Defining the problem

BIG PICTURE: For shoppers that wear larger sizes or have specific requirements for their clothing, concerns about proper fit override the convenience of shopping online. Small businesses need help connecting to their audience and generating foot traffic.
USER EXPERIENCE: Reading reviews, descriptions, measurements, and sorting through huge selections leads to frustration, fatigue, and abandonment. Shopping locally allows users to try things on before they buy, but locating items they need can be a challenge. 
GOALS: Reduce user’s mental load and ease frustration; connect shoppers with local businesses; provide small businesses with a platform to market directly to their core demographic.
SOLUTION: An app that combines the convenience of shopping online with the instant gratification and personal connection of shopping locally.

Small 
Business
Owners

I conducted interviews with small business owners to learn more about their specific goals. From these interviews, I learned that connecting the business to their audience is key. They are pressed for time, so they need something that will answer users questions and prevent unnecessary phone calls/emails. An app that aids in the discovery process, allows users to view details about current inventory, and gather data about user preferences would ease pain points and provide a measurable benefit.

Pain Points

SHOPPERS

• Can’t try things on
• Too many choices

BUSINESS OWNERS

• Getting people in the door
• Learning users preferences

Key Takeaways

• Users are easily fatigued/overwhelmed by sorting through too many options
• Many users would prefer to look/feel/try on items over buying online
• Many customers learn about items through social media
• Business owners need a way to share items and connect with their audience

Solutions

• Make it easy to share and items via social media and offer a solution to track interest
• Offer a map and list view. Map view allows users to get a visual sense of what is nearby, item view lets them take inventory of specific items.
• Allow users to follow businesses and save specific items for later. Users receive notifications directly from businesses about sale items or updates. 
• Geolocation services notify users when a business or item they like is within a certain radius, for those that would prefer to see things in person or try things on before buying.
• Allow users to save items to lists. Saving to lists reduces mental load by allowing users to make decisions when it is more convenient for them.
• Saving items to lists helps users feel organized. Scout learns preferences through likes and saves, generating content curated to users needs and reducing mental load

Task Flow

The task flow takes users through a process of searching for an item and saving it for later.

Storyboard

I created a storyboard to help better understand the emotional arc of the user. It follows the user as she attempts to look for an item online, through her frustration and tab overload as she tries to find something that is in stock and available soon, to her relief at finding an app that helps her discover exactly what she needs, at a nearby location, available now.

High Fidelity Wireframes

I sketched some wireframes and created a clickable prototype in Marvel to test the task flow.