Case Study & UX Research:
A Synthesis of Best UX Practices for Optimizing Planetary Well-being in Fashion E-Commerce
Summary
A framework of guidelines to educate businesses and UX designers in the fashion e-commerce industry on how UX design can create a meaningful impact on sustainability whilst also reducing returns and benefiting the business.
Empowering E-Commerce, Elevating Sustainability: Guiding better UX for a Greener Future
User Brief:
All areas of the consumer journey should be investigated, and in particular, UX designers have the responsibility to consider every design choice and how it affects the consumer journey not only from the business and users experience but how it impacts the environment as well. The goal is that the business, the user, and the environment are simultaneously benefiting from optimized experiences.
Skills:
Data Illustrations - Trend Analysis - Forecasting- UX/UI Design - Journey Mapping - Research Methodology (Primary & Secondary) - Design alignment with ESG & UN Sustainable Development Goals - Value Proposition Canvas - Design Thinking Canvas - Service Blueprint - User Journey - Competitor Analysis - Market Research - Case Studies - Horizon Scanning - Interviews & Surveys - Observation Sessions - Figma - InDesign Presentation Making - Photoshop Mobile & Website Images - User Research - Design Innovation - Design Thinking
Discover
Rationale:
Reflecting on past academic experiences, I found three recurring themes: digital technologies, planetary and human well-being, and user experience design. These topics emerged as significant in my innovation design journey, complemented by professional UX work in retail and fashion e-commerce. Mind mapping revealed their interconnectedness, prompting further contextual research.
Background Research:
To define my research goal, I followed an innovation framework, structuring my process for a new outcome. Starting with the "discover" stage, I gathered background research. Fashion platforms like Boohoo in the UK emit 10,815 kg of CO2 monthly just from website traffic. This excludes CO2 from the 32% of clothing returned annually in the UK. "Nearly 60% of sustainability claims by European fashion giants are greenwashing," impacting consumer behavior where convenience prevails (Kent S., 2023a). With the fashion industry leading e-commerce revenue and predicted 9.99% annual growth, the impact on planetary well-being is concerning. As the industry expands, these issues will worsen, warranting research into consumer journeys and optimizing for planetary well-being.
Opportunity:
UX Designers bridge users and businesses, conducting research and analysis to align designs with both. Yet, sustainability often isn't prioritized in their decisions. There's an opportunity to leverage UX design to enhance sustainability efforts (Barry, L. & Lopez-Zattore, Z., 2022: Online). Investigating the consumer journey can identify areas for UX designers to reduce environmental impact. With our expertise in design research and ideation, we aim to optimize fashion e-commerce for planetary well-being through tailored UX practices, presented as Planet Mode.
Define
Who does this impact?
My research found that businesses and users resist major changes impacting their needs. Despite growing awareness of fashion's environmental impact, few change shopping habits (Kent, S. 2023b: Online). Balancing user and business expectations requires identifying resources from all stakeholders. I visualized stakeholders, acknowledging diverse groups and ensuring clear, flexible communication for viability.
Has this been done?
To ensure my research goal would offer industry insights, I conducted market research. Examples like IBM’s “Design for Sustainability” checklist and The Sustainability UX Manifesto Toolkit showcased strides in sustainable UX, aligning with UN goals. Yet, I found no existing research on tailoring UX for sustainability in fashion e-commerce, reinforcing the need for my proposal.
Is this desirable?
Confirming the necessity and timeliness of my research goal, I proceeded to define its various aspects within the innovation framework. I identified two customer groups: those implementing the solution (designers, businesses, sustainability advocates) and those using it (fashion e-commerce users). Creating a value proposition canvas allowed me to articulate the research's value to both groups and address their needs, pains, and gains. This clarified goals for my research process.
Is this scalable?
While the customer value was clear, I needed a business delivery strategy. I outlined solution components via a design thinking canvas, grasping the complexity of diverse user behavior. I concluded tailored UX design must iterate with industry collaboration to scale globally. Methodology planning aimed for scalability, combining primary and secondary research to map fashion e-commerce journeys and improve environmental impact. These methods, mirroring design thinking stages, would yield quantitative and qualitative data supporting tailored UX guidelines, enabling conscious design decisions without compromising business or user needs.
Is this possible?
