Mountain Equipment Coop
Reframing the Outdoors as Accessible
MEC had long been associated with technical outdoor pursuits like backcountry camping and mountaineering. They wanted to broaden that perception and show that getting outside could mean a lot more.
The opportunity was to make outdoor activity feel more accessible, whether that meant a casual hike, bike ride, patio, music event, or exploring somewhere new in the city.
Role
Lead Product Designer
Focus
Content Experience Design, Discovery UX, Editorial Systems, Audience Engagement, Content Strategy
Stage
Discovery, Experience Strategy, Content Architecture, Interaction Design
Collaborators
Marketing Teams, Campaign Stakeholders, Content Strategists, Creative Teams, Developers
Product Tension
Making the outdoors feel more accessible
For many people, outdoor activities can feel intimidating. You might not know where to go, what to bring, how difficult something will be, or whether you're prepared for it.
MEC wanted to remove some of that uncertainty while giving people more reasons to get outside.
The experience needed to inspire people, but also give them enough practical information to feel confident actually doing something.
Key Experience Design
Designing for confidence and discovery
I worked across UX strategy, content architecture, discovery patterns, and experience concepts.
One of the most important ideas was that inspiration alone wasn't enough. If someone found an activity they wanted to try, we needed to make the next step feel easy.
Guides included practical details like where to park, what to bring, how difficult an activity was, how much time to allow, and anything else someone should know before heading out.
The goal was to answer the small questions that can otherwise become reasons not to go.
Inspiration without intimidation
The visual and editorial approach also needed to feel aspirational without making the outdoors seem like it was only for experienced adventurers.
We deliberately broadened the kinds of activities, people, and environments represented throughout the experience. Getting outside could be ambitious, but it could also be simple, social, and close to home.
Discovering something that fits
We also explored different ways to help people find activities beyond traditional categories.
Inspired partly by Spotify playlists, activities could be organized around what someone felt like doing or the kind of experience they wanted.
This created a more natural way to browse, particularly for people who didn't already know what activity they were looking for.
Outcome
A more inclusive outdoor narrative
The platform launched as part of MEC's Good Times Outside campaign, alongside live events, influencer participation, and city guides across Canada.
The work created a scalable framework for outdoor discovery while helping MEC present a broader idea of what getting outside could look like.
For me, the project reinforced how reducing uncertainty can be just as important as creating inspiration. Sometimes getting someone to try something new is less about convincing them and more about giving them enough information to feel comfortable starting.
© 2026 Nelson Leung in Canada.