onme
Summary
"onme" is an app that uses augmented reality to simulate trying on clothes and help users buy clothes all in the convenience of your smart phone without having to leave your house or having to go to a store in a post COVID 19 world. It also allows users to fully customize their avatar in order to visualize clothing as if it were being tried on real time.
Background
During COVID-19, the world went into a lockdown which made a lot of everyday tasks very troubling and difficult. One being shopping for clothes. Stores were closed or dressing rooms were no longer available for use. Many individuals had to guess their sizes and return them back to stores if they didn't fit or like them, where they were unfortunately disposed of in some businesses due to the fear of spreading COVID-19.
Objective
Use Augmented Reality on a mobile app to simulate a fitting room experience in order to allow each user to actually see themselves in the clothes they are shopping for. Create an easy and useful interface that users can navigate the app without difficulty. Strive to be more inclusive with all body types and styles for personalized avatars. Reduce waste and time spent for consumer and manufacturer with online shopping.
Date
2021
Roles
Information Architecture
User Research
User Flow
Wireframes
Mockups
Interactive Prototype
Usability Testing
User Research
Money and Clothing Waste
According to Earth911, about 30% of all online purchases are returned and Alexandar has reported that 5 billion pounds of returned items end up in landfills. Even an interview from BBC News with Burberry admitted to incinerating 105.8 million of returned clothing items from the past 5 years. This shows that a lot of material and money goes to waste with dealing with returned items simply because they are used and they can't resell items once used.
Inclusivity
After conducting a small survey, we found out that most people struggle with shopping because they don't feel included with the majority targeted group due to language and terminology. For example, when asked about body types we asked if "small", "medium", and "large" were appropriate to distinguish body types and about 70% of our sample didn't being labeled "large" considering that it is a common size but has negative connotations attached. Another example, was the vocabulary regarding gender. Most people in our survey prefered to be gender neutral and didn't want to be labeled as male or female. Also, a few felt that if there was an app that simulates a dressing room that it was important to make sure that the avatar is almost exactly as the user it is based on.
Buying and Trying on
With the results of our small survey, we found that most 100% insisted that buying the clothing in the app should be available after trying on the clothing. That it was very tedious to have to open multiple applications, or tabs to go shopping and if there was a way to have everything in one place it would make it easier and favorable.
User Profiles
Melani Lei
Melani is a 24 year old femaIe amputee. She loves to experiment with her fashion style but struggles in trying on clothes in stores. She wants to find an easier way to visualize outfits and plan them for future outings with the most ease.
Brett Harrison
Brett is a 30 year old male. He doesn't enjoy going to the mall and looking for clothes he much rather pay someone else to shop for him but recently he has been promoted and has been asked to dress more formally at work. He wants to see outfits without having to go through the full tedious action of trying on clothes one by one.
Site Map
UI Kit / Visual Design Guide
Requirements
Closet / Saved Outfits
Allows users to simulate their closet and save outfits ahead of time so that the user can plan looks in advanced.
Remove / Add Limbs
In order to be inclusive to all types, there is a feature to add or remove limbs so that an amputee may visualize the clothes on themselves. As mentioned in our research, making sure that anyone is able to create an avatar that looks like them as much as possible.
Body Type / Custom Measurements
In order for users to fully visualize themselves in the app, there are starter body types to allow users a starter guide on their avatar building process. Later users are allowed to enter custom measurements that will change the avatar real time to fit what the user has enter. They also are allowed to change it anytime using the app.
After the initial survey, the body type term for the 3 starter body types were " Ectomorph", "Mesomorph", and "Endomorph". That way no one is put into a label they do not feel comfortable being described as. We also to choose 'masculine" and "Feminine" to describe where the user my feel more comfortable fitting in when they create their avatar. Ultimately allowing the user to have neutral terms without having any connotations attached.
User Flow
User Task 1:
Brett wants to buy a nice work shirt for his new position using the onme app with his size reccomendation.
User Task 2:
Melani is creating a new avatar for herself and needs to make sure her avatar has her right arm remove to reflect herself and input her personal measurements.
User Task 3:
Melani wants to add clothes to her closet and start building outfits by seeing them on her virtual avatar.
Technological Constraints / Future Plans
Due to the time and resource limitations the high-fidelity prototype does not showcase a realistic 3-D avatar that would look like the user by using AR feature on phone to scan users face. Instead it's a 2-D image that overlays clothes rather than give the appearance that the clothes are on the avatars body. The avatar also does not adjust to user inputting personal measurements.
The closet does not allow every item in the shop to be saved as it is just a demonstration of what the app will look like in the future. The closet only has 3 articles of clothing that you may try on your avatar.
If more time and resources were available, I think finalizing the 3-D feature would be the biggest task to conquer. I think also adding a feature to plan out clothes in different tabs such as "Days of the week" tab and ect.. Accessories and shoes would be another feature to implement to the app. Another task would be to branch out from just a mobile app and perhaps create an interface for Smart Mirrors. I believe that "onme" has so much potential and so much room for growth due to the market being so in need of a product that makes shopping easy and efficient for both consumers and producers.
