Axelerant PADI Digital Overhaul · Framework
How we map segments, scenarios & user flows

Segments, Scenarios & User Flows
The Framework

A single, repeatable method for following any diver through PADI's system as they complete a real task — so design can be evaluated against agreed user needs, and every touchpoint's release and rationale is visible before the November 2026 launch.

Primary audiencePADI design leadership
Grounded inGA4 funnel data + Border UX research
Anchored toNov '26 Release 1 (web)
01 — PURPOSE

Why this framework exists

The framework fuses the two artifacts requested at PADI into one. It produces a Segments & Scenarios view — the key user segments and the usage scenarios tied to each — and a User Flow Diagram that follows a single segment through the entire system as they complete one scenario. Together they let PADI's teams check design work against agreed user needs and confirm coverage before go-live.

Built for the business & coverage view

Is the scenario fully covered, and will it convert?

Every flow shows the complete path to a commercial outcome and which touchpoints ship at launch — so it's clear "everything is covered before we launch." Each step is tied back to GA4 funnel evidence.

Built for the design rationale view

Why does each touchpoint sit where it does?

Beneath every flow sits the rationale through a narrative — the reasoning, the open questions still to resolve, and the assumptions made — grounded in Border UX research signals.

02 — STRUCTURE

The taxonomy: four levels

Every flow is located precisely in a four-level hierarchy. SegmentAuth stateSub-segmentScenario. The three segments map directly to PADI's three signature journeys; crossing them with two authentication states yields six primary flows.

Segment ↓ / Auth →
Non-Logged-In
Logged-In
Potential DiverStart Diving
Anonymous first-timer discovering diving via social or AI; converts to a first course.1 UFD
Known prospect resuming a saved course path inside MyPADI.1 UFD
Active / Lapsed DiverKeep Diving
Returning visitor (eCard before a trip, finding the next dive) not yet signed in.1 UFD
Certified diver in MyPADI — logging dives, continuing education, Club, Travel.1 UFD
Pro / OperatorTeach Diving
Aspiring instructor or operator researching the path before any login.1 UFD
Instructor / shop in MyPADI Pro — onboarding students, tracking, renewing.1 UFD

Within each segment, sub-segments are behavioural refinements, and a scenario is the specific task the diver completes end-to-end. The sub-segments below are drawn from the research personas and journey work.

Potential Diver
Start Diving
Unaware Adventurerdiscovers via travel content
Reluctant Explorercurious, needs reassurance
Fear-Driven First-Timerhigh-barrier market, in-language
Family Dive Discoveryparent + child, age-gated
Active / Lapsed Diver
Keep Diving
Eager Explorerdives again immediately
Social Diverneeds community to stay engaged
Casual Diverat risk of drifting away
Lapsed Diverreactivation candidate (ReActivate)
Pro / Operator
Teach Diving
Aspiring InstructorDiveMaster → IDC → IE → Instructor
Teaching Instructoronboarding & certifying students
Dive Shop Operatorenrolment & roster workflows
03 — ANATOMY

How to read a single flow

Every User Flow Diagram is built the same way. A left-to-right spine runs from the real entry point to a conversion; each stage breaks into 3–5 finer task-level steps; two lanes separate what ships from what's deferred; and two lenses sit beneath. The schematic below is illustrative.

4Live flow · Nov '26 — connected, ships at launch
1Entry
Real first contact — often off-PADI (social, AI, search)
2Journey point
Task step
Task step
Task step
2Journey point
Task step
Task step
3Conversion
Course purchase → MyPADI
5Parked · later — sits beneath the stage it attaches to
Deferred touchpoints (deeper integrations, CDP personalisation, conversational agent, mobile) — parked, not connected into the live flow.
6Business & Coverage
Why each step matters for conversion and whether the scenario is covered before launch — tied to GA4 funnel data.
7Rationale · Questions · Assumptions
The narrative, open questions, and assumptions behind each touchpoint — grounded in Border UX research.
04 — CONVENTIONS

The shared conventions

Three conventions make every flow consistent and comparable, so a reader who learns one flow can read them all.

Release tagging — live vs parked

Live (Nov '26): ships in Release 1 — web-only: padi.com on Drupal 11, the design system, the MyPADI shell, and SEO/AEO + CRO groundwork.

Parked (later): deferred or dependent on deeper integration — CDP personalisation, the conversational agent, the unified mobile app.

Two lenses, kept separate

Business & Coverage answers "why it matters and is it covered." Rationale · Questions · Assumptions answers "why it's designed this way and what's unresolved." Both appear beneath every flow.

Evidence model

GA4 Current-state funnel indicators: ~20M+ top-of-funnel visitors, 25–27 day web lead time vs 10–11% mobile volume, 60% of Dive Centers without eCommerce.

Border UX Qualitative research — 51 in-depth interviews + 1,000+ surveys. Directional signals, not statistically precise.

05 — COVERAGE

What the framework produces

Applying the framework across the matrix yields six primary User Flow Diagrams, each spanning its sub-segments and scenarios — a complete, auditable coverage map for the November 2026 launch.

Six primary flows · all sub-segments

Each cell below is one User Flow Diagram, built on the identical template shown in this document.

Potential · Non-Logged-In
Start Diving
4 sub-segments · drafted
Potential · Logged-In
Start Diving
next
Active · Non-Logged-In
Keep Diving
planned
Active · Logged-In
Keep Diving
planned
Pro · Non-Logged-In
Teach Diving
planned
Pro · Logged-In
Teach Diving
planned

Merging Human Creativity With AI

One framework, applied consistently across every diver, every scenario, and every release decision — so PADI's teams can evaluate design against real user needs with confidence.

Strategy · Design · Build · Grow
Prepared for PADI design leadership as the primary audience.  GA4 = current-state funnel indicators. Border UX = qualitative research (51 in-depth interviews, 1,000+ surveys); figures are directional signals, not statistically precise measurements.  Release 1 scope is web-only and anchored to the November 2026 milestone. · Axelerant Digital Overhaul · Framework reference