Self-transformation - In store shopping experience

Fitting rooms always emphasize those parts of the customer’s body that are defined as flaws, and that’s when people’s vulnerability is easily presented in a completely unwise way. This project aims to use cute and empowering cartoon characters to evoke positive emotion, such as Confidence, Self-Appreciation, Satisfaction, and Pleasure in customers. To explore how my designs can help customers transform themselves in a more emotionally resonant way, I created a series of experiences around the fitting room as follows:
1. Choose a card with your favorite cartoon character before entering the fitting room.
2. Interact with the cartoon character digitally when in the fitting room.
3. Get an exclusive card and take a picture with it after exiting the fitting room.

Designer	Shiyun Zhang
Keywords	Self-transformation, Experience design, Cartoon character, Fitting room
Advisor	Ann McDonald

Why I chose this topic

In recent years, traditional in-store shopping has faced great challenges and profound transformations, which contains significant untapped opportunities, especially in the design of its shopping experience. Offline shopping has many advantages that online shopping cannot achieve: Joy of In-store Shopping, Personalized Attention or Service, Touch and Try-on the Product, No Waiting for Delivery.

Analyze the touchpoints involved in this experience to help people in the fitting room accept and appreciate themselves in different contexts, instead of being guided to reassess their flaws from various angles under the bright light in the fitting room.

Why use cartoon character card

“Fashion should be about self-expression and having fun, not how best to obscure your body.” The popular contemporary descriptions of bodies like Apple Shape, Pear Shape, or Strawberry Shape are still value judgments, but one that is expressed more gently. However, in this age of inclusivity and diversity, design interventions that can help people break the habit of such perceived flaws are needed.

Here are six Disney-style Cartoon Characters created by the A/B testing of Disney-style and Marvel-style, to meet the need for Achievement, Power, and Affiliation of the customers. Their names are Amelia, Wendy, Doris, Haley, Yumi, and Madge.

Posters featuring these cartoon characters are placed on the walls of physical clothing stores to guide and encourage customers who walk in to appreciate themselves as they do, to become Confident and Empowered.

How to get your exclusive card

Customers can scan the QR code on the back of the Selected Card before entering the fitting room to start this extraordinary journey. Meanwhile, the clothes that are picked will automatically upload to the system.

The cartoon character wearing the same clothes as the customer will interact enthusiastically with the customer. These Positive Actions and Persuasive Words guide the customer to appreciate themselves in front of the mirror from different angles.

After trying on all the clothes, the customer can review and decide through the Collection of Character Images. Previously purchased clothes will also appear to avoid buying similar styles.

Customers can customize the Scenarios for the selected clothes and use them as a background for the card. After leaving the fitting room, the customer will receive a Printed Card from the salesperson.

Prototype Video