Independent Racing
the brief
The core objective was to launch a specialized Supermoto leather suit that offered an outstanding fit for the purpose, delivering a level of quality at a price point that would completely outperform the existing competition. (Supermoto is a form of motorcycle racing, but also used to label the style of certain road legal bikes.)
Because racing and motorcycle riding are highly expensive hobbies, the target audience is mostly price-sensitive. At the same time, they are used to fast, instant online shopping experiences.
Same-sized competitors mostly fail to meet these expectations. They rely on ordinary, loud marketing and sell unbranded gear. Their websites offer little to no actual product information, forcing customers into slow, complicated email chains just to place an order.
This lack of transparency leads to severe communication friction and constant misunderstandings.
To successfully capture this market, I needed to eliminate all friction points, create a great product while protecting the profit margin.
The task was to define an easy-to-use storefront-to-factory workflow that feels natural to the customer upfront on the website, and is easy to work with on the backend.
the solution
As a completely new entry into the market, we needed to stand out by creating an exceptional customer experience built around an intuitive online product configurator.
I established a fitting brand identity around the MI-6 Supermoto Suit (MI-6 SMS), using the Indpenedent Racing palette and the tagline – “…because riding should be fun”.
This approach completely overhauls the traditional custom gear process.
I began by designing a fully functional prototype in Adobe XD, which a specialized agency directly implemented into an intuitive online configurator.
To maximize customer autonomy, all essential information regarding sizing, materials, and protectors was integrated directly into the product page using clear tabs and collapsible menus. By answering every potential question upfront, we eliminated the need for manual support, resulting in only about 1 out of every 15 orders requiring an email inquiry.
On the backend, I engineered a master template in Adobe Illustrator using smart objects and symbols. This system reduces a tedious, hour-long design process down to a few minutes, allowing one to generate full custom layouts with maximum efficiency.
Customers receive a clean 2D graphic within 72 hours to verify their configuration. Once approved, the template easily converts into a production file for the manufacturer, ensuring zero unnecessary delays.
To establish a premium market presence, I replaced cheap industry visuals with unconventional, high-end visuals.
I then carried this distinct branding into a memorable unboxing experience featuring custom dual-purpose packaging, personalized thank you cards, and a large-logo gear bag designed for organic paddock visibility.
Through these measures, all the friction points found with competitors were completely eliminated, creating a smooth, running system that secures a flawless ordering and production workflow where all potential communication errors are removed.
The live configurator can be found here on the Independent Racing webshop.
the background
Back in 2010, during my studies at the university, I was already involved with Supermoto leather suits at Independent Racing, mostly within the sourcing of manufacturers, choosing materials and that the production models looked like the drawings (at that time standard sizes, not taylor made).
Production though was canceled in 2013 due to complex manufacturing issues overseas. My personal need for a new suit in 2023 completely ignited the idea.
Independent Racing already had a reliable glove manufacturer delivering great quality, so I decided to order a few custom, made-to-measure prototype suits for myself and a few friends, based on the still availbale drawings from 2010.
I was absolutely blown away by the result. The precision fit and the incredible build quality at an unbeatable price were completely unprecedented — miles ahead of the manufacturing struggles I had faced years prior in Pakistan and the current competition.
This unexpected level of excellence was the exact trigger that made me want to take the project entirely into my own hands.
Working on this ecosystem two years later was a massive wake-up call. It was the first time since university that I was doing creative work with an actual purpose again.
As I was still working in administration, this was basically my personal „side project“ I had to finish (on my part) within the two lowest months of the season, after work hours.
After completing all the tasks of this project, it made me realize I wanted to leave my current occupation behind for good and pivot toward a more versatile career in design, marketing, and storytelling. At the same time, it became clear that I didn’t want to limit myself to the motorcycle industry, as I felt its traditional design language was simply too restrictive for the kind of diverse creative work I wanted to pursue.