Triathlete in the RSS ONE wetsuit
Case study · Rocket Science Sports

Rocket Science Sports Rebuild

Rocket Science Sports landed in South Africa with a following overseas but no name here. The store it inherited talked to insiders — people who already knew the brand, the sport, their size. Trouble is, a lot of the local market didn’t. They needed help finding their feet, and they needed a reason to trust a name they’d never heard of.

RoleSole designer
ScopeStrategy · IA · UI · Front-end
PlatformShopify (live)
MarketSouth Africa entry
The brief

Build the South African store for Rocket Science Sports.

My role
  • Sole designer on the build
  • Strategy & information architecture
  • UI & front-end, AI-directed
  • Shipped live, not handed off as comps
The pivot

I followed the playbook. Then I rebuilt it.

Playing it safe meant staying close to the parent site — keep it familiar, clean up the layout, lead with the newest release. That’s the version that went live to real customers.

Then the feedback started. The client was getting calls about sizing — and returns, when people ordered the wrong size. So I sat real users in front of the live store and ran usability testing to see what else was getting in the way. People felt the suits were too pricey, because the homepage led with the most expensive one and they never saw the cheaper options. And the details they actually wanted were buried in a product page built for someone who already knew the brand. Same thing under all of it: the store still talked to insiders, not the newcomers it needed to reach.

rebuilt for trust
V1 · Shipped live — product-first
RSS V1 homepage as shipped live — VENOM grid then Featured Products leading with the R18,250 wetsuits

Stuck to the parent layout — priciest suit leads · trust comes later

V2 · The rebuild — trust-first
RSS V2 homepage rebuild — athlete spotlights and honest best-sellers, trust before product

Athletes & trust first · honest best-sellers · reviews before product

The principles

Same store, every decision re-examined.

01
Guide people to the gear that fits them, not the cheapest.
02
Organise by skill level, not by gender.
03
Earn trust before the sale.
The rebuild

Show people the way in, and a reason to trust it

Most of the local market was new to the brand and new to the sport. The rebuild guides them in and builds trust — the menu, homepage, and catalogue help them find their feet. The athletes and reviews give them a reason to trust a new name.

The parent menu is fine if you already know the brand — but it sorts a newcomer by gender before asking what they need. SA opens with a guided way in instead.

Before · Parent navigation
Parent site navigation
After · SA navigation
SA site navigation
Finding your way in
01 — The quiz

Find my wetsuit

The parent homepage shows a sport and a “Shop” button — useful once you already know what you want. SA’s homepage helps you get there: “find my wetsuit” walks you through a quick quiz, or explore the range.

Before · Parent homepage
Parent homepage hero
After · SA homepage
SA homepage hero
Live — try it

Step 1 of 4

Which wetsuit is designed for you?

Our wetsuits are tailored to different body types for the best possible fit and performance in the water.

Wetsuit designed for the female body

Designed for the female body

Cut and shaped for female anatomy

Wetsuit designed for the male body

Designed for the male body

Cut and shaped for male anatomy

Step 2 of 4

What level of athlete are you?

Be honest — there's no wrong answer. This helps us match you to the right wetsuit collection.

Entry

Entry level

New to open water or triathlon. Looking for comfort, confidence and ease of use.

Mid-range

Mid-range

Some experience under your belt. Ready to step up with more flexibility and buoyancy.

Advanced

Advanced

Consistent racer or serious swimmer. Performance and speed are your priorities.

Elite

Elite

High-level competitor. You demand technical precision and a race-day advantage.

Pro

Professional

Racing at the very highest level. Only the most advanced technology will do.

Not sure of your level? Reach out to us

Step 3 of 4

Your measurements

Enter your height and weight so we can find your exact wetsuit size.

Units

Please enter both your height and weight to continue.

SizeHeight (cm)Weight (kg)
XS142 - 16550 - 61
S157 - 17861 - 75
MS157 - 17875 - 82
MT180 - 19075 - 82
LS170 - 18575 - 82
L180 - 19080 - 90
LT183 - 20380 - 90
XL183 - 20390+
XXL183 - 203100+

When between sizes, height is the leading measurement.

Here's what we recommend

Size

-

Level

-

Collection

-

More from the collection

Get notified when available

We'll email you when this size is back in stock.

· Size
02 — The level system

Sorted by level, not price

Sorted by price, with no sign of level — the parent store does include a range from entry-level to elite, but you’d only know which is which by opening each suit. SA sorts by level, with the filters to match.

Before · Parent wetsuit catalogue page
Parent wetsuit catalogue, sorted by price
After · SA wetsuit catalogue page
SA wetsuit catalogue, sorted by level
Live — try it
Open water swimmer
Rocket Science Sports South Africa
Performance gear
for every athlete.
From first-timers to world record holders — we help you find the right gear, fitted perfectly to you.
Find my wetsuit Explore the range

Guiding someone in only counts if they trust where it leads. Rocket Science Sports was a new name here, so the rebuild earns it: real reviews, athletes who race in the kit, and a store that feels established — right down to ordering custom kit.

