A website designed to streamline the process of finding special event attire
The Product
Mobile First Website
Timeframe
15 weeks / 300+ hrs
The Client
Special Event Shoppers
My Role
UX/UI, Market Research, Competitive Analysis, Interviews, Persona Development, Site Map, User Flows, Task Flows, Wireframing, Branding, Prototyping, User Testing, Iteration
The Tools
Figma, FigJam, Similar Web, Optimal Workshop, Google Slides, Google Meet, Envato
Problem
The existing market for special event attire is fragmented across various apps, stores, and websites. Shoppers struggle to find the right dress while wasting valuable time in stores and browsing online, thus leading to a frustratingly overwhelming experience. The majority are unfamiliar with what terminology to use for finding specific styles and they stress concerns about what looks good on their figure. Additionally, asking for feedback from friends and family proves to be tedious by no available option other than sharing their favorite picks as links and screenshots across different devices, platforms and to multiple individuals.
Goal
The goal is to create a centralized platform that revolutionizes special event dress shopping by addressing customer pain points such as difficulty finding desired styles, fit issues, limited selection, and lack of style knowledge.
Solution
Through a comprehensive platform, I created a personalized styling experience. Users can enjoy curated style matches, organization of favorites, and the opportunity to invite friends and family to share their picks and provide valuable feedback. The platform's integration with shops allows users to connect with retailers, schedule appointments, plan try-on events, and track RSVPs. This approach ensures an exceptional experience, making the process of finding and choosing the ideal dress a seamless and enjoyable journey. Individuals who can greatly benefit from such a platform include:
Individuals
Users save time with personalized style results, organized favorites, and feedback from others, reducing decision fatigue and boosting confidence.
Event Planners
Pick Perfect's event planning tools, such as appointment scheduling and vendor listings, can help users stay organized and efficient.
Friends and Family
The platform facilitates collaboration and shared decision-making, making it easier for loved ones to provide comments, suggestions and support.
Retailers
By driving traffic and potential customers to their stores, Pick Perfect can benefit retailers and boost sales.
Market Research
By conducting market research and analyzing four competing websites, I uncovered significant gaps in the market. None of the competitors provide all the tools users desired, such as creating a try-on event, receiving style and fit recommendations, and sharing favorites with friends and family. This gap suggests a clear demand for such features, indicating a potential opportunity to address the unmet needs of users.
Competitive Analysis
Special event shoppers lack a website that offers a comprehensive suite of features and existing websites only cater to users' needs with a limited range of options.
None of the four competitors offered users the ability to allow friends to view, rate, and comment on their favorites.
None of the four competitors provided style matches or best-fit suggestions for the user.
Three out of four competitors did not offer the option to create a try-on event with a shop or an online reveal.
Three out of four competitors lacked the feature to create and send custom invitations for a try-on event, track guests, and include an itinerary and etiquette checklist.
User Interviews
A platform that offers various approaches to cater to different types of users is essential. This platform should accommodate both experienced and knowledgeable users familiar with style terminology and users who may not have a clear understanding of their preferences or the ability to search for specific styles.
To further elaborate on this premise, I conducted interviews with two event planners and two shoppers to gain clarity on the following issues:
Gather insights from users with diverse shopping experiences and style preferences.
Understand the needs and challenges of both experienced shoppers and those unfamiliar with fashion terminology.
Identify common pain points and areas for improvement in the user experience.
Collect feedback on the effectiveness of existing strategies and identify opportunities for innovation.
Inform the design and development of a platform that accommodates users with different levels of fashion knowledge and experience.
Ensure that the platform provides tailored solutions and strategies that cater to the unique needs of each user.
Interview Questions
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Prom attendee, 2022
What special event have you shopped for most recently?
Prom
When or how soon before the event did you shop for a dress?
One month before, maybe month and a half
How did you start looking for dresses and did you know what to look for? Online first then go to a store? Both?
Never looked online because I hate shopping online.
I just went to several stores at the mall including Dillards, Macy’s, and Windsor
Why do you not like shopping online?
Because the dresses never fit the way I like or expect
What ideas did you have in mind to wear?
I knew I only didn’t want to wear red, that’s it
How come?
Because everyone was wearing red to prom
Was there any help to figure out your style and if so, what?
