Trek Lime

Trek is one of the strongest brands in bicycling worldwide. They chose Design Concepts to work side-by-side with their internal team to conduct research used to develop a new, innovative bicycle called Lime. Lime is specifically designed to be of interest to novice riders. By working collaboratively with Trek staff, Design Concepts’ researchers were able to train Trek staff members to conduct and analyze future research for their company.

Trek knows cycling. But their staff wanted to better understand the needs of novice riders – a new market for Trek – and create products specifically for these potential customers. With breakthrough Shimano automatic shifting technology available, Trek was ready to develop a product that would encourage new cyclists to enjoy the ride.

The novice cyclist’s user experience was evaluated from the decision to buy to the shopping experience to the actual ride. Training sessions for Trek staff, developed and led by Design Concept’s ethnographic researchers, demonstrated important information gathering techniques. In the field, shop-alongs, camera studies, interviews and surveys showcased the needs of new riders.

The research findings were fully integrated into the development process and directed the design of the Lime bike. The training provided and the ongoing research and analysis conducted by Trek established a database of information about non-expert riders available for future product design.

The Lime received the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum’s 10th National Design Awards - People's Design Award.

Watch the Video of the Award Acceptance
Read More About Lime in Design News
Read About Lime in The Wisconsin State Journal