Designing an eCommerce experience for the purchase of mass-personalised bras
For many bra wearers, the experience of online bra shopping is a challenging and dissatisfying one. Traditional bra design methods assume the wearer’s body will fit perfectly within discrete size averages, but lack consideration of asymmetry or body fluctuations over time. Additionally, inconsistencies across manufacturers mean bra wearers cannot trust the size label as an indicator of good fit (Hardaker & Fozzard, 1997). Consequently, unless the exact same bra is repurchased, the purchase decision-making process is often non-replicable. Some bra wearers prefer buying online for convenience, better product options and reduced psychological deterrents. However, in the online environment, the customer is unable to try the garment on before purchasing it, inducing a greater risk of ill-fit. With the vast majority of bra wearers dissatisfied with the fit of bras (Chen at al., 2011) and bra buying processes (Hart and Dewsnap, 2001), there is a clear need for an improved online purchasing experience.
This thesis contributes to a wider research initiative, The Bra Project, which has developed a parametric design system for better bra fit. Through this system, the bra is personalised to the wearer’s breast measurements and is customisable in its aesthetic qualities (style and colour). Via a human-centred design approach, the present research explores how an eCommerce experience could be designed to purchase a bra with a personalised fit and a customisable aesthetic.
Addressing a literature gap, the current online bra- buying experience was investigated through anonymous surveying and observational studies. The key findings identified browsing, sizing and visualising the bra as the main problem areas. Seeking to remedy these problems, opportunities were identified and translated to design focus areas – comprising optimisation of the browsing process, a seamless transition from measuring to purchasing, and visualising the bra in a more realistic, interactive manner. These aspects were explored in personalised bra purchase experience prototypes, with traditional and non-traditional eCommerce features and layouts. Usability testing revealed that a less traditional eCommerce flow, which incorporated a product configurator-style interface, was preferred by the majority of participants. The designed experiences trialled in the research were perceived as more personal, supportive and assuring than that of typical online bra shopping, with the knowledge that the bra was uniquely designed to fit the purchaser. Design refinements were implemented based on testing insights to produce a final purchase experience. Key refinements related to the priming of customers’ expectations, familiarisation with the business and manufacturing method, and the repurchasing process.
The findings indicate that the bra buying experience could be designed to better cater to the needs of customers through a more efficient, refined browsing process, an interconnected measure-to-purchase flow, and realistic, interactive 3D product visualisations. E-retailers introducing mass-personalisable and/or customisable garments could apply the evolved design criteria to build more engaging, informative purchase experiences for their customers. More broadly, the research findings may assist mass-manufactured bra e-retailers in creating moresatisfying shopping experiences for their customers.