My friends helped me figure out a style when we shopped
How did you organize your favorites?
I didn’t online, I only took pictures of the dresses that I liked at the store
Did you share your favorites with anyone and was it easy to do so? What input did you get?
Yes, I shared pics of faves w/ my mom, Andrew’s mom, and my immediate friends
Input was helpful, my mom was most honest
If you could allow friends/family to easily view your picks, would you want them to? Would you like their help? Why or why not?
Yes, I would like input from just friends and immediate family.
What was your experience with finding dresses that you wanted to try on?
They always had my size to try on but it was very crowded in the stores because it was so late in the season. I should've started earlier.
The whole thing was very stressful because I couldn’t decide on what dress to go with. I was still torn on deciding when it was down to two dresses and now I wish I went with the other one.
What was your experience with scheduling appointments to try on dresses with shops and who did you take with you?
I didn’t make any appointments and I went with my friends
Was there anyone that you wanted with you that couldn’t be there? Why couldn’t they?
No, I had my friends with me and that’s what I wanted
How many times did you go to try on dresses? How many did you try on?
I went over the course of two weeks
I tried on 15-20 dresses
Did you decide on a dress that was similar to what you had in mind in the beginning or did you go with something different?
I went with something totally different than I would have normally and I chose green. I don’t even like green but no one else was in that color so that was good.
If you could easily plan a “try on” event, how would it feel, look like and who and how many would be invited?
Yes, but with only mom and immediate friends.
Ultimately, what was your experience with people sharing their opinions or not sharing?
Only asked mom and friends that were there but everyone was helpful
What are a few things you wish you knew now or thought of before searching for attire for a special occasion?
Nice to know how many bought people already bought the dress
I wish new more information on timeline and went to start shopping
Would a website like this be helpful in a special occasion dress? Why or why not?
I wouldn’t use it because I don’t shop online
Why don’t you like to shop online?
Because I can’t view the dress on myself and I can’t tell if I’d like it or not just by seeing it on someone else
What if you could try it on virtually?
I would but only if it’s really good technology
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What special event have you shopped for most recently?
Wedding, 3 years ago
When or how soon before the event did you shop for a dress?
At first, I was waiting until I figured out a date but then Covid happened. I then decided to just quickly find a dress off the rack to get married in 6 weeks.
How did you start looking for dresses and did you know what to look for? Online first then go to a store? Both?
I had no idea what to look for. I knew nothing about dresses, so I started looking on Pinterest. I didn’t care about designers, I just wanted a simple style, no lace and plain.
I also used my phone to look at websites of local wedding gown shops.
How did you organize your favorites? Did you create a Pinterest board?
No board, just took screenshots and kept them in my photos
Was there any help to figure out your style and if so, what?
There was no help online that I could find, but I didn’t really know what to look for.
The only help I received was when I was at the bridal shop.
Did you share your favorites with anyone and was it easy to do so? What input did you get?
I shared with my mom and fiance, Thomas
Everyone liked my ideas, I got great feedback
They thought the dresses I picked out looked like ones that fit my style.
If you could’ve allowed friends/family to easily view your picks, would you want them to? Would you like their help? Why or why not?
Yes, I would’ve loved to create a board and share it with my family and friends.
It also would’ve been nice to receive input regarding the dresses I picked out as favorites and find out what they thought.
What was your experience with finding dresses that you wanted to try on?
Overwhelming, because I thought I knew what I wanted but I was given
more choices that I never even thought of trying on.
Good experience though overwall and it was helpful receiving feedback
Did you have a hard time finding ones to try on that were near you and if so, did you opt to try on something similar instead?
Because of Covid, I only had the option to buy a dress off the rack because the wedding was in 6 weeks. My only option that I knew of was David’s Bridal.
What was your experience with scheduling appointments to try on dresses with shops and who did you take with you?
I didn’t schedule an appointment, I just showed up and they weren’t too happy about that. I didn’t know that I needed to.
I went during covid so it was awkward.
Was there anyone that you wanted with you that couldn’t be there?
Why couldn’t they?
My aunt. She couldn’t be there because she lives out of state.
How many times did you go to try on dresses? How many did you try on?
Just went one time, one place, and tried on about ten dresses.
