Basel
Reimagining the try-on experience at a boutique clothing store
Retail
Service design
Branding
Basel is a concept for a boutique clothing store that reimagines the try-on experience. It combines the convenience of online shopping with the tactile joy of in-store experiences.
As lead UX designer on this project, I led the creation of a self-guided, art gallery-inspired shopping experience that not only solves common retail pain points but elevates the entire concept of trying on clothes.
Overview
Team
Jiho Kim(Lead Designer), 2 UX Researchers, 2 Designers
Duration
3 months
Tool
Figma, After Effects
Skills
Literature Review, Qualitative Interviews, Rapid Ideation, Rapid Prototyping, Evaluative Research
Contribution
Concept Development
Complete UX/UI Design
High Fidelity Prototyping
The Challenge
said Sarah, one of our research participants.
This sentiment in echoed across our user studies, highlighting a paradox in modern retail.
%
Of customers
prefer in-store shopping for apparel
Online shopping offers convenience but lacks the tactile experience crucial for clothing purchases.
The Solution
Basel
Reimagining the Try-On Experience at an Art Gallery-Themed Clothing Store
Curate Your Digital Try-On List.
Select items from Basel's online catalog to create your personalized try-on list. Schedule your in-store appointment through the app, ensuring your chosen pieces are ready in your fitting room upon arrival.
Step Into Your Gallery Fitting Room.
Enter a spacious, art-inspired fitting room customized for your session. Control lighting, music, and temperature via a tablet interface to create your ideal try-on environment.
Request Items and Swap Sizes Instantly.
Use the in-room tablet to request new items or different sizes. Your selections appear in the Magic Closet within moments, allowing you to continue your try-on experience seamlessly without leaving the room.
Our Approach
Curating the problems
To truly understand our users, we immersed ourselves in their world:
Multi-method field investigations
observations at 4 retail stores
Desk research
Interviews
with 4 employees and 3 customers
findings
What did we find?
From these sources, we compiled findings about both customers and staff.
finding #1
Staff desire to offer personalized assistance but are often constrained by time and resources.
finding #2
Customers crave a balanced sensory experience, avoiding overstimulating environments.
finding #3
The disconnect between fitting room and real-world appearance leads to returns and dissatisfaction.
ideation
From Wild Ideas to Workable Solutions
Based on insights, our team started an intensive ideation phase. I facilitated brainstorming sessions that generated over 100 ideas, which we then synthesized through multiple rounds of voting and discussion.
Affinity mapping from our figjam
Going from 90 ideas to 2
After having multiple rounds, two concepts rose to the top:
Digital wishlist
bridges online browsing with in-store experiences
Art installation-inspired store layout
An art installation-inspired store layout for a more immersive, aesthetic experience
How did we downselect to 1?
One way that helped guide our down-selection process was by generating 4 insights-driven design principles. I facilitated discussions to define our design principles.
Efficient and joyful for everyone
Foster confidence through self-reflection
Encourage product retention
All this boils down to combining the two ideas…
Individually, we believed each scenario to lack potential as a standalone project. Together, we anticipated their integration could potentiate something innovative within the retail sector.
Digital Wishlist
Art installation-inspired store
Basel
where digital wishlists become curated, art-inspired try-on journeys.
design
Building out the foundations
Customer journey mapping
I created a Customer journey map to visualize the experience of a museum visitor, which helped realize the greatest opportunity for the product.
Affinity mapping from our figjam
Mapping information architecture
Before creating user flows and wireframes, we outlined the main information architecture to be the foundation for the app.
Organizing four user flows
I created four primary user flows to understand the main categories of interaction within the product.
Mid fidelity prototype
Once we were all aligned on the concept, I created wireframes on Figma to lay the groundwork for future designs.
Ironing out the business value
I used the Lean Canvas Model to understand the business model of this product and service
USER TEST
Bringing Basel to Life
With our concept taking shape, it was time to make it tangible. We transformed a teammate's apartment lounge into a makeshift Basel boutique. Portable hangers became our "magic closet," iPads our interface to the digital world.
What worked?
Self-directed experience
“I like that there's nobody bothering me in the shopping experience because I got really bad social anxiety. If someone's asking me questions when I want to try something on, my people pleasing skills come out.” - P2
Magic closet feature
“The whole wardrobe delivery is cool - I wish other stores had this....it’d be nice if Uniqlo or Zara had this feature” - P3
Room for Improvement
Walk-out checkout experience
“I didn't know what to do unless I was prompted what to do. Like if I didn't have you told me what to do, I would have been confused.” - P2
Still desired some human interaction
“Maybe it’s nice to have someone on hand if I have any questions...so I think there’s still be a human component.” - P2
iteration
Getting closer to the desired outcome
“Abandon the walk-out checkout experience and incorporate human interaction elements through style curators”
Make an appointment
Self-guided Fitting Room (Tablet)
Style Curator
ITeration
Implemented an in-store style curator to empower users to seek one-one-one help should they want it.
reflection
Takeaways
Lesson learned
Lesson #1
Human touch and meaningful interactions are still key to engaging experiences and to connecting with users to understand their needs.
Lesson #2
Field observations and user testing provide valuable real-world insights. Even though they are short sessions, they can significantly refine designs and prioritize user experience.
Lesson #3
Creating better experiences means breaking current frameworks, combining resources, and taking a holistic view leading a multidisciplinary approach to comprehensive solutions.
If we have more time…
User testing
We want to do the second round of user testing to verify if our iterated experience design is really coming across Desirability, Feasibility, Viability.