Tools
Figma, Canva, Photoshop, Google Sheets, Notion
Timeline
Three Week Sprint
Process
Discovery
Analysis
Ideation
Design
Reflection
Project Overview
About Social Closet
Social Closet is a platform that enables individuals to rent and lend their clothing. It serves as a peer-to-peer fashion rental marketplace, catering to those who have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear. The lenders on Social Closet earn income from clothing items that they do not use, while borrowers can explore both local and distant closets to find distinctive and reasonably priced outfits.
Problem & Solution
Our clientele seeks a clothing rental platform offering cost-effective options that cater to their preferences. They prioritize a reputable organization that offers contemporary brand selections. To address these requirements, we have devised an improved desktop interface featuring enhancements to the global navigation bar and the incorporation of a user-friendly drop-down menu, facilitating a seamless browsing experience for our users.
My Role: As the UX Research and UI designer for Social Closet, I worked closely with my team to develop a user-friendly solution to address the issues within the clothing rental platform industry. As we worked together, our tasks consisted of:
The developing survey better understands our user’s needs and pain points. Conducting user interviews and developing our primary user.
Collected and synthesized our research and affinity mapping our data findings to identify key pain points and gaps within the market. Throughout these tasks, I was able to apply my skills and develop wireframes, low - high fidelity designs, prototypes, and interactive components.
Lastly, we conducted usability testing to substantiate that our solution achieved our client’s goals.
Secondary Research:
Our project began with thorough secondary research and a strategic survey to understand the market and target audience. This yielded valuable insights into prevalent gaps, pain points, and nuanced user preferences. We separated the categories between user’s that focused on sustainability, peer influence, or pricing. With this data-driven foundation, we meticulously crafted our solution to align seamlessly with our user base's discerned needs and expectations.
Insights
After user interviews, we were able to identify key pain points our users struggled with when it came to shopping online and clothing rental platforms.
Identifying a key challenge, we propose curated occasions to address users' special event clothing preferences within budget constraints. Our research also highlighted monthly ordering patterns and users' interest in sustainable fashion experimentation. Responding to preferences, we enhanced functionality with a search bar, streamlined item access, and introduced features like "What's Happening This Month" while emphasizing sustainability on the home page. The layout was redesigned to address confusion, introducing a profile section, trends, and additional functionalities like "About," FAQs, a quiz pop-up, and a shopping cart.
“I prefer to shop online because I know there will be more options versus dragging myself to the mall.”
“I originally started renting dresses when it was my prom because I knew I would never wear the dress again, and I didn’t want to pay the price.”
“Sometimes when I get to these clothing rental sites, I get overwhelmed because there are so many items to choose from, and it’s not organized.”
Competitive and Comparative Analysis
After synthesizing our user insights and defining the problem, we analyzed the key aspects of the following companies:
Unique Value Propositions
Rent The Runway
Rent the Runway distinguishes itself through the provision of high-fashion accessibility to a wider audience, offering coveted styles at a fraction of the retail price.
ThredUp
ThredUp establishes its value proposition by providing a practical and accessible service.
Stitch Fix
Stitch Fix presents four core value propositions: customization, convenience, competitive pricing, and association with reputable brands and status.
WHICH GAVE US OUR USER..
Meet Everly, The Shopaholic
Everly, a busy New York City fashionista and PR pro, keeps up with the latest trends by exploring SoHo and vintage flea markets. Balancing her social life, she often plays bridesmaid on weekends. Tired of splurging on one-time dresses, she seeks sustainable and affordable outfit inspiration for her friend's wedding in Venice this summer.
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Finding the perfect occasion dress for the right price.
Clothes curated for certain occasions
Being fashionable and sustainable.
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An occasion dress that fit’s her price point and body type
Curated vacation collection to feel confident and chic without breaking the bank.
A trustworthy, social networking rental platform that highlights sustainability and provides a seamless experience.
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Clothing fit, and affordable pricing.
The website has poor quality and poor visuals.
The return process is timely, confusing, and costly.
User Flow
The user shows Everly logging onto the site, navigating to rent, selecting the category that best fits her needs, finding items she likes, and adding them to her cart to rent.
Wireframes
Final Designs
Logo Redesign
The primary objective behind the creation of this logo is to enhance the brand identity of Social Closet. The intention was to artistically convey the intrinsic connection between Social Closet, the sense of community it fosters, and the essence of a personal wardrobe. The logo design incorporates visual elements that symbolically represent these interrelations. A black color palette was retained to uphold continuity with the original logo. Additionally, a touch of pink was introduced adjacent to the letter "S" to symbolize the notion of community. Furthermore, a suspended motif was ingeniously integrated above the letter "T" to accentuate the closet-related aspect further.
Outcomes
Mobile App/User-Centered Quiz
In addition to our desktop, we designed a mobile app that aligns with the design of our desktop. When users sign up for the mobile app, they are instantly shown a user-centered quiz where they can filter their shopping needs and be directed to the clothing they are looking for.
Following usability testing, we identified design areas in need of enhancement. In particular, we evaluated user interactions with the rent drop-down menu, specifically the "best-dressed guest" selection. Our findings revealed that 29% of users encountered challenges related to the original homepage's "how it works" information. To address this, we have introduced an updated homepage, as depicted on the right, and an improved "how it works" page. We have removed the "how it works" information from the homepage to mitigate potential confusion. Additionally, we've integrated a rent drop-down menu to enhance the overall user experience, ensuring a more seamless and engaging interface for our customers.
High Fidelity Prototype:
Our prototype has implemented numerous refinements to elevate the holistic user experience. These enhancements encompass a redesigned home page that incorporates global navigation, the introduction of a user-friendly drop-down menu, and the incorporation of a comprehensive "how it works" page. Additionally, we have introduced an "About" page, which narrates the inspiring journey of our social closet founder and her unwavering commitment to sustainability. We firmly believe these modifications will cultivate heightened engagement and connectivity among our valued customers, enhancing their overall experience on our platform.
Journey Map