Did trying on dresses go as you planned? What went well and what didn’t?
I thought I knew what I wanted but once I tried ones that I picked out, I didn’t like it at all. The fabric was too thin and unflattering. The consultant pulled dresses she thought would look good on me and I chose one she picked out. I knew right away that it was the dress.
Did you decide on a dress that was similar to what you had in mind in the beginning or did you go with something different?
In the beginning I wanted form-fitting, backless, “night gown material” fabric and no lace.
I ended up with form-fitting, backless and lace.
If you could’ve easily planned a “try on” event, how would it feel, look like and who and how many would be invited?
Yes, for sure! Probably 3-5 people. My mom, sister and a couple of friends.
I would love to have wine or champagne, a cheeseboard and for it to be very relaxing.
If there were close friends or family that couldn’t be there at the shop, would you invite them to view your favorites virtually?
I personally wouldn’t want several people watching as a “live” event, but I would love to post pictures afterwards for my friends to view.
Would you include your aunt that lives out of town in a zoom to watch?
Yes, if it was only one important person
Did you plan your wedding as a virtual event with friends or family? If so, how did it go?
We set up a zoom with friends and family for our wedding ceremony
It was easy to set up, but we forgot to put them on mute so it was pretty distracting.
What are a few things you wish you knew now or thought of before searching for attire for a special occasion?
Knowing what undergarments are available for the wedding dress. I had a horrible time finding a backless bra.
Would you use a website if it helped you find special occasion wear that fit your style and budget?
Of course, that would’ve been so helpful when I was shopping.
Would a website be helpful in organizing “try-on” events?
Definitely! I would use it for sure. I think it’s a great idea!
Have you ever used a website like this before?
No, because I’ve never heard of this.
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What type of events do you plan?
Small corporate parties, fundraisers, wedding showers, anniversaries, graduation parties etc. for 50 -100 guests
Do you work with a team or individually?
Works individually and uses specific vendors that she likes to use
How do you currently find out about events?
Booking events by word of mouth, social media with no paid advertisements yet
Have you always done event planning?
Did corporate marketing first as a marketing communications manager
Do you offer packages and if so how are they determined?
Length of time
What is your most basic package?
5 hours minimum includes:
Discovery call
One site visit
Timeline
How do you start communicating with the client?
Begins with scoping call of 15-30 mins to get to know client
Determines if it will be a good relationship or not
Determine if wants to work with them
What are the first steps you take if you choose to work with them?
Figure out a timeline
Budget
Food
Entertainment
How do you present it to your client?
Puts together mood board
Suggest vendors
Finds out if they have specific vendors they want to use
Determines if she will be doing entire event or just parts of it
What are you most careful about when meeting a client?
Giving away too much information that can lead to loss of profit or loss of business
What tools do you rely on the most to organize the events?
Spreadsheets, Google & Excel
Shares Google links with clients
Shares links to Canva designs
What platforms do you use for communication?
PostMates- for invites
Eventbrite- fundraisers, non-profit
What do you not like about the apps?
Likes Postmates, but says it’s expensive
Likes EventBrite for non-profit events and the client usually covers the cost
Do you plan on growing your business?
Yes, wants to pay for social media help
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Have you always been an event planner and if not, what other experience do you have?
Previous restaurant management
Changed careers to this recently
What is the number one thing you do to help a bride?
Keep jobs as limited as possible for the bride
Do you ever help a bride find her wedding dress?
No, because it’s a very personal thing and is not usually part of that
What would help you get to know the bride?
Have them complete a questionnaire
Do you have a questionnaire that you use?
No
Why not?
Because the bride usually has that their style and theme figured out already
What are brides mostly stressed out about?
Timeline management & development
How they’re going to get everything set up and not realizing that the actual vendors do it
What do brides have done before they come to you?
Usually has dress, date and vendor
How soon do you send out invitations?
Weddings 6-8 weeks
8 weeks if out of town guests
For smaller pre-wedding events, 6 weeks is good
If you were going to plan a “try-on” event, what would it look like?
Plan for no more than two locations in one day
Determine how far they are willing to travel to try on dresses
Send out an invites to each guest, inviting them to the bridal shop
Include an itinerary of when to meet, the time frame, if it includes breakfast, lunch or dinner, how to dress, the address, etc.
