FaB
Project Overview
FaB, An online shopping app that helps people make fashion purchase decisions easier and better, by allowing buyers to research, compare and share simultaneously on one platform through simplified flow.
Timeline:
Jan - Feb 2021
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Role:
Product Design
User Reseasrch
UX Design
UI Design
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Tool:
Sketch
Photoshop
InDesign
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Team
Independent
Context
I was invited to develop an online shopping and social app under the context of Covid-19. The client wants to create a well-functioning shopping experience that can address the need for users to find exactly what's right for them while creating a social platform for fashion lovers.
As a heavy online shopper myself, I found it takes a lot of energy for online shoppers to find out items that suit them. Users will search on google or other fashion websites for comments or photos from other buyers to help make decisions. Half of the time, users couldn’t find sufficient information on items. Also, price/delivery fees/delivery time varies from one site to another, which is a pain point for users to find themselves the best deal.
I re-define the problem to create an app for online shoppers to turn current tedious shopping experiences into not only time and energy-saving but also an enjoyable new experience.
Fashion lovers and buyers like to research items for the best fit while hoping to save time and/or money spent on their purchases.
Target User
Research + Development
Online fashion shopping is more than just shopping!
Actually, shopping is more than just shopping. If we think about the logic of the traditional shopping experience: people gather information as much as they could at a certain physical store and then reach a purchase decision. They may also acquire information through other paths before they step into a store. It seems that "shopping" begins way before you bring something to the cashier. It's about gathering and analyzing information, making purchases and influencing others.
The knowledge we gain from our purchase became source of opinions to influence others
Sources intrigue us to shop
We compare and choose one specific physical stores
Information at store that navigate our decision
Buy
Logic of Shopping behaviour
Now when we switch from traditional shopping to online shopping, What's changed? Multiply that information and opinions we used to gather by Million if not Billion. We now rely heavily on user opinions and influence to make our purchases, especially with fashion merchandise. There are indeed, hundreds of apps and websites that serve as traditional "stores", "shopping guide", "TV sales" to help us process those opinions,
yet we need to find the best "shopping flow" to help us analyze chaotic "opinions" based on our personal preference.
User Research
After interviewing with my friends, as well as other research methods, I conclude several major pain points that most online shoppers encountered in their past experience.
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a. Experience deficiency
Unlike grocery shopping, for example, discovering what I like is a significant step for a fashion shopper to complete before they decide to buy anything. However, this “learning and researching” step is neglected or not emphasized.
I want something for my date night! But what I'm supposed to wear? High heel or sandal? I have no clue...
I'm planning to get a leather purse. Too many options...I wonder what's in trend now?
b. Lack of easily accessible reviews
Users couldn’t or could not easily find sufficient reviews that describe the quality, looks, or functionality of items they’re looking to purchase. Often times reviews are also scattered online with inconsistent standards.
I could barely find any feedbacks on this hat... I don't know if it's practical to wear on summer or not. The material looks a bit too soft for me tho.
How does this dress look on a short, tanned girls like me? I
c. Lack of tools to find the best deal
Users need to do their own research to find the platform with the lowest price or fastest delivery time. There's also extra information like import fees that they need to take extra time to figure out.
Before I continue to payment, I googled and find out that the hat is 20% on sale on another website! Do I have to goole everytime?
Yes! when I proceed to payment, it shows there's extra import fee! Plus really long delivery time that I can't afford...
d. Lack of ways to share & spread opinions
This is actually another reason for pain point(a). Users who have already made purchases find it inconvenient or insignificant to share their opinions on items. It’s a hassle to upload reviews on multiple websites or reviewers barely feel valued or fulfilled (by receiving feedback or gratefulness from other future buyers).
It takes so much effort to write reviews! Especially when I got items on different apps...
I'm not sure if anyone's reading my reviews. Am I helping anyone? Does my opinion matter?
user pain points
Competitive + Behaviour Analysis
Most of my interviewee agrees that their online shopping behaviour often has been complex and involves social media and discussions. There are lots of researching and reviewing processes, active or passive before they went to a “normal” shopping app to make a purchase.
There are existing apps in the market that serve as either "Fashion apps" that records news/blogs/opinions for people to reference, or "Shopping apps" that carry items of one or multiple brands to make a direct purchase. Also, there are tools like Google Shopping that assist people with comparing prices and sources to make the purchase. But what's missing is an app that serves as a bridge to connect these essential processes to optimize the experience.
I collect and compare several popular existing shopping apps and fashion posts apps both in North America and China to inventory functions and extract "shopping flows" (see diagram below) that are involved in one's shopping experience. This analysis helps me to evaluate those functions and construct the information architecture for my app.
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"Shopping flows" and function analysis
Design
[“How Might We provide a fulfilling, relieving,
and exciting online fashion shopping experience？”]
Ideation
Based on the previous research on pain points and online shopping user flows, I sketched out optimized user flows extracting from the underlying needs of online shoppers. The solution is formed with 4 features on the app that connect essential nodes of the online shopping experience.
FEATURE 1
Items and Opinions Come Together
To create easy access and switch in-between "Product" and "Review".
This allows users to gain real-life knowledge of products they care about without much effort.
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FEATURE 2
A Review System That Works!
To create a review system embodying important properties of items, to allow easy uploads and quick captures.
This allows users to easily share their opinions, as well as quickly receive the information they prefer.
FEATURE 3
One Platform To Find The Best Deal
To provide a platform on which users could find the best sources they could purchase from.
This allows users to compare prices, delivery time/fees, import fees, etc. to find themselves the best deal.
FEATURE 4
Seeing What Others Share Is Fun!
To provide fashion contents users can browse based on the data from user reviewing and sharing activities.
This allows users to browse fashion content for their daily leisure and social demand.
Register / Log In Page
Know Users' Preference
To collect data during account registration to help the user build their review system easily.
This also allows users to quickly find items suitable for them based on their preferences and body data.
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Search & Filter
Simple and Direct
The filtering function is simplified by providing users buttons of potential / trendy options to save time and energy for searching.
Detailed filters are available by the 'Add' button for an item category, brand, and more properties such as style and scenario, etc. This would help users to accurately locate their items.
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