Mike Tyle

Tools: Figma Role: UX/UI Timeline: 1 month

RETOUR

OVERVIEW

Retour is an app for fashion stylist that will help keep track of the items they have on loan. There are currently no other such apps in existence but the user-friendly + clean design will incorporate the needs of the stylist combining the best of trade-tools: Google Docs + iPhoto.

OBJECTIVE

Retour requires a design for an iOS mobile app, along with clear organization that can be presented in a prototype that effectively shows the key features users need from an inventory app.

This is a speculative project. Retour is a fictional company.

MARKET RESEARCH

In order to establish an understanding of the job + trends within the industry. I focused on who the stylist is. Discovering what tools they use to organize the samples + how they are accessing the information needed to complete the process from beginning to end.

Who is the stylist?

• Majority female, fashion conscious, ~ age range: 20-35.

• Stylist are freelance + rates differ depending on project. Assistants make an hourly rate or “experience for portfolio”.

• Most are college graduates; usually in fashion or art.

• Urban based. Most shoots are in studio or on location.

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

I identified potential competitors to Retour + took stock of the features they offered, evaluating their strengths + weaknesses. Currently all possible competitors are similar programs created for the PR side of sample organization.

Google Sheets + iPhoto are the products used by stylist to keep track of samples.

USER INTERVIEWS

I conducted 1:1 in-person interviews as primary research in order to learn directly from potential users about their organization habits, including methods of tracking samples + interaction with team members.

• Number of Participants: 5

• Gender breakdown: 2 female / 1 male / 1 non-binary

• Age: 19-34

PERSONA

Having synthesized my primary research, I was then prepared to develop 3 personas who would represent my target users. From my primary research I was able to distinguish the needs, the goals, frustrations + motivations.

JOURNEY MAP

I synthesized the findings from user interviews + after shadowing the stylist on a project. Using conversations + statements I was able to understand patterns that emerged during the process. I then grouped statements based on timeline to determined key insights + identify user needs.

POV STATEMENTS + HMW QUESTIONS

The next step was to reframe the insights + needs from the journey map as Point-of-View statements + How-Might-We questions. Doing this helped me to further empathize with the stylist + prepare to generate ideas for potential solutions.

BRAINSTORMING

In order to generate a wealth of ideas for potential solutions, I conducted a brainstorming session. I started to brainstorm answers for each of the How-Might-We questions + ideas to develop a range of concepts that might address the stylist needs.

APP MAP

The next step in the ideation phase was to focus on building the app structure. I created an app map, planning out key screens + determining where the main features would be located + how they would relate to each other within the app.

USER FLOW

Considering the stylist needs + the project goals, I created a diagram that described the pathways users might take while interacting with Retour. This process helped me to identify the key screens + actions users might require.

SKETCHES

The first step of the design phase was to take sketch ideas for some of the main Retour screens. These low-fidelity wireframes helped me to determine layouts + establish visual hierarchy, while exploring common design patterns + figuring out how to integrate the app’s key features.

MID-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES

I followed up the sketches by creating mid-fidelity wireframes, translating the sketches to a digital form + preparing for usability testing. By building the wireframes in grayscale, I was able to focus on the functionality of the features.

STYLE GUIDE

Next, I created a style guide for the visual design of the app, establishing a color palette, typography styles, + icons that would be applied across the app.

HIGH-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES

I implemented the new features in high-fidelity wireframes, making sure to adhere to the design direction outlined in the style tile + referencing elements in the existing app. These wireframes were then used to build a prototype to be used for usability testing.

PROTOTYPE + USABILITY TESTING

• Take a picture + add it to a folder

• Confirm that a product has been returned

• Turn sound notifications on

TAKEAWAYS

Creating this app was a labor of love. Knowing that there isn’t anything like it currently on the market was exciting but also daunting. Since I had first hand experience I knew what was needs were necessary vs what is nice to have.

As the industry is changing the role of the stylist will as well which means some parts of the current app might become obsolete + newer tools will need to be implemented.