: Designers: Joey Mazzotta & Noemi Hernandez