Building a more engaging fan experience and innovating for a better race experience through data.
The IndyCar racing series is a US-based specialized racing series known for avid fans and compelling on-track drama. We were approached to develop a technology and innovation roadmap that applied existing technologies and developed new ones to drive the series into the future, creating the best possible racing experience for drivers and fans.
My Role: Team Lead, Market Research, Ethnographic Research, Interviews, Design Thinking workshop, Customer Journey Mapping, Strategic Roadmap, and Wireframes.
Market research from various sources was combined with fan interviews to establish a greater understanding on fan personas. We also utilized contextual inquiry and immersive observation while on-site at an IndyCar race in St. Petersburg to gain a deeper understanding of an in-person racing experience from the perspectives of both fans and IndyCar operations.
The ability to attend an IndyCar race and talk directly with fans and race crew while within context of an event weekend proved paramount. We were able to witness and experience not only the excitement of a race, but also some of the challenges that frustrate fans.
Many racing fans are drawn to the sport because they love the car technology and the specialized science and know-how that goes into a race. One important take-away was that there was a massive amount of interesting information and data available to be shared with the fans that would further enrich the story behind each race - but the data wasn’t getting to fans. This insight would prove to be a source of inspiration for our final direction.
Through synthesis of the ethnographic research I was able to develop a detailed Journey Map to highlight areas of opportunity to improve engagement and alleviate areas of friction for a fan attending a race. Our perspective also understood the particular challenges and opportunities that existed for a “smart venue” approach through operations.
I used this Journey Map and other collected research insights as a starting point for a 3-day design thinking workshop that I orchestrated and facilitated for 15 key client stakeholders. Using a methodical approach I led the team through a rapid design sprint resulting in critical alignment, key requirements, a low-fidelity prototype, and a strategic 5-year roadmap focused on innovating and increasing fan engagement and venue efficiencies.
Our efforts have been first implemented through improvements to the IndyCar mobile app. There is an overall improved engagement by leveraging the mobile app to help further development of race drama, as well as a vital addition of a data-driven dashboard detailing live on-board metrics from actual cars on the track during a race. This is only the beginning of the roadmap we designed.
This project is still fresh, and while I am unable to reveal all of the final outcomes at this time, I can say I feel confident that IndyCar is on track for a new generation of avid fans. (sorry, not sorry for the puns)