Experience sustainable fashion with Your Friend, the local retailer of handmade clothing and jewelry! Enjoy unique, ethically produced pieces that celebrate individuality and support artistry.

Project

Responsive web design
(Course Project, 2024)

Duration

April 2024 - June 2024

Role

UX Researcher
End-to-end UI/UX Designer

Overview

The decision to embark on this project arises from the desire to merge personal interests with entrepreneurial ambitions. Handmade clothing and jewelry are not only expressions of creativity but also avenues for promoting sustainability and supporting independent artists. In my personal life, I’ve often used clothing and my sense of style to create conversations with other people. The current rise of social isolation creates feelings of loneliness, and Your Friend, aspires to try and lessen that gap. Creating an online platform, Your Friend, aims to reach a broader audience while championing creativity, ethical consumerism, and community values.

Background

In the contemporary retail landscape, there's a growing demand for unique, personalized products that reflect individual styles, values, and a sense of community. However, finding such items often proves challenging, particularly for consumers who prioritize sustainability and ethical sourcing. Your Friend aims to address this gap by providing a curated selection of handmade clothing and jewelry, offering customers an alternative to mass-produced, cookie-cutter fashion, and eventually providing classes and a storefront for local artists to showcase their work.

the Problem

Your friend, will meet the growing demand for unique, sustainable, and ethically sourced fashion. Specializing in ethically sourced and handmade clothing and jewelry, the platform will showcase a curated collections, ensuring each piece reflects creativity and individuality. Key features include a user-friendly, responsive website, a diverse range of handmade items, and a commitment to sustainable practices. The brand will resonate with eco-conscious consumers through its emphasis on creativity, authenticity, and community while fostering engagement through local events and classes. By focusing on high-quality, unique products and a strong sense of community, Your Friend, aims to become a trusted destination for discerning shoppers.

Proposed Solution

the Research

A competitive analysis was done on 3 companies: ArtPool Gallery, Daydream Shop & Maker Space, and Etsy. I discovered the following key learnings:

  1. All businesses focus on selling unique pieces.

  2. All businesses focus on showcasing independent artists.

  3. All businesses have some form of sustainability effort.

  4. All businesses focus on creativity as a value.

  5. All businesses focus on community.

Competitive Analysis

ArtPool Gallery
Owned by a local artist and St. Petersburg, FL native, ArtPool offers vintage clothing and handmade clothing and accessories.

Daydream Shop & Maker Space
A St. Petersburg, FL local artist co-op that offers handmade and locally sourced items, ranging from clothing and accessories to home decor and more.

Etsy
An online marketplace that allows independent artists, crafters, and collectors to sell, buy, and collect unique items. The site is known for its handmade and vintage items, as well as home decor, toys, and more.

Opportunities Identified

  1. Workshops and classes: None of the three companies provide workshops or classes to the local community or the broader population.

  2. Hosting events: ArtPool and Daydream advertise that they host local events, but a review of their websites show no events for an extended period of time.

  3. Building community: While ArtPool and Daydream are local businesses, they are not actively trying to build a community, but they are inherently a part of it.

Affinity Mapping

Key Insights:

  1. Shopping local: All participants enjoy the experience of shopping local and desire an enjoyable encounter.

  2. Community engagement: Four out of five participants stated that community engagement is important to them when shopping for wearable items. Participants also value businesses that engage with and contribute to the local community. There is a need to emphasize local involvement and create opportunities for community interaction: All participants would pay at least 5% more for a product if they knew a product is sustainably made.

  3. Community events: All participants are interested in attending community events. Four participants believe that creating good connections with the community makes them more interested in purchasing from Your friend, which would yield higher profits.

  4. Sustainability: Four participants feel that sustainability is important to them. Two of them feel like it’s very important and two of them feel like it’s important, but not a priority.

  5. Cost vs sustainability: All participants said they would pay at least 5% extra if they knew a product was sustainably made or ethically sourced.

  6. Product materials: All participants are concerned about the ingredients of materials that go on their skin or are consumed.

  7. Purchase process: All participants want an easy purchasing experience, and expressed a need for fast shipping. Four participants enjoy local pick-up if the store is close by.

  8. Brand association and values: All participants noted mostly outdoorsy stores like REI as eco-friendly brands, associating them with sustainability and earthy tones.

  9. Website features: Three participants said they want to be able to save their favorite items to their account. Two participants want to see a list of materials used in the items being sold.

I interviewed 5 participants to gain insight into what their thoughts were on shopping locally, sustainability efforts, and community engagement. Based on their responses, participants need more access to sustainable products, affordable and transparent pricing, trustworthy and clear information, enhanced community engagement, reliable delivery and shipping, an easy online shopping experience, and eco-friendly practices.

User Needs

1. Limited access to sustainable products: two participants said they don’t have access to many local sustainable stores.

2. Higher costs: Three participants noted that sustainable products are often expensive, forcing them to choose the less expensive option.

3. Lack of Trust and Information: Four participants said it’s hard to distinguish good branding from genuine sustainable products.

4. Delivery and Shipping Issues: All five participants mentioned they had experienced some difficulty with delivery and shipping issues in the past, noting problems with reliability, speed, and theft.

5. Concerns About Eco-Friendly Practices: Two participants said they preferred minimal packaging to prevent unnecessary waste.