Who do you think should pay for “try-on" event expenses?
The bride
When doing a wedding, do you ever step in to help the bride if things are going awry?
Yes, of course
If yes, do you think it’s a good idea to go over proper etiquette with guests before the event to avoid having to step in for inappropriate behavior or comments?
For sure
And how would that look?
Once the guest accepts the invite, I would send a follow up email that outlines proper etiquette on what to say and not to say
I would also include helpful tips for the guests such as taking something to small to eat and a bottle of water in case you get hungry so to not take away from the bride’s moment
What are some helpful tips that were most important to you when finding a dress?
That wedding dress sizes are much larger than ready to wear and to not get upset over the difference
Encourage them to look for dress styles that complement their body type and view dress styles on a similar sized person
Show the dresses on a similar body type, not on a size 4 if the bride is a size 22
User Interview Insights
Every interview session facilitated a deeper comprehension and appreciation of users' challenges, simultaneously uncovering additional concepts that could be incorporated into the design. I divided my confirmed suspicions from the new revelations I had obtained and listed them in the charts below. Each category outlines the specific details that support my initial thoughts, as well as the new information that has come to light.
Suspicions Confirmed:
Limited knowledge of style terminology
No easy way to share favorites
Overwhelming experience and time consuming
Not knowing what looks best on them
Desire for feedback from friends
Want tips, suggestions and knowledge
Ability to plan and schedule a try-on event
Difficult to find which shops have it to try on in store
Newly Discovered:
Users want to see the number of times an item has been purchased and returned
Include an automated email that includes etiquette guidelines, tips and suggestions to encourage polite and positive responses from invitees
Virtual event would be best for an online reveal and is not necessary for in store try-on events
In person, live virtual events can be distracting and users prefer the ability to easily share pics from the event
This structured approach provided a clearer understanding of the connections and discrepancies between my prior assumptions and the recent findings. Moving forward, I built an affinity map to organize my results and sort the qualitative data.
Affinity Mapping
My first approach to affinity mapping was sorting statements into groups by familiarity, but it unfortunately proved unsuccessful. To overcome this challenge, I decided to take a step back and develop a list of the most crucial steps of my platform. Once identified, I was able to categorize the user statements into six essential categories. The revision resulted in a positive outcome, highlighting the critical role of each category in accomplishing the platform's objectives
1. Discovering Your Style
2. Your Matches
3. Sharing Favorites
Participants
6. Planning the Event
4. Feedback
Affinity Map Insights
Develop an interactive style questionnaire that provides users with personalized results and options tailored to their preferences.
Empower users to explore and discover their unique style profile, building confidence in their decision-making process.
Incorporate organizational tools that allow users to curate and save their favorite selections, enabling them to share and receive feedback from others.
Create a platform that integrates cost and location information for favorite picks, facilitating convenient scheduling of appointments with shops and the creation of reveal events.
5. Tools to Help
Engaging in the process of affinity mapping to categorize user statements proved to be an enjoyable and effective method. It served as a solid foundation for establishing a comprehensive understanding of user perspectives, creating a strong starting point for further analysis and design.
User Perspectives
“Endless online dress searching left me frustrated. Nothing matched my style or budget. I longed for a platform that understood my preferences and guided me towards the perfect dress, ensuring confidence and beauty for a special occasion. Why is it so challenging?”
A frustration like this encouraged the POV’s and HMW’s that were needed to explore ways to revolutionize the online dress shopping experience and empower shoppers to make confident and informed decisions, ensuring they find the ideal dress for their special occasion.
POV 1
I’d like to explore ways to help special occasion shoppers receive customized apparel results that match their style, preferences, fit and budget from simple questions pertaining to likes, dislikes, physical attributes and formalities.
HMW 1
HOW MIGHT WE design an interactive and visually engaging quiz that encourages an evocative experience and quality responses that are effectively integrated to provide appealing, dynamic results for each user?
POV 2
I’d like to explore ways to help special occasion shoppers be able to easily choose, organize and share style favorites to gain insight and receive feedback from close friends and family.
HMW 2
HOW MIGHT WE create, provide and send a list of appropriate behaviors, comments and recommendations to each guest that is invited in order to promote positive, mentally healthy feedback that is helpful and beneficial to the user?
