Interactive Fitting Room Mirror
Many women struggle with finding their bra size, especially when shopping at a new store. This interactive mirror interface aids shoppers in finding their own size in the privacy of a fitting room without the aid of a store worker.
(This is live in 20+ Gilly Hicks stores around the globe and is being adapted for use in future Hollister Co. stores.)
Introduction
Background
Industry: Retail
Company: Epic Systems
Title: Assistant Digital Content Specialist
Product line: Multimodal
My Role
I designed and built a functioning prototype of an interactive mirror as a proof-of-concept to upper management. After the project moved forward I worked with the UX design team on refinement and further ideation.
Constraints
Programming: Since part of the challenge of this project was utilizing our existing content management devices. This meant programming the interactions within a limited content management system.
Resources: There was no funding for the initial prototype beyond the needed equipment. This limited the amount of research and testing.
Knowledge: I came in with no prior knowledge of what I was designing for and I was inexperienced in UX design.
Project framing
Original Project Prompt
The original intent for this project was to create a “fun” experience that would allow customers to fit their own bra without the assistance of a store employee.
Re-framed Problem Statement
How can we create a fitting room mirror that will allow customers to find their size while maintaining privacy while incorporating opportunities for future updates and omni-channel expansion.
Research
Source: https://www.makebra.com/make-bra-sizing/
Background Research
Since this subject is not something that I have prior knowledge in, I did research on:
Different type of bras
How to take measurements
Differences in sizing between large brands
Common mistakes when measuring
Design, Development and revisions
The programming and design of the mirror evolved in parallel. As I was working on a design, I would test and revise the programming. The initial prototypes included more features than the final below. This included options to request a bra style and size and fitting tips.
Since we did not have a budget for user testing during this initial part of the project, I had a small touch screen at my desk as a testing unit. As I would finish an iteration, I would grab various peers and ask them to test it and give feedback.
To the right you will see the various iterations of the UI design.
Final Walk-through
In-store implementation
This shows the initial store implementation in the Fall of 2018. This includes additional features, including tips regarding common sizing mistakes or issues. These were features we added during discussion after my final demonstration above.
Outcomes and lessons
After presenting this project to the dedicated UX design team withing the company, this product was presented to leadership (COO and CEO) and approved for test stores in the fall of 2018.
The mirrors have been installed in over 20 stores worldwide (USA, Japan, the UK, and Germany) as a part of the Gilly Hicks implementation. Further, these mirrors are also being tested as a part of the store of the future concept for another brand (Hollister Co) within the Abercrombie ecosystem.
This project was my very first experience with UX Design, so it will always be special to me. I left the company to return to school before the project was live, but I am proud of the work I did designing and prototyping the main interaction on a live project.