Clo
A virtual closet & inspiration hub
Overview
Clo is a conceptual app designed to inspire Millennial women to wear all the items in their closets so they don't buy more clothes than they need. It's their entire closet and styling canvas right in their pocket.
Project Type
Solo - Case Study
Timeline
8 weeks
Role
UX Designer
UI Designer
UX Researcher
Branding
Tools
Figma
InVision
Otter.ai
The Problem
The fashion industry poses a serious threat to the environment, yet consumers keep buying new clothes.
My goal was to uncover data on a macro and micro level to give me a well-rounded perspective on this complex, multi-faceted problem space and allow users to guide me toward the best solution.
The Solution
Helping consumers re-discover the items in their closets.
Secondary Research
In the U.S. alone 2,150 pieces of clothing are thrown away each second.
I started by exploring online research from reputable sources to better understand the effect of the fashion industry on the environment. In this process, I came across shocking statistics.
Research shows that most consumers don’t wear everything that's in their closets, yet consumption and waste have increased. So what gives?
User Interviews
Women Don’t Wear Everything That’s in Their Closets.
I conducted 5 interviews in person or via Facetime with Millennial women based in the U.S.; a consumer group with immense buying power. In fact, Millennial women spend 226% more on clothing per year than their male counterparts. (Khoros 2020, Fair Trade Certified 2020)
Giving my Interviewees a Voice
After conducting my interviews, I sorted all the themes and insights into an affinity map. While I gathered eight themes in my research, I focused on the most impactful themes and insights.
Fast Fashion Consumers
All the interviewees shop at fast fashion retailers. The majority shop at these retailers because of the convenience and affordable prices.
Shopping for the Occasion or Setting
Shopping for a specific occasion or setting is a motivation for women. Whenever there’s an upcoming event, that’s usually when women shop for new clothes.
Women Don’t Wear Everything That’s In Their Closets
None of the interviewees wore every single item in their closet. Most of the time, women hold onto items that they think they might wear in the future. Another reason is that they lose interest in certain items.
A personal challenge
A big challenge for me was that I had to stop myself from ideating so early and focus on the data. At this point, I was already envisioning an app that was entirely dedicated to swapping clothes. However, through these interviews, I learned that most of my interviewees did not want or need that; they even expressed this through their facial expressions and hesitance. From that point on, I made sure to open my mind to other possibilities and let the data guide me toward the solution.
The Design Challenge
How might we inspire women to wear the items that they already have in their closets, so they don’t feel the need to buy new clothes?
Experience Map
To empathize with my persona, I created a visual representation of her current experience when choosing what to wear for a specific occasion. That way, I was able to identify the moments when she experiences frustration and the opportunities to prevent that.
User Task Flow
Design Exploration
I gathered a lot of inspiration from similar apps in the fashion and social media space, especially apps that include a lot of pictures.
Then, I began to translate those ideas into exploratory sketches for each screen in the task flow. From there, I selected solution sketches to move forward with as a foundation for my digital wireframes.
User Testing & Feedback
3 Key Improvements
I conducted 2 rounds of usability testing with 10 women over Zoom or Facetime, giving my users six tasks to complete without guidance.
These sessions allowed me to gather invaluable feedback, which was used to improve the design and overall experience of the app. Below are some of the key revisions that I implemented based on the feedback.
Brand Visual Identity
I began to explore my brand’s visual identity by writing a list of adjectives that represented the feelings that I want to evoke in my users when they interact with my product. To help me choose a name for my app, I conducted a poll with my interviewees and some of the users from my user testing since my design approach was entirely user-centered. In the end, the name with the most votes (out of 20 options) was “Clo.”
High Fidelity Wireframes & Prototype
The Final Product
I transformed the grayscale wireframes into high-fidelity wireframes, where Clo fully came to life. I made a few adjustments to the design and implemented realistic interactions and animations to improve the interface and overall experience for users.
The Component Library
Utilizing Brad Frost’s Atomic Design Methodology, I developed a robust component library to preserve a high-quality user interface in future iterations of Clo. Other designers and web developers would be able to reference the library to expand Clo while remaining true to its identity and experience. Below is a preview of some of the elements.
Reflecting on a User-Centered Approach
We Are Not Our Users
I learned a lot throughout this entire experience. However, the key learning that stands out the most is that we (designers) are not our users. I constantly reminded myself of this and it served as my North Star in this user-centered approach. What might make sense to me may not make sense to others and I saw clear evidence of that. For example, something as simple as a title on a screen was confusing to my users and interfered with their successful completion of a task. For this very reason, user testing and feedback are extremely important.
Flexibility & Open-Mindedness
It was hard to stop myself from thinking of a solution to the problem space early on. Back when I was conducting secondary research, I was already envisioning an app that was entirely dedicated to swapping clothes. However, through my primary research, I learned that some of my users did not want or need that. This was a great reminder to lean on data to guide me through the design process.