Tailored UX design for sustainable fashion e-commerce was deemed necessary, feasible, and adaptable. To enable business implementation, I mapped key partners, resources, channels, and customers through a business model canvas, revealing the long-term value for stakeholders. Realistically, one edition couldn't cover all aspects of planetary well-being optimization. However, focusing on key topics over time could build a comprehensive UX design guide. The canvas also highlighted accompanying elements to enhance industry value. Confirming feasibility, desirability, and viability increased market implementation potential. This proposal's impact extends beyond design roles to community and business practices, potentially reshaping UX design processes for environmental and generational benefit. As Planet Mode guidelines are adopted, they may catalyze change across e-commerce and broader industries, fostering collaboration and enhancing human well-being.
Is this feasible?
In today's rapidly changing digital landscape, a crucial aspect of a design research proposal is its alignment with future trends. To ensure relevance over the next five to ten years, I conducted trend analyses on UX design, Fashion E-Commerce, and digital technologies. This involved identifying past and future key events and trends related to these areas. Predictions indicate continued growth in data-driven design aided by AI, leading to hyper-personalization and immersive experiences by 2035. Analyzing current events allowed me to hypothesize future trends in UX for fashion e-commerce, such as augmented reality. Six megatrends emerged from this analysis, guiding the development of my guidelines.
Is this viable?
As my concept evolved, I crafted a service blueprint to align the user journey with underlying processes, emphasizing the importance of post-usage phases for customer retention and ripple effect impact. Retention strategies include long-term performance metrics, updated practices, and sustainability impact data provision. A roadmap illustrates Planet Mode's future direction, outlining goals and strategies for becoming the go-to guidelines for e-commerce design. Scaling involves establishing business relationships for consultation services, subscription models, and an evolving encyclopedia of editions. Planet Mode aims to empower e-commerce, enhance sustainability, and improve UX for a greener future. Following the UX Process, guidelines are developed through research, empathy, analysis, design, and testing, with ongoing iteration based on platform implementation data. Once tailored UX practices are validated, they're consolidated into framework editions, educating industry stakeholders on sustainable UX impact and consumer journey optimization. Guidelines are presented through data illustrations and visual outputs, providing accessible summaries of research findings and guidance for implementation and impact measurement.
Develop
Planet Mode Edition #1:
To exemplify the guidelines, the inaugural edition of Planet Mode targets reducing returns and exchanges in fashion e-commerce. Globally, around 17 billion items are returned annually, emitting 4.7 million metric tons of CO2. A mere 10% reduction equals the energy usage of 57,000 homes for a year. Addressing returns and exchanges is crucial for environmental preservation, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal #12, Responsible Consumption & Production. Guided UX design aims to reshape consumption behavior without compromising user experience, fostering mindful purchases. Planet Mode advocates for sustainable design practices and reporting, in line with SDG target #12.6, potentially impacting other business aspects positively. Encouraging UX designers to integrate sustainability into the design process fosters collaboration toward an environmentally responsible digital landscape.
Proving the problem:
In many countries, published statistics on the environmental impact of returns and exchanges in fashion e-commerce are lacking. Hence, I relied on global and UK data to highlight the issue. Having lived in the UAE for 23 years, I felt compelled to address its significant contribution to the global return rates. Fashion dominates both the UK and UAE e-commerce markets, with substantial return rates. However, a high percentage of consumers in both countries prioritize sustainable and ethical platforms. Despite the lack of statistical data from the UAE, similarities with the UK reinforce the issue's significance. I proceeded by intensifying primary data collection to support my efforts.
Proving the solution:
To demonstrate the effectiveness of tailored UX design in promoting planetary well-being, I turned to real-world case studies. These examples showcased tools such as body measurement features and customer-to-customer returns, which have successfully minimized environmental impact by reducing returns and transportation. While Zalando's body measurement tool notably decreased size-related returns, Tangiblee's implementation at Leroy Merlin resulted in increased conversions alongside reduced returns. These case studies underscore the practical benefits of aligning UX design with environmental considerations, bridging the gap between theory and practice. It became evident that this edition of Planet Mode could contribute to this bridge.
Speaking to professionals:
Reflecting on past academic experiences, I found three recurring themes: digital technologies, planetary and human well-being, and user experience design. These topics emerged as significant in my innovation design journey, complemented by professional UX work in retail and fashion e-commerce. Mind mapping revealed their interconnectedness, prompting further contextual research.
