Main Task
Add a desired product in your recommended size to your shopping cart.
Design Process
To create a better user experience and lasting value, I went back to the basics and approached the problem space using the 6 (six) stages of the UX design process.
User-Centered Approach
Understand
Research
Analyse
Ideate
Implement
(Test)
(Test)
Prototype
Yankee App is an AI-enabled e-commerce store for the best fashion in the right fit, with a personalized shopping experience for online shoppers.
Timeline
9 weeks
9 weeks
Role
User Research, User Testing
Prototyping, Branding,
and UI Design
User Research, User Testing
Prototyping, Branding,
and UI Design
Design tools:
Project Information
Amount of merchandize
returned as a % of Online Sales
$102 Billion
18.1%
$565 Billion
Average
NRF 2020 US Online Sales
Source
$12.4 Billion
Amount of Apparel items returned
12.2%
(Apparel)
(Apparel)
Source
Millennials and Gen Xers, are the largest group of digital buyers in the United States. As of February 2020, this particular demographic group accounts for a total of 37.4 percent.
Online Shoppers
20.2% Milennials | 17.2% Gen Xers
20.2% Milennials | 17.2% Gen Xers
Problem Space
Since the invention of clothing, sizing issues have most likely been a problem. And, as a result of so much shopping being shifted online during the pandemic, apparel returns have skyrocketed.
E-commerce accounted for $565 billion of total retail sales in the United States in 2020. A total of $102 billion in merchandise was returned online, with 12.2 percent labeled as "apparel items."
Today, the majority of online shoppers use size charts, and nearly half of all Americans still buy products online with the intention of returning some of them.
This frustration, as well as the fear of getting the wrong fit, discourages online shoppers from trying on different styles, resulting in lower revenue for the retailer due to high return rates.
E-commerce accounted for $565 billion of total retail sales in the United States in 2020. A total of $102 billion in merchandise was returned online, with 12.2 percent labeled as "apparel items."
Today, the majority of online shoppers use size charts, and nearly half of all Americans still buy products online with the intention of returning some of them.
This frustration, as well as the fear of getting the wrong fit, discourages online shoppers from trying on different styles, resulting in lower revenue for the retailer due to high return rates.
Video by: RODNAE Productions from Pexels
Defining the Problem
“How Might We help millennial online shoppers buy their correct apparel fit, to reduce the rate of returns?”
As an online shopper, I can attest to this. I've experienced disappointment and frustration as a result of the return process. As a result, I understand and sympathize. However, before diving into problem-solving mode, one of the most important steps in design thinking is defining the problem I'm trying to solve for the user based on problem space findings.
The Research Process
User Interviews
In order to gain qualitative and quantitative insights from the target audience, I conducted my primary research using the interview method. This research method allows me to ask open-ended questions and gain insight into the users' pain points and motivations.
Three interviews with millennials (target users) were conducted, during which interviewees were asked about their online clothing habits and what matters most to them during their shopping experience.
Three interviews with millennials (target users) were conducted, during which interviewees were asked about their online clothing habits and what matters most to them during their shopping experience.
The common insights from the interviews are:
Milennial shoppers aren’t confident using the online size charts/guides.
🚚
📐
🤗
Milennial shoppers want free delivery.
Milennial shoppers are always looking for the best deals, offers and sales.
“I find it hard to remember my body measurement to use against the size chart”
- Interviewee
Competitors
I looked into the solutions to this problem to gain a better understanding of the current state of online apparel returns. In an extremely competitive market, I realized that many online stores still use a static sizing chart, which causes a lot of frustration.
However, digital solutions such as Augmented Reality, taking photos with a mobile app, having customers enter sizing information, or having a quick body scan are all available.
However, digital solutions such as Augmented Reality, taking photos with a mobile app, having customers enter sizing information, or having a quick body scan are all available.
Fit Finder (by Fit Analytics)
An app that lets shoppers enter information on a retailer’s website and then makes product recommendations of the best-fitting items.
An app that lets shoppers enter information on a retailer’s website and then makes product recommendations of the best-fitting items.
Kiwi Sizing: E-commerce plugin designed to make sizing easy by offering stylish size charts and easy-to-use fit recommenders that let shoppers know what is the best size to purchase.
MySizeID: Aggregates and analyses data from brands’ sizing charts, inventory software, a proprietary anthropometric database and the user’s own measurements taken with their smart-phone sensor, creating a unique profile.
