Yue Gao and Yifeng Wang

At Outfit Club, we empower online shoppers to better visualize outfits, assess fit, and make informed purchasing decisions through a personalized avatar-based virtual try-on platform, tailored to individual preferences and body shapes.

The creation of this project was deeply rooted in our connection to the challenges of the online shopping experience. The COVID-19 pandemic's acceleration of online shopping has underscored the urgent need for an improved solution.

Motivated by our shared experiences, we engaged in comprehensive user interviews to gain a deeper understanding of these challenges. These insights, combined with collaborative brainstorming and solution evaluation with business strategists and engineers, led us to recognize the effectiveness of a virtual avatar in addressing these issues.

Our passion for the project has been a driving force throughout its development, constantly pushing us to refine and enhance the online shopping experience. "Outfit Club" was more than a professional pursuit; it was driven by our genuine desire to positively impact the user experience. The accolades, expert feedback, and growing interest in further development of "Outfit Club" confirm the project's success and relevance. This blend of technology, design, and user-centric innovation has not only earned recognition but has also strengthened our dedication to continuous improvement in user experience design.

To me, design is a problem-solving tool that blends aesthetics, functionality, and user empathy to create solutions that enrich people's lives. It's about understanding deep-rooted user challenges

My favorite type of design is user-centric design, which puts the user's needs, preferences, and behaviors at the forefront of the development process. This approach resonates with me deeply because of its impact on the creation of solutions like Outfit Club that are not only innovative but also truly improve user experiences. By prioritizing the user, this design philosophy enables the creation of products that are not only functional and accessible, but also enjoyable to use, fostering a positive and lasting impact on the user's life.

A "good" design achieves a harmonious balance between form and function, tailored to meet user needs while pushing the boundaries of innovation and sustainability. It should solve a real problem in a way that feels intuitive to the user, as we did at Outfit Club by enabling users to visualize outfits on personalized avatars. Moreover, a good design is sustainable; it considers its environmental impact, aiming to reduce waste and promote conscious consumption. Ultimately, a good design is inclusive, accessible, and evolves with technological advances and changing consumer behavior to remain relevant and valuable.

The project had three phases:

Problem Discovery: Conducted surveys and interviews to understand online shopping issues. Research markets and similar products for insights.

Ideation and Sketch Design: Brainstormed solutions, and used an impact matrix to select a personalized avatar for outfit visualization. Designed interactions for users to engage with their avatar during virtual try-on.

Iterations and user tests: Prototyped interactive avatars for personalized onboarding. Added body shape templates from user tests. Replaced models with user avatars to tackle the challenge of outfit visualization, which was well-received in testing. 3 iterative rounds led to the final design.

The winning project for the 2023 NY Product Design Awards is Outfit Club, an innovative mobile app designed to transform the online shopping experience. This project was awarded among more than 1,500 entries due to its unique approach to addressing the challenges prevalent in the e-commerce fashion industry

The biggest challenge with the Outfit Club project was developing a personalized avatar-based virtual try-on platform that could accurately and realistically replicate how different outfits would look and fit in various body shapes. This challenge was multifaceted and included several key aspects:

Accurate 3D Avatar Modeling: Essential for mirroring a wide range of body types, this required advanced technology and an understanding of ergonomics and fashion design.

User Experience Design: Focused on creating a user-friendly interface that manages complex tasks such as avatar customization and outfit visualization directly.

Balancing Realism with Performance: Involved in optimizing the app to ensure high-quality, realistic avatars and outfits while maintaining smooth performance on various devices.

Overcoming these challenges was essential to ensure that Outfit Club not only met functional requirements but also delivered an exceptional user experience, addressing the core issue of enhancing confidence in online apparel shopping.

Innovation and Evolution
The constant innovation and change in the tech industry keep work exciting and allow for continuous learning and growth.

Societal Impact
Technology and product design significantly impact everyday life and society, offering the opportunity to create meaningful and impactful solutions.

Cross-cultural/professional collaboration
The industry thrives on interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together diverse perspectives that drive creativity and breakthrough ideas.

My key to success lies in relentless curiosity, empathetic user engagement, and a commitment to continuous learning and adaptation. The journey of creating "Outfit Club" taught me that success is not just about solving a problem, but doing it in a way that deeply resonates with users' needs and experiences. Engaging directly with users to understand their challenges and feedback was instrumental in refining our solution to better serve their needs.

Moreover, embracing a mindset of continuous improvement and being open to feedback has been crucial. Every setback was an opportunity to learn, and every achievement was a stepping stone to the next challenge.