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The Problem
Social media has skyrocketed in popularity in the last few years, this has caused fashion trends to cycle at the fastest pace we have ever seen. An unintended consequence of this has been a drastic increase in the amount of clothing ending up in landfills throughout the country. This influx of clothing contributes to multiple forms of pollution such as carbon emissions and water contamination, so what can be done?
The Design Process
— Research
Secondary Research
We are currently living in a very fast-paced world, we get our news in an instant, have things delivered in an instant, and connect with others immediately. Unfortunately, living in such a hasty society is having a drastic negative impact on our environment. With fashion trends moving at the fastest pace we have ever seen, Americans continue to follow one fashion trend to the next, disposing of their older clothing at an overwhelming speed, resulting in congested landfills and a polluted environment.
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the apparel industry's global emissions will increase by 50% in 2030.
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of all textiles end up in landfills on a yearly basis. This is equivalent to 81 pounds per person
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the number of times a garment is worn before being disposed has declined by 36%
Assumptions
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Most individuals have never tried or considered an alternative to throwing away clothes
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People often view sorting through unwanted clothes as a negative thing
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Many people are unaware of how their method of disposing their clothes impacts the environment
Hypothesis
I believe that improving the customer experience around discarding unwanted clothing will inspire individuals to get rid of their undesired clothes in a more sustainable way. The success of this can be measured by the rate of textiles ending up in landfills decreasing.
Primary Research
User Interviews
In order to solve the problem at hand I needed to better understand my target demographic, which were shoppers between ages 18 - 24, as they were the main contributors to clothing waste/overconsumption.
I conducted 6 user interviews in a decontextualized setting asking a series of scripted questions in an unbiased environment. I asked questions with the goal of discovering user's motivations behind discarding clothing and identifying relevant pain points.
Sample Questions :
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What is the biggest pain point when getting rid of old clothes? Why?
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How many different methods have you tried to get rid of clothes, which did you find most effective and why?
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What determines wether will chose to discard or keep a clothing item in your wardrobe?
Research Insights
After reviewing my interview results, I analyzed my findings to create a basis for understanding my users. I was able to achieve this through creating an affinity map that identified my participant's pain points, motivations, and behaviors.
I was then able to, extract 3 themes from my affinity map, which were :
Lack of Knowledge
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Many users are unaware of the impact that their clothing habits are having on the environment.
Timing
The rigid schedules that are followed by many stores that accept second hand clothing are inconvenient for many users.
Convenience
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Many users are unaware of the environmental impact their fashion habits have.
Each of these themes contribute to the problem space in a unique way, however for this project I decided to focus on the the timing theme, in order to provide my users with a solution that works with their schedule instead of against it.
With this in mind I asked myself
How might we help shoppers manage their shopping habits in a way that decreases/limits their environmental waste?
— Define
User Persona
Utilizing my research, interviews, and insights, I was able to construct a persona that represented my target demographic.
After the development of my persona, I was able to efficiently assess my problem space further by viewing it through the eyes of Brianna. This allowed me to remain objective and unbiased throughout the design process, by revisiting Brianna's goals and frustrations rather than my own.
User Stories
Now that I have built a solid understanding of my user's needs and goals, I began to create user stories that addressed the issues highlighted in my how might we statement.
By creating user stories that were feature based, I was able to apply my knowledge of my user's goals and motivations and translate them into real solutions.
*Click to enlarge
Some of the main user stories I chose to focus on during this process due to their relevancy in the problem space are :
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As a fashion lover, I want to view second-hand clothing that is available in my local area so that I can expand my wardrobe.
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As a fashion lover, I want to locate others with available clothing for sale in other neighborhoods/towns so that I can get clothing from unique individuals.
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As a fashion lover, I want to search for items in a specific area so that I can easily pick up clothing that would be discarded.
Epics
After organizing my user stories, I was able to identify 3 epics which allowed me to focus on the main functions for my task flow.
1. Discarding clothing items
2. Connect with users needing clothing
3. Purchase clothing in a sustainable way
Although discarding clothing items and purchasing sustainable clothing are both valuable epics from my users, connecting users directly with others in need of clothing addresses the problem space in a more impactful way. Thus, connecting users with those looking for second-hand clothing became my core epic that influenced my task flow.
The Solution
based off the following insights gathered, I realized that users needed a platform where they could do the following :
Give away clothing to users with unwanted/excess clothing
Connect local users to one another
Exchange clothes with others looking for new clothing
— Ideate
Task Flow
I then used my epic to guide the creation of my task flow, which illustrates the ideal pathway I have in mind for my user.
The task being illustrated below is RSVPing for a local clothing drop-off event, here my user can view multiple events taking place nearby and then plan to attend one that is compatible with their schedule.