By exploring different points of view (POVs) and how-might-we (HMW) questions, I gained valuable insights into users' perspectives. This understanding allowed me to create a framework of essential actions and deliverables that require attention. This framework serves as the foundation for developing accurate and comprehensive personas.
Personas
Users seek a platform capable of generating dependable outcomes aligned with their aesthetic preferences. Additionally, they desire suggestions and guidance to assist them in making informed choices.
To ensure a comprehensive understanding of the diverse needs within the target audience, I meticulously crafted three distinct personas, each representing a specific user archetype:
“THE SOCIALIZER”
A high school student that can’t wait to start shopping for prom and include his large group of friends to help him.
STATISTICS
Mediocre Experience / Confidant / Impulsive / Open Budget
NEEDS
Wants to find designer formal wear
To find the perfect prom option that fits his style and personality
To learn names of the different styles
Wants all of his friends to help him pick the best one
FRUSTRATIONS
Doesn’t know what style names are or how to search for ones he wants
Given too many options that aren’t even close to what he likes
Having a hard time finding designers that fit his aesthetic
Finds it annoying to send favorites to all of his friends in a group chat
“I want the perfect dress that fits my personality and have all of my close friends help me decide!” —Chase
“THE PERFECTIONIST”
A college student just invited to her friend’s destination wedding that’s in only two months
STATISTICS
Inexperienced Shopper / Self-doubts / Time Constraint / Low Budget
NEEDS
Wants to know what styles and colors look good on her
Would like to find options that fit her petite figure
Wants to find something she feels comfortable in & is flattering
Needs it to fit her budget and be able to return it
FRUSTRATIONS
Dislikes shopping because she doesn’t know what looks good on her
Doesn’t know what she likes, unless she sees it on
Is having a difficult time finding options in her price range
Is worried about ordering it online and it not fitting or looking good
“I don’t know what looks good on me, finding petite sizes are impossible, and shopping online is so difficult!” —Kayla
“THE PROFESSIONAL”
A fashion designer working abroad was just recently engaged and is starting to look for wedding dress ideas.
STATISTICS
Experienced Shopper / Style Expert / Organized / Budget Cap
NEEDS
A way to keep all of her favorite picks organized
To invite friends & family to view and comment on her picks
Wants to know where each dress is available to try on
To set up appt.’s and ask questions online with dress shops
Be able to schedule a try-on event and invite her guests
FRUSTRATIONS
Has to take screenshots of faves and send them separately to each person
Finds a dress she loves but has no idea where to find it to try on
Annoyed with looking up shop info and not knowing what dresses they have
Not all of her family are friends use Pinterest and has no easy way to share her collection of favorites
“I want to be able to easily organize my favorite picks and be able to schedule appointments directly with dress shops.” —Mica
This approach enabled me to delve deeper into the unique pain points, preferences, and aspirations of potential users while inspiring further exploration of impactful ideas that support a solid foundation for stakeholders.
Impactful Ideas
Aspiring to collect comprehensive results that users would benefit from, I used analogous inspiration and playing with opposites to further develop the design of platform.
The Discovery—
Not all users will need to take both quizzes.
The quizzes need to be separate in order to appeal to all personas and maintain interest.
A style quiz could turn away “the professional” persona, who knows what styles they like and what styles are called.
Splitting up the quizzes will target different types of users and allow them to choose based on personal knowledge, experience and confidence.
Discovery Details—
Use style names with images for learning.
Include questionnaires for body measurements and color preferences.
Add pictures of body types for better responses.
Showcase fabric details and ask about preferences.
Gather style insights through image selection.
Create a detailed style profile based on answers.
Provide budget-friendly and event-appropriate options.
Include unexpected but flattering options.
Offer additional resources, advice, and blogs for further exploration.
Discovery Summarization—
By generating the impactful ideas and establishing project goals using a Ven diagram, I was better equipped to initiate the development of the site map structure.
Card Sorting
Although I have a substantial foundation to proceed, I also recognize the need for additional testing to devise a site map that effectively aligns with users' mental models and behavioral patterns. To further validate my hypotheses concerning the primary categories and associated content, I conducted a remote, open card sort in Optimal Workshop with six participants, utilizing 52 cards. Based on the the analysis, the 3D Cluster was easiest to decipher according to the results. I organized the categories into six groups based on their level of similarity, with group 1 containing the most similar and group 6 containing the least similar.
