I Love Designer

Bridging the gap between in-store and online shopping through storytelling and AR.

MY ROLE

UX Design

UX Writing

UX Research

UX Evaluation

TOOLS USED

Miro

Figma

AdobeXD

Photoshop

TIMELINE

5 Months

PROJECT TYPE

Individual Project

ABOUT

I LOVE DESIGNER is a London-based online retailer and luxury portal that features a diverse range of traditional and contemporary Asian, South American, Middle Eastern, African, and Western design. They currently operate solely through their website.

THE PROBLEM

The existing website lacks interactive elements that engage customers and bridge the gap between in-store and online shopping. Customers are unable to virtually try on items, or fully experience the unique cultural narratives and craftsmanship behind each piece, limiting their ability to connect with the products. This gap results in a missed opportunity to showcase the distinctiveness of the designs and the heritage of the brands featured on ILD’s platform.

CHALLENGE

  • Create an AR-focused mobile application that allows ILD customers to virtually try on items.

  • Immerse customers into the rich culture, heritage, and history behind each brand.

RESEARCH

HEURISTIC EVALUATION

Before diving into user research, I analysed the existing website to identify some general usability issues, such as use of unfamiliar terminology, and inconsistent design elements that could negatively impact the user experience.

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

I further conducted a competitive analysis to gain a better understanding of the market, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of ILD’s competitors. This analysis helped me brainstorm potential features that could distinguish ILD from other online retailers.

QUESTIONNAIRE

To begin my user research, I created a questionnaire and distributed it to current and prospective ILD customers, to better understand their shopping habits, what they expect from online retailers, and whether they want to know about the sustainability and history of a brand, or product they purchase.

OF CUSTOMERS PREFER TO SHOP ONLINE

Due to convenience, broader selection of products available, lower prices, and privacy, a significant number of customers prefer to shop online rather than in-store.

75%

OF CUSTOMERS VALUE SUSTAINABILITY

Customers are more aware of the environmental impact of slow fashion, and prefer to invest in sustainable brands that prioritise quality and ethical production practices.

36%

OF CUSTOMERS EXPECT AR FEATURES

As technology advances, customers expect more from online retailers. AR can boost engagement and reduce costs, enhancing the virtual shopping experience.

68%

FOCUS GROUP

Recognising the importance of designers in this process, I organised a focus group with designers who exclusively sell their products on the ILD website, aimed at learning more about their perspectives, what they want customers to know about their brands, and their views on AR technology.

OF DESIGNERS AGREED THAT

Material and quality were the most important elements behind their brands. They expressed frequently travelling the world in search of the perfect material and even creating their own.

70%

OF DESIGNERS AGREED THAT

The skill and craftsmanship required to create each of their unique items is the most important aspect of their brand, however, they do not believe customers care about these aspects.

30%

OF DESIGNERS AGREED THAT

AR and the ability for customers to virtually try on items, or view them in formats other than a standard product shot, would improve their customers’ shopping experience.

95%

AFFINITY MAP

I then synthesised the data collected from the questionnaire and focus group into an affinity map.

USER PERSONA

Using common themes from the questionnaire, I created a persona to share with the CEO. This helped me convince her that customers care about sustainability and are frustrated by the lack of detailed product images.

DESIGN PROCESS

INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

The next step was to figure out how to organise the app’s content in the most intuitive way possible. I conducted four card sorts with current and prospective ILD customers, which helped inform the IA of the app.

LOW-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE

I used Figma to create the mobile application from scratch. However, before creating these low-fidelity prototypes, I sketched out several ideas on paper.

MID-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE

After a few rounds of iteration, here’s what the final mid-fidelity wireframes looked like.

HI-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE

Before moving on to the final design, I conducted a usability test with four participants to evaluate the functionality and usability of the mid-fidelity prototype. Two participants mentioned that the navigation menu was overcrowded, and another noted that the icons were too small. These issues were addressed in the final high-fidelity prototype.