Better Men's Shopping
Experience & Service Design Concept
7 minute read
The Basics
Team
- Troy Frost, Student, MA Interaction Design
- Gary Domke, Student, BFA Industrial Design
My Role
- Design management, user research, space design and rendering
Platform
- Physical space
User & Audience
- Male shoppers
Tools
- Design management, user research methodology, persona creation, storyboarding, rapid prototyping, user testing, high fidelity mockups, space planning, industrial design
- Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, Chief Architect X3
Constraints
- Time frame:Â 8 weeks
- Budget:Â $0.00
The Problem
Small teams were tasked to research and design a variety of retail spaces. Topics were chosen based on real-life experiences of various classmates. The goal of the project was to translate the application of research findings into a tangible solution proposal.
We had initially wanted to redesign a hardware store experience. However, after the initial conversations began, we quickly found a better problem: designing a clothing store men actually want to go into.
Central Question
How might we… reimagine the male shopping experience to reflect a positive change?
Solution
Applying design research and visualization techniques to produce mock-ups of potential store environments.
Research
Objective
Identify user pain points of the male shopping experience through various research methodologies.
Methods were kept simple, as we wanted to make sure any data collection we did stayed on as personal a level as possible. Empathy played a large part in the process.
Parameters
- What:Â Existing retail outlets, both male- and female-centric
- Who:Â 12 men, ages ranging from 19-70
- Where:Â Local stores in Lawrence, KS
- Â
Tasks
- Identify positive shopping experiences
- Identify negative retail experiences
- Identify possible experience improvements
- Â
Methodology
- Participatory Observation
- User Interviews & Surveys
- Shadowing
Participatory Observation
We observed men ages 18-64 in a number of “traditional” men’s retail environments including
- Hardware stores
- Home centers
- Barber shops
- Outdoor outfitters
- Sporting goods stores
- Car dealerships
User Interviews
Men from all walks of life were interviewed to gain insight into what they prefer in a retail setting.
Shadowing
To gain a deeper insight into the existing retail environment we were allowed access to shadow store managers, retail salespeople, small business owners, and bar managers.
Insights
Men Are Miserable
In short, our interviews and observations revealed one thing: men hate shopping for clothes and accessories. Even if they need to purchase items, the majority of men feel pressured to actually carry out the task.
Along For The Ride
An arena where men are not comfortable is one where they are held against their will, i.e. a women’s shoe store with their girlfriend.
Stores Men Love
While most men hate shopping for clothes, they don’t hate all shopping experiences. Stores we found men don’t mind:
- Hardware stores
- Sporting goods stores
- Bar settings
- Car dealerships
Behavior Modes
Once we finished interviewing, we came up with five distinct user behavior modes. This helped us to create personas.
Example Personas
Shown here are four personas that I developed based on the behavior modes shown above. Each is a conglomeration of various user needs and research findings condensed into one person.
- Personal 1:Â Jim is well informed and focused, knowing exactly what he wants when he goes into the store. This makes his shopping experience quick and to the point.
- Personal 2:Â Cory is not shopping by choice. He has been drug there by a significant other and while he may need some items himself, he would rather go without than have to stay in a store longer than he has to
- Personal 3:Â Joe is a more casual shopper who can be easily pulled into an environment if the right item catches his eye
- Personal 4:Â Andrew is shopping but only because he brought an experienced shopper with him. This person helps him to choose the right store and products for his given needs
- Personal 5:Â Nathan is completely lost in a retail environment. Because of this, he rarely goes shopping unless absolutely necessary
Need Requirements
The personas drove a list of needs requirements. These condense a large number of user needs into five concise categories.
Need Cluster Matrix
Once we had the needs requirements down, we were able to match them with the behavior modes to create a needs cluster matrix. This matrix allows us to locate specific needs that will help shape the upcoming space.
Needs-Based Directives & Solutions Architecture
The needs-based directives are derived from the matrix clusters.
1) Create A Sanctuary
Please the senses
- sports entertainment
- fine beers and spirits
- comfortable furniture
- pleasing smells
- refined adornment
Educated Staff
- assess individual needs
- appreciative and personal treatment
- greet as a friend / colleague
2) Showcase Offerings
Logical Organization
- clear signage
- items categorized by type
- “plain sight” layout
3) Extend The Experience
Relevant Services
- men’s grooming
- custom tailoring
- fine accessories & tobaccos
Online Presence
- in-store aesthetic represented
- live inventory by store
- reservation of items
Ideation
Brainstorming
A mess of sketches and scribbles helped get the creative juices flowing. Once ideas were on paper we began to focus on incorporating the user needs into a physical space.