Speaking to the users:
To successfully present Planet Mode to the industry, I had to also ensure that the user experience was not impaired. To understand the user’s perspective, I conducted a survey with 84 fashion e-commerce participants in the UK & UAE. As hypothesized from the expert interviews, “Size and fit” was the main reason for returns and exchanges. Additionally, e-commerce users value product information, customer reviews and free returns. This proved that the issue could not be targeted in the post-order process. Instead, it led me to hone in and focus on a solution that was proactive and prevented the issue before it occurred.
My research focused on fashion e-commerce guidelines for the UAE, examining top platforms like Namshi, 6th Street, and Ounass. To assess consumer journeys, I conducted audits across various return and exchange aspects. Namshi, despite its status, lagged in key improvement areas. Observation sessions with UAE fashion e-commerce users, including frequent shopper Tina, revealed return rates of 30-70%. During these sessions, I observed users searching for jeans, noting their actions and comments. A touch map summarized their interactions and decisions, highlighting missing information. A pain points matrix visualized user needs, aiding in establishing UX journey hierarchy and emphasizing crucial information.
With this information, I explored Tina's experience further through a user journey analysis. This provided insight into her emotions and challenges while online shopping. Tina's tendency to purchase multiple sizes due to a lack of sizing information highlighted the need for improved product details pages. Recognizing an opportunity, I considered developing a try-on service as part of Planet Mode guidelines. Expert interviews suggested that high return rates in the UAE might stem from fast deliveries and free returns. Observation sessions confirmed users' comfort with quick purchases, knowing returns were easy. A cultural probe supported this notion, indicating a need for future-focused, innovative tech solutions within this Planet Mode edition.
Deliver
Evaluating the context:
I mapped the research methodologies used in the Planet Mode process, ensuring a balanced mix of visual, verbal, quantitative, and qualitative approaches. This comprehensive summary of findings was guided by the diverse range of research methods employed.
Develop an action plan:
To synthesize my findings and produce an outcome, I distilled key discoveries from my research into two tables, focusing on content, technology, user experience, and visualization. These tables facilitated a comprehensive review of my research, highlighting recurring information and key takeaways from the methodology. Additionally, they allowed me to visually reference past research, identifying sources of support for each guideline.
Articulating the conclusion:
After consolidating my findings, I crafted a checklist of top UX practices for enhancing planetary well-being in fashion e-commerce, centering on reducing returns and exchanges in the UAE. The Planet Mode guidelines were organized by subject and visually linked to key aspects like content, technology, user experience, and visuals.
Drawing from both primary and secondary research, this checklist serves as a roadmap for designers and businesses to enhance their platforms and minimize returns and exchanges. These practices align not only with research findings but also with several Laws of UX. Implementation of these guidelines can enhance user experience and reduce return rates, consequently lessening transportation and environmental impact. To visually conceptualize these practices, I mapped out the journey in a site map. This map serves as a foundational tool for communication with designers and business strategists, aiding in the development of designs by outlining relationships between pages, elements, and content essential for adhering to Planet Mode's guidelines.
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In conclusion, I translated the best UX practices into iOS designs. This choice was informed by research indicating smartphones as the primary device for online shopping in the UAE. These designs encapsulate the entirety of the checklist's guidelines, visually illustrating the most optimized user journey for reducing returns and exchanges. Additionally, they serve as inspiration for designing with Planet Mode guidelines in mind, incorporating various UX principles such as intuitive search functions and human-centric language.
Applying the practices:
This Planet Mode Edition proposes specific improvements, ranging from brand-specific category ratings to augmented reality virtual changing rooms. These enhancements aim to enhance the user experience and increase consideration before purchase. Simpler implementations like post-order surveys are suggested to gather user preferences and develop personalized recommendations. Additionally, an ultimate size guide is presented as a standard for businesses to aspire to. These guidelines can be selectively implemented based on a business's size, maturity, and strategy.
As UX Designers, initiating these guidelines, regardless of scale, is a step in the right direction. Success can be gauged over time through data analytics, user feedback, and sustainability reports. Only after these guidelines have been validated through platform implementation will they be made publicly available. Planet Mode has the potential to evolve with future editions exploring various global topics. It serves as a constant reminder to designers of their responsibility to optimize designs for sustainability and consider their impact on the future.