Customer reviews
★★★★★
“

I had no idea what size to get — completely new to triathlon. The quiz pointed me to the Entry Level suit and it fit perfectly first time. Could not believe how easy it was.

JM

Jessica M.

Age-grouperCape Town

Entry Level Wetsuit
★★★★★
“

I have raced in a lot of wetsuits over the years. The Venom is something else — the flexibility through the shoulders is unreal and I shaved two minutes off my swim split at Ironman SA.

RL

Ryan L.

Elite racerJohannesburg

Venom Wetsuit
★★★★★
“

Fast shipping to Durban and the sizing guide was spot on. The suit feels premium from the moment you put it on. My training group has all switched over now after seeing mine.

SP

Sarah P.

Mid-range athleteDurban

Aquasense Wetsuit
Athlete spotlight
SA homepage — athlete spotlights: Sam Askey-Doran and Cameron Wurf
Built to feel established

Custom kit, without the email chain

The parent ran custom orders across separate pages, with out-of-date gear and an untidy build — the wrong first impression for a new market. Mine is one clean, current flow: pick a sport, a kit line, products and quantities, done.

Before · the parent's custom flow — 9 separate pages
Parent custom-design step 8 of 9
Parent custom-design step 6 of 9
Parent custom-design step 4 of 9
Parent custom-design step 2 of 9
Parent custom-design step 1 of 9
Parent custom-design step 3 of 9
Parent custom-design step 5 of 9
Parent custom-design step 7 of 9
Parent custom-design step 9 of 9
Click any page to see it full size.
Live — try it
Step 1

Choose your sport

Select the discipline you want kitted out.

Step 2

Pick your kit line

Each line offers a different cut and feature set.

Step 3

Choose your products

Select one or more items to include in your team kit. Tap a card to add it.

Step 4

Tell us about your team

We use this to scope your design call and confirm sizes and colours.

Your selection

  • No products selected yet.

Quantities

Minimum order is 12 pieces per item. Quantities below 12 will be flagged for review.

ProductQuantity

One or more items are below the 12 piece minimum. We'll be in touch to confirm.

Your details

Design preferences

Upload your logoPNG, JPG, SVG, WebP or PDF · up to 10 MB

Thanks, we've got it.

Your enquiry's landed in our inbox. One of the team will be in touch within one business day to scope the design call.

What happens next

  1. We confirm sizes, quantities, and colours over email.
  2. You join a free design call with our team to lock in the artwork.
  3. We send a final approval mock — production starts the moment you sign off.
Earning trust
Inside the page

Every principle, on one page.

The parent product page was a price, a size dropdown, and three tabs to dig through. The SA page puts what a newcomer needs up front — their level, the right fit, what the suit is built for — and it looks the part: clean and current, the kind of page a new buyer takes seriously.

Before · Parent product page
Parent product page — bare price, size dropdown and three tabs

The decisions only matter if they land. Walk the real product page feature by feature — each one lights up as you go.

Live — interactive
Why this is better

Trusted by professional triathletes

ONE

Long-Sleeve Wetsuit
For Men Beginner Performance
R 4,650.00R 6,450.00
Save R 1,800.00
In stock — ships in 1–2 working days
MaterialYamamoto NeopreneColourBlack / Blue
Size: S
S M L XL 2XL
−1+
✓ Add to cart
Buy it now →
RSS ONE long-sleeve wetsuit
‹ ONE LS wetsuit front ONE LS wetsuit view 1 ONE LS wetsuit view 2 ONE LS wetsuit view 3 ONE LS wetsuit view 4 ONE LS wetsuit view 5 ONE LS wetsuit view 6 ›

Starting out in triathlon or open water swimming can feel intimidating. The RSS ONE is built to make that first step easier — and to take you well beyond it.

Balanced buoyancy keeps you in a better swimming position. Flexible materials let you move freely. The result is a wetsuit that stays out of your way so you can focus on your swim, not your gear. Real triathlon performance, without the elite-level price tag.

Buoyancy: Strategically placed panels lift your hips and legs, reducing drag and improving body position in the water.

Flexibility: Stretch zones at the shoulders and arms allow a full, unrestricted swimming stroke.

Warmth: 3mm neoprene construction keeps you comfortable in colder open water.

Fit: Anatomical cut designed for triathlon performance — snug without restriction.

Designed for: Beginner to intermediate triathletes, open water swimmers, and athletes training for their first race.

Three neoprene thicknesses, each placed for a reason — buoyancy where you need lift, flex where you need reach. Hover a thickness to see where it sits.