My task flow served as a guide for determining the screens, components, and functions that would be necessary for designing my solution.
Sketching
After establishing the foundation of my brand's identity, it was time to begin sketching potential wireframes for my design.
Although drawing has never been my strong suit, it is an important step in my design process as I can get my ideas down in front of me and sort through the best ones. Below are the sketches that influenced my net designs.
— Prototype
Low Fidelity Wireframes
After finalizing my sketches, I began translating them into low fidelity wireframes using Figma.
When designing low fidelity screens, it is important to prioritize the application's functionality rather than its aesthetics. Therefore, I designed my low-fi frames using a greyscale color palette
High Fidelity Wireframes
Once the functionality of my low fidelity wireframes was complete, I could then begin injecting color and content into my designs.
User Testing
Round One
Now that I had a working prototype, it was time to conduct user-testing to assess the success of my design.
My user testing consisted of 2 rounds with 4 users each, in an unbiased environment. Each of my users matched my target demographic of shoppers between ages 18 - 24. The results of these sessions provided me with real-time feedback that I could use to further improve upon the user's experience.
Although my user testing was successful in allowing users to complete the task flow as seen in the document below, I received feedback from my participants regarding other aspects of the application. When making adjustments to my design, I made sure to take all of this feedback into consideration.
Design Changes
Redesign
After evaluating the feedback I received during my first session of user testing, I went back to my design and began creating my second iteration which accounted for the various comments my users made.
Low Fidelity
Low Fidelity
High Fidelity
Round 1 User Testing Changes
Problem #1
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Having the location name placed on the top left of the image impacted the visibility of the text
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The chips on the bottom of the images take up a large amount of space
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The results on the page feel cramped/congested
The Solution :
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Place the location’s name at the top right, above the image
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Expand the overall image size to allow for better readability
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Reduced chip size, and added a filter option for users to sort through chips more efficiently
Problem #2
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Event details (time, location) not easily scannable
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No hierarchy between the 2 CTA buttons
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Background color feels overwhelming
The Solution :
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Adjusted text sizes to display hierarchy
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Placed icons so they are easier to scan when searching for certain details
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Created secondary and primary buttons
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Provided a white background for easier viewing
Problem #3
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Background details were distracting
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Components feel congested
The Solution :
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Removed unnecessary imagery
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Provided more negative space between components
Before
Before
Before
After
After
After
Brand Identity
When creating my brand identity for StyleSeek, it was important to me to make sure my target users were represented within the styling as well as the emotions I wanted users to associate with my design. To accomplish this, I revisited my interviews and user persona to determine what feelings my branding should convey.
Given that my target demographic includes those between ages 18 - 24, I needed my branding to represent the playfulness and youth associated with this group.
Moodboard
To create my brand's visual identity, I created a moodboard that included images that capture the essence of how users would be expecting to feel while utilizing StyleSeek.
To represent StyleSeek's values and reactions, I selected the following keywords to guide my moodboad creation.
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Trendy
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Fashionable
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Youthful
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Trendy
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Bright
Typeface & Color
Poppins was chosen as the application's main font as it is accessible and matches the brand image i wanted to express. The color palette utilizes multiple shades and gradients of the main color, #FF8A00 in order to convey the energetic and youthful brand identity.
The usage of color within the app was used in accordance with the 60-30-10 method that recommends using the brand's main color (#FF8A00) 60% of the time, a complimentary color/colors 30% throughout the design (#1B1A1A & #FAFAFA) and an accent color in the remaining elements (#FFD88F). Utilizing this method allowed me to strike a balance in my color application throughout my design, without overwhelming users.
Wordmark Creation
The development of the Wordmark was crucial to the brand identity, this would be used to establish the brand's image and also be used within the app icon as well. When exploring font options I kept the same keywords utilized in my moodboard creation in mind, and selected several fonts that reflected the high-spirited and lively energy associated with StyleSeek.
Too serious
Too playful
Just Right!
Final Iterations
After receiving feedback from peers and educators, I could finalize the remaining steps that were necessary to form my brand's identity.
With that being said, I am proud to present to you...StyleSeek!
Prototype Demo
The flow follows our persona, Brianna, viewing the current opportunities for picking up clothing in her location. She then filters the results to show "Exchange" options where she can exchange clothing with another user, then she reads the event details and confirms the date she will be going to.
Key Learnings
Research! Research! Research!
Thorough and relevant research into a problem space is a crucial step into the design process
Know Who You Are Designing For
It is important to view the issue you are designing a solution for through your persona's view to avoid your personal bias
Its Okay To Go Back
The design process is not linear - do not be afraid to revisit certain steps!
Next Steps
Conduct another round of user testing to further validate my redesign
Perform more interviews to determine what other features would be useful to users
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