3D Cluster Groups:
3D Cluster Group Cards:
After thoroughly reviewing the card sort results, I came to the conclusion that utilizing a closed card sort methodology would have resulted in a more precise outcome and easier to decipher results. Using this tool proved to be quite helpful and established a clearer and more confident path forward to design the site map.
Site Map Structure
Through user persona development and affinity mapping, I collected valuable information that enabled me to establish a clear outline of the platform's requirements. Based on this foundation, I proceeded to create a site map structure that aligned with the mental models identified from the open card sort conducted in Optimal Workshop. These tools were instrumental in defining the categories and organizing them in a logical manner. Insights derived from impactful ideas prompted me to delve deeper into content organization, ensuring that categories were aligned with user objectives and approaches.
Information Architecture
By designing the site map structure, I was able to create user pathways based on hypothetical and real-world scenarios of user interaction with the website. This allowed me to envision the user's perspective and create alternative paths that would lead to a successful experience for all users. I particularly enjoyed developing the user flows and task flows because it required me to understand user interaction patterns and think empathetically, ultimately enhancing the overall user experience.
User Flow
Finding Style Results/ Revisiting Style Results
Creating the user flow first was essential to ensure that all the steps necessary to complete the task were included. Through this process, I gained a deeper understanding of user interactions within the task flow, uncovering potential problems and leading to improvements that ensure an enhanced user experience.
Through the creation of user flows and task flows, I gained the ability to prioritize elements based on their importance to the user's experience. This process of flow creation and design exploration allowed me to gather ideas and inspiration for my low-fidelity wireframe templates.
Task Flow
Existing User Wants to View Feedback
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
From the sitemap and user flow structures, I created low-fidelity wireframes to visually represent two key designs per four mobile pages. My sketches included important elements which would be the baseline for providing a visually appealing design. The sketches were cost-effective, allowing stakeholders to review the various options and select the one that best aligned with the project objectives.
By sketching, I was able to easily create patterns, make changes, and visualize the content and its navigability, preparing me for mid-fidelity wireframes.
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Creating a website that is accessible to all users is of paramount importance. Everyone should have equal access to information and functionality, regardless of their abilities. Designing with accessibility in mind not only benefits those with disabilities, but also enhances the overall user experience for everyone. It is our responsibility as designers to create inclusive online experiences that cater to diverse needs and ensure that no one is left behind.
After creating low-fidelity wireframes, I moved to mid-fidelity to refine the layout and functionality. I decided to incorporate designs from each of the page ideas that I sketched. To demonstrate adaptability across platforms, a desktop version of the mobile design was created. The mid-fidelity wireframes allowed me to refine the app's structure and elements before transitioning to high-fidelity.
Creating effective designs requires a thorough understanding of the content and categories involved. Accessibility should be a top priority throughout the design process. Neglecting these considerations will result in a design that is difficult for users to navigate and ultimately destined to fail.
Brand Design
I love creativity and crafting visually appealing designs using graphics and images. Creating balanced and intriguing designs while aiming to evoke specific emotions is pure bliss in my world. Carefully selecting imagery, typography, and layout to create a cohesive and impactful experience is key in my approach to create inspiration and leave a lasting impression.
For my brand, I have a diverse demographic base and broad age range, so I wanted to create a design that would resonate with every type of personality. I want the design to be bold, classic, and fun, with a vibe of happiness and calmness to help users feel relaxed and confident in making decisions. I outlined my ideas that I knew I wanted start with:
Visual Design Ideas
Impact on User Experience
Colors: Pink, Red, Black, White and Blue
Symbols: Circles, Bows and Hearts
Logo font choice: Abril Fatface and Poppins
With a clear understanding of the desired look and feel of my brand, I set off to do some serious research and sketching. My primary goal was to effectively convey the brand's identity through a harmonious combination of colors, fonts, icons, and a captivating logo design.