Fit:Match: Physical and Digital Merging
A virtual fitting experience, solution uses
biometric and style preference data to match shoppers with the apparel products that fit them, and hides the ones that don’t. Integrated with the brand's website.
A virtual fitting experience, solution uses
biometric and style preference data to match shoppers with the apparel products that fit them, and hides the ones that don’t. Integrated with the brand's website.
Persona
Experience Map
After synthesizing my research findings, I created Yinka Pearce, a primary persona for the digital solution who incorporates the needs, goals, and observed behavior patterns of the target audience. To keep all decisions user-centered, I would constantly refer back to my persona.
Also included is an experience map that examines my target persona's experience shopping for new clothing with the goal of identifying touch-points, channels, and pain points, which will help reveal current gaps, misalignments, and opportunities for my design intervention.
With this new understanding, I re-aligned my problem question, as this issue affects anyone who wants to buy clothing online, not just millennials and Gen Xers. As Gen Z's purchasing power grows in the coming years, it will become increasingly important to reach out to them. These digitally savvy generations are eager to try out new shopping methods.
“How Might We make it easier for online shoppers to find the right fit and buy clothings confidently?”
Video by cottonbro from Pexels
Task Development
User goal
I created 20+ user stories around the user's interaction with potential product functionalities, keeping my persona's goal in mind.
I divided the user stories into epics (similar categorizations or groupings of related user stories), identifying the core epic that best reflected the product value proposition.
I divided the user stories into epics (similar categorizations or groupings of related user stories), identifying the core epic that best reflected the product value proposition.
To confidently buy fashion products online without worrying about sizing or fit, and to avoid the hassle of returns.
Task flow
Photo by Jules D. on Unsplash
Ideation
Solution Concept
After some brainstorming, I decided to return to the basics of fashion for my solution idea. Prior to the advent of technology, going to a tailor/fashion designer was the most reliable way of getting proper and accurate fit for apparel, and regardless of your body shape, height, or size, the most important thing to a fashion designer is your body measurement.
A fashion designer can come up with many designs/styles in your perfect fit based on a single body measurement, unless your body changes, in which case you will need to provide updated information.
Fast forward to the modern era, and with the development of AI-powered engines, we can now combine this old-school process with Artificial Intelligence to constantly recommend the best fit for users based on their most recent body measurements. Also, utilizing the concept of an online mobile wallet, which allows users to save their credit card credentials as a one-time task for re-use at any time, resulting in a better payment experience for users.
If implemented properly, this simple solution idea will vastly improve the user experience of online shoppers and reduce the likelihood of customer return.
There may be a variety of styles, sizes, metrics, or manufacturer's specifications, but the customer's body measurement remains constant.
A fashion designer can come up with many designs/styles in your perfect fit based on a single body measurement, unless your body changes, in which case you will need to provide updated information.
Fast forward to the modern era, and with the development of AI-powered engines, we can now combine this old-school process with Artificial Intelligence to constantly recommend the best fit for users based on their most recent body measurements. Also, utilizing the concept of an online mobile wallet, which allows users to save their credit card credentials as a one-time task for re-use at any time, resulting in a better payment experience for users.
If implemented properly, this simple solution idea will vastly improve the user experience of online shoppers and reduce the likelihood of customer return.
There may be a variety of styles, sizes, metrics, or manufacturer's specifications, but the customer's body measurement remains constant.
“There may be a variety of styles, sizes, metrics, or manufacturer's specifications, but the customer's body measurement remains constant.”
Sketches
I sketched out the various required screens based on the main task flow and later converted them into mid-fidelity wireframes. As you can see below...
Digital Wireframes
Usability Testing
I conducted two rounds of usability tests with ten users as part of the design process to get practical, real-time feedback. At the end of each round of testing, I was able to gather information that was used to improve the design and user experience. This included not only the visuals but also the tone of voice and the words used.
Start page
Body measurement pages
Create account page
user onboarding pages
Home page
Product display and details page
Choosing the Operating System
Source
According to Stat Counter, the Apple iOS operating system was used by 59.97 percent of mobile device users in the United States as of March 2021.
With this information in mind, designing for iOS mobile devices first is the best course of action.
With this information in mind, designing for iOS mobile devices first is the best course of action.
You can use the view the mid-fidelity wireframes using the button below
Visual Identity
Brand Identity
After revisiting the persona's goal, I created a mood board with keywords for the brand's personality. I chose a mood that was appropriate for the situation.
Brand Personality
Simplicity, Clean, Stylish, Hip, Inclusive,
Modern, and Cool.
