Mirror, Mirror in My Phone – Rethinking how we try and buy
An Experiment with Augmented Reality
client
University of Washington
Role
UX Designer
focus
AR Experience Design
scope
Research, Prototyping, User Testing
Problem Statement
Impulsive Clothes Shopping
- Unplanned purchases while browsing stores
- Buying during sales without need
- Purchasing without trying due to time constraints
- Buying without checking existing wardrobe
- Unable to recall similar items owned
How might we assist impulsive clothes shoppers make informed buying decisions?
Research Process
User Surveys
Conducted surveys to gather quantitative data about shopping habits and behaviors
User Interviews
Conducted in-depth interviews and store intercepts to understand shopping behavior
Affinity Mapping
Created Trello boards to categorize and analyze research findings
User Personas
Solution
Key Features
- Virtual try-on through AR smart glasses
- Mobile app for wardrobe management
- Virtual assistant for style recommendations
- Duplicate item detection through scanning
- Instant outfit pairing suggestions
Prototyping & Testing
Evolution from lo-fi to hi-fi prototypes
Final refined concept based on user feedback
Reflection
Key Learnings
- Designing for AR required thinking beyond traditional interface paradigms
- User testing without a lab setup taught valuable lessons in improvisation
- The project highlighted the importance of balancing technology with practical user needs