Represent and support feelings of class, friendship, strength, intelligence, happiness, simplicity, and loyalty
Convey meanings of unity, love, and formality
Makes the design more modern, classic, and less feminine, appealing to a broader range of users
Youthful, friendship, classic, fun, refreshing, smart, inspiring, unity, empowering
I feel confident that my visual design choices will appeal to a broad range of people. I ensured the design didn't come across as too young, old, girly, or manly. I wanted a modern yet classic look, so I went with the Abril Fatface font instead of script. I'm really happy with how the final product turned out – it's well-balanced, elegant, eye-catching, and fun which is exactly what I wanted. Designing the overall theme made it that much easier to start designing the high-fidelity wireframes.
High Fidelity Wireframe
With the complete design of my brand’s identity, I incorporated my chosen colors, fonts, elements and components into the high-fidelity wireframe structure. This foundation allowed me to seamlessly continue building my design while unfolding a detailed, visual representation that I could facilitate as my prototype. While designing my brand, a significant challenge I faced was finding the precise imagery that resonated with my vision. To effectively communicate my brand's story, I aimed to incorporate more black and white elements, but unfortunately needed to adjust the color scheme slightly to better align with the chosen images.
Adjusted Design Vision and Colors for Image Compatibility
Original Design Vision and Colors
Following my development of the high-fidelity wireframes and usability considerations, I began integrating the elements for prototype development. To ensure creating a smooth user experience, I aimed to achieve intended responsiveness and function for efficient user testing.
User Testing Observation
This usability test focused on user interaction with a high fidelity mobile web design. Participants were asked to complete two tasks as a new and existing user. Overall, I was thrilled to observe consistent results among participants, indicating that the website's purpose was effectively communicated and understood. The quiz was especially enjoyable for the participants, and they expressed their delight in taking it. However, there were issues with navigation and button visibility. Further investigation was needed to address these issues and improve the user experience.
Usability Testing
Pick Perfect helps people find the perfect attire for special occasions through user-friendly quizzes. The platform's AI refines results as users make choices. Users can invite friends for feedback and organize online reveals or in-store try-on events. Customizable electronic invitations with detailed schedules and RSVP tracking are also available. My goal is to evaluate the usability of Pick Perfect, understand the feedback, look for patterns, and prioritize changes.
To assess the usability of my prototypes, I conducted two distinct tasks involving five different users. My prototypes were focused on two scenarios and evaluated on the following criteria:
A new user visiting the website for the first time in search of options.
An existing user adding their friends to be able to view their favorites.
Version 1
Version 1
Version 2
2. Labels added to silhouette options:
Version 1
3. Moved done/checkmark to upper center:
Version 1
5. In section 3 of home page, “Find My Style” was the only button to navigate to the style quiz
Version 2
Revising Test Results
I was able to create revisions by understanding and organizing user feedback, identifying patterns, and prioritizing necessary changes. Using these methods led to the iteration and development I needed to enhance the usability and functionality of Pick Perfect and deliver a design with better usability.
Analyzing and Prioritizing Test Results
One participant presented an excellent idea of adding labels to the fabric and style options as they were a bit difficult to see in the prototype. While the visibility issue may vary across devices, I believe incorporating labels would significantly improve results of more reliably accurate responses for the user.
In terms of navigational challenges, the "done/checkmark" button posed visibility issues due to its placement at the bottom of the screen and user hesitation occurred on the results/profile page. Finally, I anticipated that users would select the "find my style" button from the home screen in section three. This concept stemmed from the assumption that users would scroll past the first button. However, I reevaluated this approach and incorporated the first call-to-action button as an additional navigation path to the style quiz.
Summarization of changes to be implemented:
Add labels to fabric options
Add labels to silhouette options
Move the “done/checkmark” button to a visible location when the user is adding friends
Add pop up modal window on profile page implementing clearer navigation instruction
Address the singular navigation of the “find my style” button
Include the first CTA button on the home page as a link to the style quiz
Visual changes of newly implemented designs:
1. Labels added to fabric options:
Version 2
Version 1
4. Added pop up window for navigation clarity:
Version 2
Version 2
6. Added “Let’s Find Yours” as an additional button for navigation to the style quiz menu.
Task Flow 1: New User Wants to “Find My Style”
Iterating Test Results
After implementing the recent modifications, additional testing and revisions will be conducted on the updated prototypes. To test the revised prototypes, I included the links and corresponding scenarios needed to complete each task.
