For my spring 2021 UI/UX class, we were given the project of creating and conceptualizing an app with a topic/field of our own choosing. After some long nights of product soul-searching, I landed on creating a shoe-buying app.
The idea for this app came to me when a friend asked me for suggestions on what running shoe to buy. Unlike me (a former sneakerhead and basketball shoe fanatic), they were not very knowledge about shoes in general and didn’t know where to start.
Shoes are one of the most important pieces of clothing that we wear. There are many different kinds of shoes; ranging from sneakers and sport shoes, to more formal shoes and boots.
However, sometimes when buying a pair of shoes it could be quite hard to figure out exactly which pair will suit your specific needs due to the large number of factors present in the shoe-buying process.
I conducted several user interviews with some people that fit within the target audience I was aiming for in order to get a better understanding of the issues of the shoe-buying process. Some of the main issues I wanted to understand better were:
“It’s hard, because I’m always wondering if there's something better, there are always too many options.”
“I take a lot of time and consideration due to indecision as there are a lot of selections, too many options, and sometimes size availability. ”
“I look through the different factors and compare each shoe on them, and pick the ones I like the most. It's hard because many factors are taken into account.”
"Sizing is a big concern because different brands have different sizing and it is confusing at times."
For the average person, the shoe-buying process often takes longer than needed and fraught with numerous issues that hamper this process. These issues and frustrations are:
Knowing this, my app would need the features necessary to allow users to be able to go from:
the start of the process (e.g. “I need a new running shoe!”),
to the end (e.g. purchasing the shoe and being satisfied with it.),
without users having to run into the aforementioned issues, thus keeping the shoe-buying process as efficient and hassle-free as possible.
Age: 24
Occupation: Marketing Coordinator
Location: San Francisco, CA
Bio
Lindsay is a young professional who loves to exercises and has a multitude of hobbies, such as running, tennis, and golf. Because of her busy lifestyle, she usually buys her shoes online as she doesn’t have the time to go out to physical stores.
Preferences and Traits
Pain Points
Wants
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Location: Austin, TX
Bio
Michael is a junior studying in Austin, Texas. He loves to watch basketball and plays a lot in his spare time. His favorite shoe brand is Nike and he often buys basketball shoes from the local Foot Locker. While he is knowledgeable about basketball shoes, he is quite clueless about casual shoes and shoes for all other purposes.
Preferences and Traits
Pain Points
Wants
During class, we did a ‘Crazy 8’ drawing exercise to help brainstorm some feature ideas. I narrowed these ideas down to 3 distinct ones that I will focus on with my task flows:
After some usability testing and more iteration, I had my final screens made and ready to be prototyped:
An all-in-one shoe buying app, designed to help you find the right shoe you’re looking for.
Find the shoes that fit your wants & needs with our Shoe Finder feature. You’re only a few taps away from not having any options to getting a curated list of shoes just for you.
Find the shoes that fit your wants & needs with our Shoe Finder feature. You’re only a few taps away from not having any options to getting a curated list of shoes just for you.
Each shoe list allows you to compare and contrast each option you have. Look at prices, colors, materials, sizing, reviews, and even purchasing locations and availability.
With an accurate AR measurement of your feet and shoe sizing differences between brands taken into consideration, sizing issues will be a thing of the past.