Decision: Store Layout
With such a broad project, it would have been easy to design a fantastic all-encompassing store. While a store with water slides and scantily clad waitresses would be a fun project to work on, we had to keep in mind that the store had various research requirements to meet and that we were wanting to build a store that incorporates realistic ideas. Another consideration was store size. With so many ideas generated, it would have been easy to create an enormous store. However, we decided to stick to a space size that was more realistic so went with that of a typical downtown setting. Our store has a rough footprint of 65′ x 45′.
Potential Store Layout
My AutoCAD background came into play during this part of the project through clean, low-fidelity drawing. Shown here are the early stages of how the need requirements fit into the physical space.
Testing
Requirement Scenarios
- Comfortable Environment
- Sitting Area
- Bar
- Casual Atmosphere
- Warm Decor
- Organized Inventory
- Clothing grouped by type, not brand
- Clean, uncluttered racks
- Additional sizes stored in back
- Adaptable Customer Care
- Clothing selection and fitting help
- Relaxation
- Grooming
- Thorough customer service
- Extended Retail Experience
- Tailoring
- Barber
- Shoe shine
- Online experience extension
- Bar
- Restroom
- Consistent Offerings
- Stores always well stocked
- “X” amount of services available at every store
- Clothing brands and organization
Paper Prototyping & Testing
Prototyping and testing this sort of space for a group of students in eight months on a $0 budget is basically impossible, so to gain further user insight we did another round of user interviews using paper prototypes.
Testing Feedback
The prototyping and testing sessions netted us some very interesting feedback on characteristics such as layout, store content, in-store service offerings, and extended offerings.
Final Concept
The final layout is designed to meet user needs while also providing useful services to men with discerning tastes.
Reception & Feedback
- Various parts of this “ultimate men’s store” could very well be integrated into female shopping environments, such as department stores, to help strengthen customer comfort.
- Environmental and experiential improvements almost always = increased sales, making the data gathered from this project very valuable to a wide variety of retail outlets.
The Human Touch
Important Space Touchpoints
- Organized, simple layout
- An open interior feeling
- Bar
- Lounge area
- Warm feel
- Tailor
- Shoe shine
- Men’s accessories
- Brand image consistent with online presence (potential future project)
- Knowledgable staff
Requirement 1: Well Informed Shopper
Logical Organization
- Clear signage
- Items categorized by type
- Plain sight layout
Relevant Services
- Men’s grooming
- Custom Tailoring
- Fine accsesories and tobaccos
Online Presence
- In-store aesthetic
- Live inventory by store
- Reservation of items
Requirement 2: Unwilling Participant
Please The Senses
- Sports entertainment
- Fine beers and spirits
- Comfortable furniture
- Pleasing smells
- Refined adornment
Requirement 3: Window Shopper
Please The Senses
- Sports entertainment
- Fine beers and spirits
- Comfortable furniture
- Pleasing smells
- Refined adornment
Educate and Train the Staff
- Assess individual needs
- Personal treatment
- Greet as a friend / colleague
Logical Organization
- Clear signage
- Items categorized by type
- Plain sight layout
Relevant Services
- Men’s grooming
- Custom Tailoring
- Fine accsesories and tobaccos
Online Presence
- In-store aesthetic
- Live inventory by store
- Reservation of items
Requirement 4: Accompanied Shopper
Please The Senses
- Sports entertainment
- Fine beers and spirits
- Comfortable furniture
- Pleasing smells
- Refined adornment
Educate and Train the Staff
- Assess individual needs
- Personal treatment
- Greet as a friend / colleague
Logical Organization
- Clear signage
- Items categorized by type
- Plain sight layout
Relevant Services
- Men’s grooming
- Custom Tailoring
- Fine accsesories and tobaccos
Requirement 5: Uninformed Shopper
Please The Senses
- Sports entertainment
- Fine beers and spirits
- Comfortable furniture
- Pleasing smells
- Refined adornment
Educate and Train the Staff
- Assess individual needs
- Personal treatment
- Greet as a friend / colleague
Logical Organization
- Clear signage
- Items categorized by type
- Plain sight layout
Decision: Space Layout
The Look and Feel
Renderings of the final space helped to communicate our final ideas to the [fictional] client. Overall spaces were rendered in Chief Architect while detail elements were added with Photoshop.
Rich, comfortable, masculine materials include dark wood, leathers, stone, and metals. Visual cues were taken from things like cars, bars, vintage appliances, and industrial settings. While these materials can make a space feel cold, the overall feel was that of a warm, inviting environment.
Future Steps
While this was an academic exercise, members of the team have discussed the possibility of one day bringing to life a similar shopping environment.