Visuals of the revised prototypes:
Task Flow 2: Returning User wants to add two of their friends to receive feedback from them
By incorporating the final revisions of my prototype and implementing multiple iterations, I meticulously reviewed my modifications to guarantee flawless functionality and obtain approval from stakeholders. Utilizing Figma's spec tool, I provided detailed specifications and was ready for a smooth handoff to developers.
Design Project Insights
I have a broad range of interests and skills that every aspect of this project was exciting to explore. I love to learn new things, be challenged and express myself through creativity. Overall, this has been a thrilling adventure that I race home to every day after work. I chose my favorite areas of my Pick Perfect project and organized them by why I enjoyed it most.
Research— Conducting, Synthesizing, and Presenting
Why: My curiosity and desire to know everything I can about a topic propel me to gather every bit of information possible to support and produce comprehensive, error-free results. This area of UX design fulfills my need to conduct research, implement methods, measure findings, dig deeper, find opportunities, and organize all of it into an informative and easy-to-understand deliverable.
Collaboration—
Why: Whether its working with stakeholders, team members or users, UX/UI requires input from a variety of people. The positive approach this field needs to achieve remarkable outcomes includes two of my favorite characteristics, empathy and open-mindedness. I very much thrive in an environment of open communication, collaborative idea-sharing and transparency with kindness and emotional intelligence at the forefront. This mix provides healthy, positive atmospheres that yield exceptional results.
Brand Design—
Why: In a marketing strategy, design plays a pivotal role. It establishes the brand's identity and connects with users on an emotional level, igniting inspiration and curiosity. Creativity is my favorite and final piece of the puzzle. I love designing the most because it brings together visual elements to generate familiarity, patterns, and accessibility. Providing an excellent design offers a clear sense of direction and representation, making design a crucial aspect of any successful marketing campaign. I strive to incorporate every detail with necessity and purpose to the overall design aesthetic.
The experience of working on this project taught me multiple valuable lessons about UX/UI design and revealed an entire workshop of methods and best practices to utilize in future projects. As a perfectionist, I easily recognize that no design is perfect the first time around. Through iteration, I refined and improved the design until it met the needs of our users and expectations of stakeholders, but not without facing a few challenges first.
Challenge 1— Difficulty finding images that best reflected my brand and visual design ideas. Several changes needed to be implemented to best correspond with the images I ended up choosing. I also eliminated certain elements in order to create a cohesive, visual design.
Resolve: Even though I created a mood board and included images that inspired design vision, I didn’t use images that were eligible stock photos. In the future, I will choose high quality stock images before choosing my design elements.
Challenge 2— Choosing the card sorting method for my affinity map
Resolve: Reflecting on my card sort experience with participants in Optimal Workshop, I realized that conducting a closed card sort instead of an open one would have been more beneficial. Initially, I was concerned that providing categories might lead to unreliable results. However, the absence of categories made it challenging for participants to grasp the topic's context and effectively categorize the items. Asking participants to place items into predefined categories would have been easier and more reliable, validating my initial intuition. This revelation taught me the importance of not assuming a single approach and being adaptable to change during the research process.
Challenge 3— Developing the prototype by setting up quiz elements and components to react responsively and correctly.
Resolve: I’m determined and I don’t shy away from learning new skills on my own. In fact, I embrace the challenge and aspire to be resourceful by making comparisons and breaking things down for clarity and direction. However, the complications and level of difficulty I experienced with creating a prototype for the first time in Figma with very little knowledge proved to be my biggest hurdle.
Conclusion
The Pick Perfect project was a transformative and enriching learning experience. It revealed the significance of user-centric design, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing user needs and preferences throughout the development process. The iterative design process, encompassing wireframing, prototyping, and testing, highlighted the invaluable role of user feedback and the necessity of adaptability and responsiveness to change. I particularly relished the creative aspects of the project, such as sketching wireframes and developing the brand identity. However, encountering challenges, specifically in finding vision-aligned imagery and prototyping, tested my perseverance and adaptability. Through these challenges, I used my persistence and the ability to adapt, ultimately leading to a design that harmoniously balanced aesthetics and functionality. This project reinforced my passion for crafting inclusive and user-friendly designs, and I eagerly anticipate applying the lessons learned to future endeavors.