Brand Personality
Simplicity, Clean, Stylish, Hip, Inclusive,
Modern, and Cool.
Colour Palette
Typography
Wordmark Creation
The extracted colours in the mood board were used to create this core set of colours.
In general, "Secondary/Accent colours" work well as background colours or as pop colours in illustrations or design elements like text highlights.
In general, "Secondary/Accent colours" work well as background colours or as pop colours in illustrations or design elements like text highlights.
Comfortaa, a stylish, modern, rounded geometric sans-serif type design intended for large sizes, is the font I chose for this brand. It's completely free.
The use of correct and consistent typography is critical in establishing a strong brand identity while also expressing the brand's spirit.
The use of correct and consistent typography is critical in establishing a strong brand identity while also expressing the brand's spirit.
I chose ‘Yankee' as the brand name after brainstorming and generating many potential names. Yankee /yang.kee/ - Simply put, it refers to anyone from the United States. It's also my wife's nickname, which served as the inspiration for the design.
The Yankee wordmark should be reproduced in one-color, Yankee black whenever possible (0F0E0D). It can also be used in Yankee white (FAFAFA) when the Yankee black isn't working. On imagery, for example, we should use white.
Please note: In all instances the wordmark should only be used in Yankee black and white colours, as shown below with a clear contrast and good legibility against the background.
Please note: In all instances the wordmark should only be used in Yankee black and white colours, as shown below with a clear contrast and good legibility against the background.
Primary brand colours
Secondary brand colours
High Fidelity Prototype
Yankee App is an AI-enabled
e-commerce store for the best fashion in the right fit, and a personalized shopping experience for online shoppers.
e-commerce store for the best fashion in the right fit, and a personalized shopping experience for online shoppers.
Multi Platform Integration
As an e-commerce site where customers can buy products or look for fashion inspiration. I thought about how the app might look on a tablet device as another way to improve the user experience.
Shop in your right size all the time
No more guessing, no more returns
Scroll
Shop more with
confidence, and better
experience
Responsive Website
Marketing Website
I designed a responsive marketing website to communicate the value proposition as well as to market the app. This also gives you the chance to give prospective users more information about the app.
Design Impact and Future Thinking
The goal was to allow online shoppers to buy fashion products with confidence, without having to worry about sizing or fit, and without having to deal with the hassle of returns.
This simple solution, if properly implemented, will save our users time in determining the correct size to purchase, as well as the hassle of returns, resulting in them becoming loyal customers who will return to shop.
This simple solution, if properly implemented, will save our users time in determining the correct size to purchase, as well as the hassle of returns, resulting in them becoming loyal customers who will return to shop.
For phygital experience, it would be critical to develop and implement an algorithm that can effectively analyze user data, sort products, and accurately recommend sizes to users.
We can go even further if the implementation goes well by allowing users to add multiple body profiles so they can shop for friends and family.
For the business model, I believe we can implement a pricing strategy to generate revenue and cover the cost of free delivery with other compelling value propositions offered to registered users.
We can go even further if the implementation goes well by allowing users to add multiple body profiles so they can shop for friends and family.
For the business model, I believe we can implement a pricing strategy to generate revenue and cover the cost of free delivery with other compelling value propositions offered to registered users.
Gen Z is our most recent generation, and while their population won't peak for another ten years, I see them as the primary influencers today, influencing both millennials and Gen Xers in terms of what they buy. They will undoubtedly reach scale in the next ten to fifteen years in terms of size, but it is their influence today that matters.
As Gen Z's purchasing power grows in the coming years, it will become increasingly important to reach out to them. These digitally savvy generations are eager to try out new shopping methods.
Gen Z values online social interactions, price and delivery convenience, and societal good across a wide range of topics.
For these omni-channel shoppers to succeed now and in the future, it will be critical to learn from the past, study trends, improve the product, and create the best overall experiences.
As Gen Z's purchasing power grows in the coming years, it will become increasingly important to reach out to them. These digitally savvy generations are eager to try out new shopping methods.
Gen Z values online social interactions, price and delivery convenience, and societal good across a wide range of topics.
For these omni-channel shoppers to succeed now and in the future, it will be critical to learn from the past, study trends, improve the product, and create the best overall experiences.
Tarot Card of Tech: The Forgotten
View Similar Projects
Hello, my name is . You can reach me via my email address at , and my brief message to you is
Don’t be a stranger, say hello.
You can also reach out to me on
LinkedIn
Web designed with love using Sketch and published using Anima App
Nasiru Tijani | 2022