TIMELINE
January - March 2025
(10 weeks)
ROLE
Visual Designer
Interaction Designer
SKILLS
User Research
Product Design
Prototyping
COLLABORATORS
Natalie Abel
Jake Villasenor
Matthew David
THE CHALLENGE
Shoppers are overwhelmed - not by a lack of options, but too many.
This project was part of a class in which my teammates and I were tasked with creating a physical product that could potentially become a physical startup. While brainstorming, my team and I thought about our upcoming transition from college to young adulthood. Preparing for interviews and entering into the workforce meant we had to search for professional clothing that reflected both workplace standards and our personal style. Yet, despite hours of browsing, we were met with endless tabs, decision fatigue, and little confidence in our choices. Finding quality clothing was only part of the challenge, styling those pieces into cohesive, intentional outfits proved just as difficult.
THE SOLUTION
Our solution was an AI chatbot that not only helped the user curate their own personal style but also aided in the actual discovery of clothing that would enable users to express that personal style.
Chat with your AI stylist
Find specific items
Ask for styling advice
Get personalized help in seconds
Save, Experiment, and Shop
Save individual pieces or entire outfits to your boards
Experiment with styles
Shop directly in the app
Tailor Your Experience
Take a style quiz to refine recommendations based on your tastes
Add personal color, fit, and preferred brands
RESEARCH
Translating Inspiration into Action
Starting with white paper research, we began to draw from research articles on the topics of online shopping and fashion inspiration. While doing so we came across an interesting statistic from an Accenture survey:
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Finding a niche in the market
To better understand the space and see if a product like StyleSeek is needed, we analyzed 11 existing apps and sites for fashion discovery. After analyzing these sites and apps, noting their key features, advantages, issues and cost, we discovered three key gaps: limited personalization, a lack of contextual awareness, and an absence of outfit building.
USER INTERVIEWS
First, we surveyed 32 individuals about their online clothing experiences, and from those surveys we gathered that:
Then, we interviewed 7 individuals (ages 18–25) who either enjoy fashion and shopping or have experience working in fashion retail. They were asked questions about their personal style, challenges they face while shopping, and their opinion on using AI for fashion.
INSIGHTS
Most people dress based on weather, occasion, and routine, not trends alone.
Online shopping feels more like a chore than a thrill.
People love style inspiration, but don’t know where to shop for it.
People want quality clothes that don’t wreck their budget.
Sustainable fashion is the goal, but not the habit.
DESIGN
Setbacks + a new direction
At first, my team and I had planned on a mobile app. However, after testing with multiple users we came to the conclusion that a desktop site would be more effective. With the breadth of information that is displayed, we decided that a desktop layout would be the most efficient and least cluttered, making the user experience less overstimulating and simpler to use.
IDEATION
Lo-fi Wireframe
Provides a blueprint of the page structure, layout, information, and functions.
TESTING + IMPROVEMENTS
3 major improvements in our design
Based on feedback from peers, MVP testers and our professor, we continued to iterate and improve the design. This resulted in 3 major improvements:
Expandable/collapsable navbar
Users needed quick access to key features, but the sidebar was taking up valuable screen space, especially on smaller laptops.
Gives users more room to focus on the task at hand while still keeping navigation one click away.
Filtering of the results
Reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed by too many options.
Adding filters helps users find what they want.
Turns an endless scroll into a more curated and confident experience.
Shop within the app
Reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed by too many options.
Adding filters helps users find what they want.
Turns an endless scroll into a more curated and confident experience.
STYLING
Style Seek embodies a modern, curated, and effortlessly sophisticated approach to fashion discovery that inspires confidence and self-empowerment. Our neutral palette, paired with burgundy accents, evokes a sense of refinement and confidence, reminiscent of high-end fashion editorials.
VISUAL DESIGN
Typography and Colors
FINAL SCREENS
Check out the final prototype here
REFLECTIONS
During the course of this projects, our team encountered challenges that ultimately provided us with valuable learning experiences.
Thank you for reading!
If you'd like to know more about the process, feel free to each out to me at elliana.s.gang@gmail.com and I would be happy to share!
Let's keep in touch!