Hover a thickness above to see what it does.

Find your size using your height and weight. Between sizes? Going down gives a faster, race-focused fit. Going up gives more comfort and ease of movement.

If you fall between standard sizes, our + sizes offer alternative proportions. Message us via the chat box for a personal fit recommendation.

SizeHeightWeightChest
How to measure: Stand straight, measure chest at the widest point with a relaxed breath. Use cm for accuracy.
Still not sure of your size?
Take the size quiz Chat with us

Rinse in fresh water after every use. Hang dry inside-out, away from direct sun. Never machine wash, tumble dry, or store wet.

Free shipping on orders over R 1,500 within South Africa. Standard delivery 2-5 business days.

30-day return window for unworn items in original packaging. See our full returns policy for details.

Free shipping on orders over R 1,500
30-day easy returns
Need help? Chat with our team
The system

What the store is built from

One set of colours, type and parts — pulled straight from the live store, reused on every page so the whole thing feels like one place.

Components, working
Sale ONE Men’s Long-Sleeve Wetsuit

ONE Men's Long-Sleeve Wetsuit

R 4,650.00

R 6,450.00

Buttons & filters

Variants

Primary · every action
Secondary · outline
Disabled
Brand · sale only

States

Default · #000
Hover · #333
Done · #2E7D32

Responsive

Desktop / tablet · 12px · 12×28
Mobile ≤600 · 11px · 10×18

Filter pill — states

Default
Hover · #f8f8f8
Active · #000
See-all button · outline variant

Black is the action. Every button, active state and heading is #000; red is reserved for brand & sale, never a default control. RSS resizes at one breakpoint (~600px) — tablet shares the desktop size.

Badges, pills & states

Corner badges

SaleRed #EE221E · hover #cc1a17
Out of stockGrey #555 · non-interactive
Your matchQuiz result · red #EE221E

Level pills (quiz)

Entry Green tint
Mid-range Blue #1565C0
Advanced Purple tint
Elite Orange tint
Pro Black pill

Level pill — responsive

EntryDesktop / tablet · 10px · min-width 88
EntryMobile ≤600 · 8.5px · min-width 64

Product state chips

In stock#E8F5E9 / #2E7D32 · = Entry
Pre-order#E3F2FD / #1565C0 · = Mid
Unavailable#FFF8F0 / #6B5430 · quiz note
Form controls
Unit toggle
Text input
Progress steps
✓ ✓ 3 4
Foundations
Colour

Core

Ink
Actions, active, headings
#000000
White
Base surface
#FFFFFF
Surface
Card info panel
#F3F5F9
Brand red
Brand, SALE, red CTA
#EE221E
Success
Added! confirmation
#2E7D32

The grey ladder — hover a step

#333
#555
#666
#777
#888
#999
#aaa
#bbb
#ccc
#ddd
#e0e0e0
#E6E6E6
#e8e8e8
#ebebeb
#f0f0f0
#f5f5f5

Level tints — quiz pills, bg + text

Entry#E8F5E9 / #2E7D32
Mid-range#E3F2FD / #1565C0
Advanced#EDE7F6 / #4527A0
Elite#FFF3E0 / #E65100
Pro#000000 / #FFFFFF

Product-state tints

In stock
#E8F5E9 / #2E7D32 · = Entry green
Pre-order
#E3F2FD / #1565C0 · = Mid-range blue
Unavailable
#FFF8F0 / #6B5430 / border #F0DCC0
Typography

One face across the whole store: Poppins, weights 400 to 900.

What level of athlete are you?
Quiz title · 24px / 700
Entry Level — ONE
Section title · 19px / 800
R 4,650.00
Price · 13px / 600
Answer a few questions and we'll match you to the right wetsuit for your level.
Subhead / body · 13px / 400 · #555
ONE Men's Long-Sleeve Wetsuit
Card name · 12px / 700
Filter by level
Label / eyebrow · 11px / 600 · uppercase .15em · #999
Sale
Badge · 9px / 700 · uppercase .06em

Weight ramp

Poppins is the only face

Ag
400 Regular
Ag
500 Medium
Ag
600 Semibold
Ag
700 Bold
Ag
800 Extrabold
Ag
900 Black
The close

It’s live. And it’s growing.

The rebuild is live on Shopify. Everything in this case study — the level-first store, the quiz, the custom-kit configurator, the rebuilt product page — is built and running, not a concept. And like any store that’s actually used, it keeps moving — a couple of improvements are already on the way.

Live now

  • Level-first store & collections
  • The wetsuit-finder quiz
  • The rebuilt product page
  • The custom-kit configurator
  • Logo upload in the configurator

What’s next

  • The blogPlanned

    A content section is next up — ready to design once the client locks their content direction.

That’s the job — ship the real thing inside the constraints you’re handed, then keep going.

View the live store