FabLab
MY ROLE IN THIS PROJECT
User Research
UI Design
UX Design
THE CONTEXT
The purpose of FabLab is trying to bring users a more convenience and effective environment shopping fabrics in the store.
THE PROBLEM
The problem is right now fabric stores in San Francisco Bay is still running in an old fashion way. Fabric stores they just display every fabrics by rolled, which makes the stores look really chaotic and not easy for customers find right fabrics directly. Even customers they have to carry the heavy fabrics by themself and brings to cashiers to help them cutting. Shopping fabrics could be an enjoyable experience, so FabLab is a new concept fabric store tries to achieve this goal.
THE DESIGN TASKS
In this case study project, my role is trying to build a fun experience for users by using my user experience design skill and design the visual branding system for FabLab.
Research
Base on my research, fabric stores in San Francisco Bay Area are chaotic. Owners they just put every fabrics in their store. Some of them order their fabrics by color and others put them by different materials. However, even owners they put fabrics in order, customers they still spend 1 to 2 hours to find the fabrics which need. In addition, in usually, when customers they shop in fabrics store, they have to carry heavy fabrics by themself and bring to cashier to cut, which is really inconvenient for them, especially for elder customers.
Inspiration
ADOBE KULER
Kuler is a web based and desktop application(via Adobe AIR) which allows you to collect themes and share them with the community.
DISADVANTAGE
The color that user picked they only can use in Adobe series application; The function of Adobe Kuler is too narrow. It can't record any others information except color.
MARIE CLAIRE CONCEPT STORE
The store, which will be open from Sep. 23 through October 12, 2019. Customers are encouraged to download an app that will enable mobile checkout and give them access to an events schedule that covers the duration of the pop-up’s stint.
DISADVANTAGE
Download another application will lost part of the users; Leave private information just on the smart monitor for some of the user is not safe and necessary.
MOOD
Mood Fabrics is world’s most famous fabric store. The special thing is Mood Fabrics they sell swatches online, so user they can buy swatches first and if that is good, users can buy more online and get delivery.
DISADVANTAGE
It always take one week to delivery, which means users they can get what they want normally after half month.
GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH
From Google image search users can search for images with reverse image search. Also user can use a picture as your search to find related images from around the web. When you search using an image, your search results may include Similar images which is sites that include the image and other sizes of the image you searched for. In a word, search using an image works best when the image is likely to show up in other places on the web.
Target Audience
Primary target audiences of FabLab are people who works in fashion design area, they have clearly idea about what they want for fabrics, such as material, color, and so on. The purpose of their fabrics are bought for their projects; Secondary target audiences of fablab are people they care what they wear everyday and people who usually make clothes by themself, they have the home sewing machine and have sewing skills to make garments. Most of them have flexible time to control.
Persona_Kym
NAME
Kym Ellery
OCCUPATION
Fashion Designer
BIOGRAPHY
Kym Ellery is a fashion designer, she has worked in fashion area for 5 yeas. In her university, she was studying texture style. Also, she is very interested in fabrics. Kym touches fabrics almost everyday.
Recently, Kym is designed a winter collection, and she've already decided designs. The next step would be fabric choosing. So she comes to FabLab and want to find and buy the wool fabric which made by Italy with warm color.
Story Board
Task Flow
The first task flow is to help Kym find and buy the fabric she wants.
Persona_Alexander
NAME
Alexander Smith
OCCUPATION
Content Writer of Vogue
BIOGRAPHY
Alexander is a content writer of Vogue, and he has been a content writer for fashion magazines for 3 years. He has a lot friends who are fashionable. Recently, Alexander and his friends planing to have a Christmas party, and every people that been invited has to wear clothes that they made by themself. Alexander found an interesting image online and wants to find the similar fabrics and used to make his Christmas garment.
Story Board
Task Flow
The goal of second task flow is to help Alexander find the fabric which similar with his image.
Persona_Emily
NAME
Emily Taylor
OCCUPATION
Housewife
BIOGRAPHY
Emily Taylor is a housewife, and she has two daughter, one is 3 years old and another is 5 years old. Every morning Emily cook breakfast for her husband and two daughters and drive daughters to school.
Recently, weather is getting colder, Emily is planing to buy some fabrics for her daughters to make the winter garment. After Emily brought her daughter to school, she went to fablab and hope can find a warm fabric for winter cloth.
Story Board
Task Flow
The third task flow is to give Emily some fabric inspirations of her daughter's winter cloth.
Information Architecture
Wireframes
UI Design