User Pain Points

1. Create well-made and uniquely designed fashion pieces.

2. Consciously use and provide information about eco-friendly materials.

3. Build community through workshops and events.

4. Create accessible and affordable options for users, such as the ability to sell or trade clothes.

Project Goals

Based on the participant responses from the interviews, I came up with two personas: 1. The Fashionista and 2. The Busy Parent.

Personas

1.

2.

Your friend, seeks to provide users with unique pieces that not only reflect their individuality but also promote ethical production practices. To make sustainable fashion more accessible, Your Friend offers not just the option to buy but also to sell and trade, creating a dynamic marketplace that empowers consumers to engage in ethical consumerism. By bridging the gap between creators and users, Your Friend aspires to foster a sense of community, reduce social isolation, and make fashion a medium for both self-expression and meaningful connections.

Product Concept

  1. Product information.

  2. Buy, sell, trade page.

  3. Events & workshops page.

  4. Favorite items list.

  5. User reviews.

Feature List

Define: the Design Process

To begin the design process, I looked at the primary goals that users would want to achieve on the platform and created the following user flows:

  1. User navigates to the Buy, sell, trade page.

  2. User reads the rules.

  3. User has the option to get an estimate for an item.

  4. User uploads pictures of item.

  5. User adds information about item.

  6. User selects continue.

  7. User receives an estimated amount for item.

  8. User has the option to visit the store.

User Flow: Buy, sell, trade page

User Flow: Events & workshops page

  1. User navigates to the Events & workshops page.

  2. User can view events and workshops on page.

  3. User has the option to add the event or workshop to their calendar.

Low-fidelity & Mid-fidelity Wireframes

Using the user flows I created, I began working on my low- and mid-fidelity wireframes. The primary flows I worked on creating were:

  1. Buy, sell, trade.

  2. Events & workshops.

  3. Selecting an item.

  4. Reviews page.

This page is designed to help keep products affordable for users by allowing them to purchase items at full price, sell their clothing or accessories for cash, or sell their clothing for in-store credit (trade), fostering a community-driven marketplace.

  1. Buy, sell, trade: Low-fidelity

  1. Mid-fidelity

2. Events & workshops: Low-fidelity

This page promotes, organizes, and manages events and workshops, providing users with all the necessary information they need to participate.

2. Mid-fidelity

This page provides users with high-quality images, pricing information, delivery and shipping information, and a detailed description of the materials used to make the products. The description includes information about the artist as well as a process video.

3. Selecting an item: Low-fidelity

3. Mid-fidelity

4. Reviews: Low-fidelity

The reviews page serves as a space to enhance transparency by showing what experiences other users have had with our products and workshops, allowing them to assess the quality of what we have to offer.

4. Mid-fidelity

Branding

After laying the groundwork and creating wireframes, I moved on to branding and created a moodboard.

My vision for the branding of 'Your Friend' was to create a look that feels inclusive, communal, creative, and sustainable. Initially, I selected a dark green and light green color scheme, but user testing revealed that the colors felt too dark. Based on that feedback, I switched to a light blue and green palette to convey a brighter, more inviting, and sustainable brand image.

Brand Colors

Primary

Logo

Secondary

Neutrals

Typography

Buttons

Test

The moment of truth: Usability testing!
I conducted testing on 5 users to help identify any potential issues and the app’s intuitiveness. Users were asked to go through the following task flows:

1. Reading reviews.

2. Selecting an item and reading the materials.

3. Using the buy, sell, trade feature.

4. Viewing events and adding a workshop to their calendar.

Usability Testing

Link to prototype:

Participants reported a feeling of inclusion and friendliness. While there were no major technical concerns, three out of five users expected a filter option on the reviews page. Participants also recommended showing images of the items users reviewed next to their review. Three participants also recommended that the Buy, sell, trade page offer an online estimate with a price range. Finally, participants recommended taking out the calendar feature on the Events & workshops page, separating the two into two distinct sections, and optimizing the layout.

Results

Iterations

Reviews page

Based on user feedback, I added a filter option as well as images of the items users reviewed.

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Initially, clothing estimates were to be done strictly in-store. However, after receiving feedback from users, I added an online estimator that offers a price range based on questions regarding the item’s condition.

Price range

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Optimizing the Events & workshops page

Due to user confusion with the calendar feature, it was excluded from the final product. The layout was then optimized to include separate sections for events and workshops, with a filter option added for easier navigation.

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Final Prototype

Conclusion

Throughout this process, I discovered through my research that part of building this online platform is about crafting a community-driven experience that fosters creativity, sustainability, and connection. I learned the importance of understanding the values and needs of my target audience and how to translate those insights into a platform that feels personal and engaging. This project reinforced my belief in the power of ethical consumerism and the potential for fashion to be a bridge between people, offering not just unique products, but also meaningful interactions. Your Friend, became a great insight into seeing the potential impact that thoughtful design and a strong sense of purpose can have on creating something genuine and creative.

Next Steps

With additional time, the next steps would involve engaging in more in-depth conversations with local businesses in my area. By dedicating more time to researching how these businesses succeed and understanding user expectations, it could provide me with valuable insights into how to better align Your Friend, with the needs and expectations of the community. This research would help refine the business model, ensuring that the platform not only supports local artists but also resonates deeply with the local customer base, ultimately fostering stronger connections and a more robust, sustainable marketplace.

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