UX Research Case Study: Decoding Where Business Identity Crisis’ Start.
My interest in this case has been forming since my fashion school days. Imagine this, you are in Florence, Italy surrounded by beauty, fashion and extroverts. Your style changes, you experiment more and you find your identity. But what happens when you start working a 9–5 job? What happens when you have to go from artsy to business? How do you revert back to someone you aren’t?
As part of my studies in UX Design, the goal for this case study was:
How might we create a feature that delivers confidence when shopping?
I then decided to: target people in between the ages of 25–34 whose work location is either Hybrid or In Office.
The Beginning
I started by mapping the needs I believed my target group had:
- Feel mature without compromising personality.
- Have outfits that work for multiple occasions.
- Know how to integrate accessories.
- Blend basic and elevated pieces together.
I then formulated five hypothesis:
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We believe…
- Users want a wardrobe that is accessible for all kinds of occasions.
- Users would appreciate styling tips in order to experiment with their identity.
- Users understand what fits but have not figured out how to style to their body type.
- Users want to invest in higher quality pieces.
- Users use accessories as a statement piece and not as a way to complete the outfit
The Middle
For the gathering of data, we were tasked to conduct both qualitative and quantitative research. I began with quantitative research in the form of a screener survey, which helped me screen my participants as well as giving insight into people’s shopping habits.
With 20 submitted answers and 7 interviewees chosen (5 women, 2 men), I then proceeded to the nitty gritty and most exciting part (to me) which was: we talk fashion. During our interviews, which lasted around 30–45 minutes, we discussed capsule wardrobes, colors and silhouettes, and their approach to dressing for work. Sustainability and quality in fashion were also topics that were brought up.
The final step was a card sorting exercise in which the interviewees sorted 8 product features, that would produce confidence when shopping, into different categories.
The End
For the last step, I synthesized my findings into key insights, design principles and recommendations.
Insights
- Users that put value in brand names tend to spend more but those that don’t, look for higher quality in fast fashion.
- Users find difficulty in styling silhouettes and colors when there are too many options.
- Users want a wardrobe where every clothing item can be mixed and matched.
- Users understand what clothing they feel comfortable in and what fits their body the best.
Principles
- Promote and prioritize quality and durability.
- Allow for an easier personalized shopping experience.
- Don’t rely on trends: approach them in a way that shows longevity in one’s closet.
Recommendations
- Produce campaigns that promote ordinary activities.
- Don’t make sustainability exclusive.
As my research came to an end I realized that the ‘business identity crisis’ occurs not because of the lack of knowledge in styling but because of the overwhelming amount of choices available. We should not be constantly bored of our wardrobe, or in need of new clothes, or trying to fit into the new popular aesthetic that pops up.
In saying this, this case study has taught me valuable lessons but the most important are the ones I can improve on. I could have formulated better questions specifically touching upon dress codes and hierarchy at work places. Another improvement would be to specify from early on who my client is (even if fictional) as the assumptions, needs, principles and recommendations could be more precise.
