MY ROLE:
Market Research, Competitor Analysis
Journey Mapping
Experience Design
Project Management
Creative Direction + Marketing
Footwear Design (prototyping, sampling)
Packaging design
TEAM:
Melissa Ma
Jason Hsu
Ian Tamayo
PROJECT:
Develop and launch a new fashion brand, implement marketing strategy and design new product line
ACTION PLAN
Qualitative + Quantitative Research
User research
Trend research
Competitor/market research
Prototyping shoes (this process is outlined here) + Manufacturing
Marketing Strategy
Branding
Website Design
RESEARCH
Challenges: No existing customer base to gather data.
Solution: We utilized information we knew from working in the e-commerce and shoe industry. We used existing customer purchasing metrics to make our best informed decisions about product/market fit, and further tested this using our existing retail platforms by sending out surveys.
SHOE PROTOTYPING
Utilizing the year’s trend research, we developed prototypes of footwear that we would like to create. To view an example of the shoe design process, please visit here.
Challenges: Validate and test the designs without releasing them to the public prematurely
Solutions:
Created Mood Boards to test what customers liked
Surveyed customers using silhouettes of different shoe styles
Spoke with industry experts to see what upcoming trends were - and got feedback on designs
MARKETING
Challenge: How might we market a new brand that people do not know and trust?
Through secondary research (Defy Media 2015), we found that:
58% of “thumb-stopping” content was posted by someone that the viewer respects
67% of millennials said digital delivers content that they can relate to
Through conducting surveys and interviewing 5 people on their perception of new brands, a few insights emerged:
People trusted a new brand more if an influencer they admire is wearing it
However, if the influencer is constantly promoting new brands, they lose credibility
Thus: authenticity is important and people will trust the voices of influencers that they feel are authentic
Solution: Partnering with social media influencers was a quick and cost efficient as well as most effective way to quickly build trust in our brand.
Additionally, Nylon and Buzzfeed reached out for collaborations, and we were able to secure new channels for growth and sales.
WEBSITE
We wanted our brand to have a minimalistic approach, to really allow our products to shine. I created wireframes focused on some of our most important pages, the Product page and Add to Cart function. We wanted to really streamline and perfect this process so that customers felt comfortable checking out with a brand they didn't know. We also felt it appropriate considering these pages gained the most traffic and were high conversion points.
A Human Connection
70% of buying experiences are based on how the customers feels
81% of companies who deliver an excellent customer experience outperform their competition
84% of consumers cite recommendations from family, colleagues, and friends as the most influential source for trustworthiness
People expressing gratitude often underestimate how big an impact saying “Thank you” can be
In a digital shopping experience, personalization created a genuine human connection went a long way in fostering trust and delight
Customers frequently emailed us and posted to Instagram their pleasant surprise upon opening the package. The small investment of blank cards and personalized notes helped establish a personal connection with our customers.
NEXT STEPS
As our customer base is expanding, we hope to gather more data about our demographic, continue testing to ensure we are delivering the best products to them.
Challenges to address:
Moving older inventory and styles that are not selling as well
Inconsistent sizing. Sizing is so essential to purchasing, our goal is to ensure consistency and uniformity in our product line.
Short term Solution: I monitored sales and personally emailed customers who bought shoes with sizing issues.
Learned Insight: Vegan materials was important for a segment of our demographic, and we may begin designing with this in mind. Although we initially thought that quality = genuine leather, this seems to be not the case with many potential customers.
SELF REFLECTION + LEARNINGS
Looking back, building a brand has taught me a lot about project management, design, and communication. I started at the beginning with no experience in shoe design, made many mistakes, and learned from them as a result. The most important lesson for me, was the personal growth that occurred as I learned about myself and my processes, and being able to work with others to bring an idea to fruition.
Management: At the beginning, I struggled due to shyness and uncertainty. It was difficult for me to navigate the murky waters of management, emotions, and relationships. After much reflection and feedback, I learned that by being more disciplined in my approach, and not being afraid to step up to the responsibilities of leadership, I could contribute to a strong team and work together to accomplish goals.
Constructive criticism: As a designer, I had times where I was unsure about my work. It was very easy to internalize critiques, because I felt that my design was an extension of myself. Over the years, with the help of amazing, supportive people, I was able to see that feedback was essential to growth. Now, I incorporate a process of reflection and feedback with each project, and try to learn from each one.
Clarity + Communication: Through many rounds of revisions and prototyping, I learned how to be much clearer in my communication with overseas factories as well as my team members. Initially, it was extremely easy to assume that other teams understood exactly what I was saying. I learned that this is not the case, and worked hard to try and understand the perspective of others. By being able to empathize, I was able to learn how to communicated exactly what I needed in a way that was understandable and considerate.
Standing behind the product: One issue that came up was inconsistent shoe sizing from different factories. Whenever a customer emailed us concerning misfitting shoes, we did our best to accommodate them and their needs. Customers always received this gesture positively and understood that things like this happen. We learned from this experience that by being genuine and owning up to mistakes, we could still earn a loyal customer.