UX CASE STUDY - Bridging the Gap in Campus Commerce with FASHMAP
Develop a comprehensive and user-friendly digital platform that connects college students with local student-run businesses within their university environment, spanning a variety of sectors including fashion, beauty, and personal care services.
HACKATHON
MORGAN HACKS 2024
Sector
Fashion, New Frontier
My Role
UX Designer
Duration
24 hours
Overview
FashMap is a pioneering digital platform designed to connect student entrepreneurs with their peers on college campuses, facilitating easy discovery and support of local, student-run businesses. My role as a UX Designer involved leading the design process from conceptualization to execution, with a focus on creating an intuitive, engaging, and sustainable shopping experience.
Challenge
Student entrepreneurs on college campuses often struggle to gain visibility and reach their target audience, relying on outdated and inefficient methods such as flyers and word-of-mouth. The challenge was to design a platform that not only addressed these visibility issues but also promoted a sustainable approach to campus commerce.
My Role
As a UX Designer, my responsibility is to design an intuitive, accessible, and engaging platform that addresses the needs of both student consumers and student business owners, leveraging insights gained from direct user research.
PROCESS
Research
The project kicked off with a comprehensive research phase, where I conducted interviews with 10 college students and 4 student business owners. This helped in understanding the user needs, preferences, and the challenges faced by student entrepreneurs in gaining visibility.
Ideation
Based on the insights gathered, I brainstormed solutions that could address the identified challenges. The key ideas included a searchable directory of student businesses, AR/VR try-on features, and a community-driven review system.
Design & Prototyping
Using Figma, I developed wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes of the FashMap platform. This phase focused on creating a user-friendly interface that facilitated easy discovery of businesses and seamless interaction with the AR/VR features.
Usability Testing
Interactive prototypes were tested with a group of users matching our target audience. Feedback was collected to identify usability issues and areas for improvement.
Iteration
The design was iterated based on user feedback, with a focus on simplifying navigation, improving the AR/VR try-on experience, and enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal.
Solution
FashMap emerged as a vibrant digital marketplace that:
Provides a comprehensive directory of student-run businesses, categorized for easy discovery.
Features AR/VR technology for virtual try-ons, offering a unique and engaging shopping experience.
Includes a review system, empowering users to share their experiences and build community trust.
Impact
FashMap successfully addressed the visibility challenges faced by student entrepreneurs, leading to:
Increased engagement and support for student-run businesses on campus.
An enhanced shopping experience through innovative AR/VR try-ons.
A stronger sense of community and sustainability among students.
Reflections
This project reinforced the importance of user-centered design and the potential of technology to solve real-world problems. The integration of AR/VR technology, in particular, highlighted the need for continuous innovation and adaptability in design solutions.
Future Directions
Moving forward, FashMap plans to expand its features to include more diverse business categories and explore further innovations in AR/VR technology, continuing to support and enrich the campus commerce ecosystem.
Conclusion
Reflecting on the FashMap project, my role as the UX Designer was immensely rewarding, offering deep insights into the transformative power of design. We successfully tackled the challenge of elevating visibility for student-run businesses on campuses by creating a platform that's not just a marketplace but a community hub. The implementation of AR/VR technology was a pivotal step in enriching the shopping experience, making it interactive and immersive. This journey underscored the importance of empathy in design, highlighting how understanding and addressing real user needs can lead to impactful solutions. The positive feedback from our target audience has been a testament to FashMap's potential to change how students engage with and support each other's businesses. Looking forward, the project has set a solid foundation for expansion and innovation, promising to continue its mission of fostering sustainability and entrepreneurship on college campuses. As a UX Designer, FashMap has been a profound learning experience, reinforcing my commitment to creating designs that resonate with users and make a meaningful difference.