Adventure Wagon

Van Configurator

Adventure Wagon is a leading company in the adventure van outfitting space, filling the gap between DIY van builds and expensive custom solutions. We developed an immersive 3D custom van configurator for them, allowing customers to visualize their dream van in real-time, thus lowering perceived barriers to cost and expertise.

Focus:

Product Management

Behavioral Design

My Role

I acted as both a Project Manager and UX Strategist on this project, responsible for overseeing the design and implementation of the custom configurator.

Conducted user research and strategizing user flows, including prototyping entry points into the configurator and the checkout process.
Ran workshops that examined everything from technical requirements (like real-time rendering capabilities) to user engagement strategies (like reducing decision fatigue).
Establish and document all technical requirements through collaboration with our client, developers, and 3D artist.

Overview

The Opportunity

The custom van market is rapidly growing, but many potential buyers are intimidated by the complexity of van builds. Most competitors either require costly custom solutions or DIY approaches that are time-consuming and technical. Adventure Wagon’s goal was to break down these barriers and offer a solution that would simplify and accelerate the decision-making process for new van owners.

The Goals

Engage customers in the adventure lifestyle through interactive 3D configurations.
Simplify the buying process with an intuitive interface for building vans.
Reduce drop-offs by allowing users to envision their fully customized van.
Educate the user on the options and products available.

The Solution

We created a dynamic 3D configurator that lets users build out their dream adventure van with full customizability.

Partnered with a 3D artist for real-time rendering, letting users see their van evolve with each customization to boost engagement and excitement.
Offered pre-built packages and full customization options, catering to diverse audiences and allowing flexibility in decision-making involvement.
Designed a subway navigation, tooltips, and modals to guide users while providing flexibility, helping them navigate choices without cognitive overload.
Added a Gear Shop upsell opportunity after the configurator, letting users add finishing touches and additional products to their custom van.

The Outcome

Adventure Wagon’s launch of a fully customizable 3D configurator set a new industry standard, giving them a significant competitive edge. This innovation not only enhanced customer engagement but also positioned Adventure Wagon as a market leader in customization and customer education.

Detailed metrics available upon request.

The Process

Let’s get into it.

The Process

Research & Discovery

Competitor Analysis

While competitors in adjacent industries, like custom bikes, offered simple configurators, the van industry was severely lacking in this area. The few configurators that existed were limited to pre-fabbed options or required DIY builds, neither of which catered to the Adventure Wagon audience—new van owners seeking a guided but custom solution. By offering a fully customizable 3D configurator, Adventure Wagon could leapfrog competitors and provide a truly engaging, educational experience.

Audience Definition

Adventure Wagon’s audience is diverse, ranging from young families seeking outdoor adventure, to empty nesters looking to recapture the thrill of travel, to hardcore outdoor enthusiasts. Despite their different backgrounds, the common thread was clear: a desire for convenience, adventure, and a way to customize their van without becoming overwhelmed by the technicalities.

The Process

Ideation & Prototyping

User Flow

One of the key challenges we tackled was how to balance a linear configurator experience with the flexibility to jump between steps. Adventure Wagon’s audience needed to feel guided but not constrained. We designed an experience that allowed users to start with a pre-built package or configure from scratch while ensuring they could move back and forth between stages without losing their progress. This kept the configurator dynamic and engaging, avoiding the trap of making it feel like a transactional form.

Our client provided a rough map of all available customizations for each package. This gave us a sense of the scale of the configurator which helped us in organizing and prioritizing options and information.

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Where to begin? We determined that most users will already own the van they’d like to customize, so we placed van selection ahead of package selection.

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A secondary path that starts with packages allows users to easily compare features side-by-side before customizing.

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Wireframes & Prototypes

Wireframes showcased how each step in the van customization process would unfold, from selecting a base van model to choosing individual components. We integrated educational tooltips and visual cues to ensure users were never left in the dark about what each option entailed. Every decision was driven by the need to keep the user invested in the customization process, avoiding decision fatigue while still offering a robust range of choices.

We developed a subway navigation to provide an overview of all customization options. The path through the configurator is linear by default but users can skip around to explore and make changes.

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We determined what information is critical to decision making and what is supplementary. Supplementary information was hidden in a modal, providing any needed additional details without leaving the configurator.

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We chose to place install options (third party or DIY) at the end, keeping the focus on the fantasy of the dream van build.

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3D Renderings

To elevate the configurator’s visual impact, we partnered with Samuel Costa, a digital artist specializing in real-time 3D rendering. Every configuration option—from paneling and color choices to seating arrangements—was reflected in real-time, allowing users to see their van evolve with each decision. This feature was a game-changer, making the process not only functional but also fun and aspirational. The challenge here was managing the sheer volume of options and ensuring that the 3D rendering engine could handle the permutations without sacrificing performance.

The Results

How it all came together.

Post-Launch

User Feedback & Refinement

Post-launch, we continuously monitored user feedback and refined the configurator based on real-world usage. This iterative process kept the configurator at the forefront of usability while continuing to meet Adventure Wagon’s business goals.

We saw an opportunity for a la carte products at the end of the configurator. We learned that — by this stage — customers were all-in on outfitting their van and would be open to additional products.

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This also led to the creation of the Gear Shop, a dedicated ecommerce section of the Adventure Wagon website.

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By modifying the navigation, users could easily switch between the configurator portion of the website and the Gear Shop with a unified checkout for both..

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