Vera
making fashion accessible to the plus-size community
Role: UI/UX Designer, Researcher
Timeline: 3 months
Deliverables: App prototype, wireframes, user flows, research presentation, affinity map
Tools: Figma, Miro, Adobe Firefly, Figma Slides, Google Survey, Optimal Workshop
Mentor: Emilie Mazurek
Problem
People with larger bodies are struggling to find clothes that fit well and express their personal style.
Extended sizes are rarely carried in-store. Because of this, the majority of plus-sized shoppers are sourcing their clothing from online stores. While online shopping, they struggle with sizing inconsistency and do not see their bodies accurately represented by clothing models.
Solution
To address the problem from the consumer end, I designed a social platform that showcases self-expressive, plus-sized outfits and encourages people to share their shopping experiences. This aims to solve major pain points by:
increasing visual representation of larger bodies
boosting shoppers’ trust and confidence in size selection
creating more accurate expectations of online purchases
How do people currently shop for plus-size clothes and what are the unique difficulties they face?
Secondary Research:
Research and Markets’ Plus-Size Clothing Market Forecast (2018-2028) defines the key market challenges as follows:
Limited Inclusivity and Representation in the Fashion Industry
Inconsistent Sizing Standards
Limited Variety of Styles and Trends
I also learned that online plus-size communities on Facebook and Reddit are very active, with community members taking it upon themselves to develop extensive spreadsheets and reviews to help other plus-sized people find clothes.
What tools are currently available, and how can we improve upon these approaches?
Competitive Research:
I determined that although AI sizing tools and virtual shopping assistants do exist, younger shoppers generally find them limiting, inaccurate, and do not trust the lack of visuals that these approaches take.
However, there are plus-size communities online already crowdsourcing shopping information on sites such as Reddit, Facebook, and Instagram.
How can the plus-size shopping experience be improved?
Surveys & Interviews:
In order to better understand the plus-size community’s needs, I attended an in-person plus-size shopping event to gather participants for surveys and interviews. I also connected with additional participants by reaching out to online communities on Facebook, Reddit, and Instagram.
80% of participants identifying as plus-size stated that they purchase at least half, if not all of their clothes online
66% of participants identifying as plus-size stated that they are unsuccessful in finding clothes that fit their body
80% of participants identifying as plus-size stated that they are unsuccessful in finding clothes that fit their personal style
“I have a couple pieces that I like, but mostly it is just stuff that I tolerate so that I am not walking around nakedbecause I don’t have options”
“I want the same cute clothes that are in straight sizes… I just feel like we have way less access to that, especially if you
are more than a 3x.
Once you hit that place you are kind of screwed, in my experience”
“I cannot find anything in store- like shopping in person is not something I can do. Maybe there are 1 or 2 stores in all of LA that fit me… I can’t just go to a mall and find clothes”
Finding 1:
People with larger bodies do not feel like they can successfully build a wardrobe in their style, and feel dehumanized by the poor selections made available to them.
Recommendation:
Create a way for shoppers to source a wider variety of clothing styles.
Finding 2:
Online shoppers find themselves returning a majority of their online purchases due to sizing issues and poor quality of material.
Recommendation:
Provide shoppers with a more clear understanding of the fit and material before buying.
Finding 3:
Plus-size clothing shoppers feel they have little to no frame of reference when shopping online since larger bodies are rarely represented.
Recommendation:
Give shoppers a way to see clothes on people with similar body types as their own,
Ideation:
I created user flows based on the needs I discovered through my survey and interviews.
Since participants sited a lack of variety, details on clothing fit, and plus-size representation, it is important to design a solution that is visuals-focused and capable of sourcing clothing of many different fits and styles.
Based on the habits found in the secondary and competitive research, it seems likely that plus-size shoppers are open to creating their own content and providing feedback in an effort to crowdsource information on plus-size clothing.
Wireframes & Key Takeaways from User Testing:
After flushing out the general navigation of the app and identifying key user flows, I created a wireframe prototype. This initial wireframe was then used for testing to identify usability improvements.
I noticed participants struggling to tap certain buttons and also expecting more feedback while completing actions. Through interviews I also determined that they would benefit from additional search filters.
The Design:
After learning how online communities are already combatting feelings of exclusion and disappointment brought on by clothes shopping, it made sense to make a tool that feels fun and brings a social feel back into the shopping experience.
Search the app and filter results by size range.
Narrow down results to find the content that is most relative to your style or body type.
See what other shoppers have to say about their finds and shop for exact and similar products by following the link.
To support the plus size community and keep conversation focused on clothing reviews, comments are moderated by the content creator and will not appear until the creator approves and responds.
Build an inspiration library of clothing worn by people that look like you.
Add favorites to a specific folder or find them later in the Saved posts section.
Next Steps:
Through additional user interviews and secondary research I determined that app users would benefit from:
developing a monetization strategy including paid affiliate links for product recommendations
additional advanced search filters to browse by brand, category, and style of clothing
a feature to explore sustainable fashion efforts and highlight small, “slow-fashion” businesses
“It is very refreshing to scroll through a feed and see people that look like me.
You rarely see companies using models that have realistic, bigger body sizes.”
“Wow, I could really use this. I am so sick of buying things that don’t fit me.”
Impact:
I found it necessary to create a strategic plan to design an MVP. This approach allowed me to prioritize core features for initial release while setting aside future goals and enhancements, rather than attempting to incorporate everything at once.
This project also benefitted from multiple rounds of user testing and interviews from the target audience. Connecting directly with the plus-size community was crucial for developing a solution that resonated with them. It also taught me that design is a constant state of iteration and improvement.
There is a definite need for more inclusion of larger bodies in the fashion industry. Because clothing companies are slow to improve this, people are excited to have a solution that allows them to take matters into their own hands.
Reflection:
I found it necessary to create a strategic plan to design an MVP. This approach allowed me to prioritize core features for initial release while setting aside future goals and enhancements, rather than attempting to incorporate everything at once.
This project also benefitted from multiple rounds of user testing and interviews from the target audience. Connecting directly with the plus-size community was crucial for developing a solution that resonated with them. It also taught me that design is a constant state of iteration and improvement.