vTrend
A high-fidelity prototype of a digital stylist that lives in your pocket.
What?
A high fidelity, interactive prototype for an app that uses your phone’s camera and AI to help sneaker enthusiasts discover clothes to match their shoes.
Why?
To help users save time getting ready in the morning, and discover new clothing items, brands, and stores.
How?
First, I started with a mind map laying out the basic idea of the product and its features. We then formed a team to conduct market research and create a market matrix. Of the 15 products researched at the time, only two had a feature that allows the user to scan an article of clothing and find matching or similar items.
We determined stakeholders and administered user surveys to help determine features needed for the app. We also discovered which features may not be necessary and needed to be eliminated. An interactive prototype was developed in Adobe XD which was user-tested and modified by recording heuristic evaluations that provided real-time feedback.
Final Thoughts
This project taught me a lot about the importance of market research and user surveys. Before the first wireframe is sketched, a designer should ask themself: Is there a need for this product? Is there a gap to be filled? What problem is it solving? The answers to these questions will layout a design framework for them.
Design, just like development, adheres to an agile workflow. The design process is iterative, nonhierarchical, and transformational. It cycles through a number of phases from inception to deployment, changing radically along the way.