I was hired to design a layout centered around inclusive fashion for a major digital product company, aiming to educate the entire team. I took on the exhilarating challenge of creating a concept for a fashion e-commerce app that is user-friendly from the very start.
With a tight timeline in mind, my primary goal was to develop a simple concept that maintains the appearance and experience of a typical app, while showcasing that it's possible to create a product that is both visually appealing and accessible. This project highlights the possibility of beauty and functionality coexisting in digital design.
As a student in this course, I leveraged my background in front-end development and UX Design to achieve the best possible result. My focus was on eliminating as many barriers as possible to ensure that users can interact with the app autonomously.
I was eager to step out of my comfort zone, challenging myself to embark on a project in a field where I had little to no prior experience or expertise. This required me to actively seek out information, find inspiration, and establish a solid foundation to ensure I started this project on the right path.
“As a person with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), I'm seeking an inclusive fashion app to find clothes that are comfortable and consider my mobility limitations. For this, I need an accessible shopping experience.”
This is the outcome of hard work, dedication, and passion, which has been approved by my mentor, a specialist in Digital Accessibility.
If you'd like to see more details, feel free to explore the Figma prototype below. 👇
How my mind worked throughout the entire design cycle to create a great experience.
It is crucial to establish a starting point in a complex project like this, especially for me, as I initially considered inclusive fashion to be completely uncharted territory.
In this project, I seized the opportunity to combine my experiences gained from various projects, years of research, and conversations with a diverse group of people. I engaged with new individuals to better understand their needs, satisfy my curiosities, and validate my hypotheses. Adding the icing on the cake, I had the support of my very experienced mentor, Amaury Dudcoschi Júnior.
I had the opportunity to ask questions to individuals with different disabilities, thanks to my mentor, Amaury Dudcoschi Júnior. He introduced me to people who guided me in crafting this project with a more accessible and aesthetically pleasing approach.
The sampled public interviewed consisted of 7 people:
Two individuals positively influenced and inspired me during this process, providing valuable insights:
It is crucial to establish a starting point in a complex project like this, especially for me, as I initially considered inclusive fashion to be completely uncharted territory.
It is the best way to gain a deep understanding of your persona and cultivate empathy throughout the entire product development cycle.
Given the course dynamic, which prioritized accessible techniques over comprehensive Product Design methodologies, I faced a limited time frame for in-depth research. However, it proved to be a rewarding challenge as I immersed myself in the process, blending my years of experience and knowledge with swiftly acquired data from interviews and course contents.
Most people expect a simple and straightforward app that addresses basic yet critical usability issues. It's not rocket science; it requires more careful planning and empathy. In the next section, I will show you how I fixed the problems that I discovered and ensured a perfect evaluation score in the course.
Let me provide a few examples of how design and development teams can collaborate effectively. Here's a guide that demonstrates how the development team can work more seamlessly in building a project according to the specifications, particularly when they have a visual representation.
In this project focused on users with disabilities, time constraints prevented traditional usability testing, so I prioritized interviews with guests to gain valuable insights and enhance project development, deepening my understanding of user needs and experiences.
My primary objective was to deliver a very high-quality project while simultaneously demonstrating that the belief "If it's accessible, it's ugly" is unfounded. Accessibility, usability, and aesthetics can coexist harmoniously, offering exceptional experiences for all.
It's not magic, it's continuous improvement!
Everyone has the right to be independent and feel good about themselves, which is why I chose an inclusive fashion theme. It's entirely possible to create a highly functional and aesthetically pleasing interface by adhering to the best practices of universal design and accessibility standards. It all comes down to the willingness to make it happen.