False Ego
Freelance UX project to enhance the digital user experience of the False Ego sustainable fashion brand. The company was looking to create a cohesive brand across its website, social media, and in-store experience. A focus on industry trends in fashion and sustainability has led to a new more cohesive direction for the brand as they expand the company to include a Virtual Reality Experience for those who cannot currently visit the store due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The difficulty of this new reality for retail stores created an opportunity to combine the startup energy of this business into new creative ways for customers to engage with the brand.
Problem Statement
The company's website
reflects the sustainability angle more than the fashion and e-commerce portion of the brand. There is also a need to create more points of interaction with customers visiting the site.
Solution Statement
I have created a phased plan to incorporate more calls to action. I am also researching industry trends in high fashion and gamification to modernize the site and will create cohesion with the company's social media campaigns.
Overview
Tools
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Sketch
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Milanote
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Figma
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Shopify
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Rhino 3D
Role
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Comparable Brand Analysis
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Industry Trends
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Interview Customers
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Redesign UI of site
Project Timeline
October - November 2020
"quotation here"
-Jevon Taylor
False Ego
"We're making a statement in fashion culture. Enough of the hype that isn't backed by substance."
Phased Approach
Due to the fact that this brand has an existing website, a phased approach to implementing new features will be used. These are prioritized on the idea that the MVP (minimum viable product) of the site is essentially an e-commerce platform. Additional features will be implemented to enhance the experience and move the website forward.
Phase 1 -> E-commerce Platform launch
Phase 2 -> Website Analysis & Research Industry Trends
Phase 3 -> Brand Cohesion (across platforms)
Phase 4 -> Incorporate New Engagement Methods w/users
Phase 5 -> Incorporate Innovative Features (including VR experience)
Phase 1
E-Commerce (existing) -
-The existing site is straightforward and clearly shows the products. The main images are products on white backgrounds (seen in images 1-3 below) and the rollover images of a closer shot of the logos (seen in the 4th image) .
-This strategy shows the products but does not portray the energy and feeling behind the brand.
E-Commerce (updated) -
-My suggestions include incorporating the outdoor photoshoot images as the main image and the product image with the white background as the rollover image, as well as decrease the number of columns of images displayed to three as opposed to four (so that the images are larger).
-This approach reflects industry trends as well as combining sustainability + fashion and maintaining clarity/ visibility of products.
Try the new rollover style below ->
$ 38.00
APART OF EVERYTHING TEE
$ 38.00
APART OF EVERYTHING TEE
$ 90.00
2020 F.E. TRAVELER BAG
$ 90.00
2020 F.E. TRAVELER BAG
$ 90.00
2020 F.E. TRAVELER BAG
Phase 2
Existing Site Analysis -
I studied the pages of the existing site to find opportunities for improvement. Below is an example of my analysis of the homepage:
great logo, could include 3D / interaction
look at functionality of existing IA of site
this photoshoot reflects both sides of brand, let's incorporate these into the e-commerce shop tab
great graphics, let's increase depth by incorporating parallax and utilize this on more pages
mission/impact can be gamified in ticker and make this interactive when items are purchased
let's clarify that APOE is a separate part of the business and consider how this may need a different website as it expands or look at incorporating this marketing umbrella into site in a larger way
move featured apparel above the fold on this page and incorporate more high fashion industry web trends & features
social media campain is strong, let's feature this with a plug-in that shows latest posts (especially Instagram) instead of static icons
Competitive Anaylsis -
I studied companies at the intersection of brand identity i.e. fashion, local & sustainable:
Apparel Brands
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Marc Jacobs
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Stone Fox Swim
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Hotel Cannabiso
Takeaways
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Use of live video
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More prominent product placement on homepages
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Incorporate darker backgrounds (similar to dark mode)
Local Companies (Denver, CO)
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Animal Handmade
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Pandemic Donuts
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Underground Cookie Co.
Takeaways
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Strong reflection of social media accounts
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Ties and co-promotion of other local businesses
Sustainability-Focus Companies
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Desserto Vegan Leather
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Rothy's
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Afends
Takeaways
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Have separate "mission" page
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Interactive features to illustrate sustainable impact
Phase 3
Combine Industry Trends & Brand Voice -
Update site features to reflect current trends, integrate brand voice across platforms i.e. from social media .
Below are iterative versions of the updated homepage:
V1 ->
updated menu IA, font style, and colors to reflect the brand
brand video plays in the background of the initial view when the page loads
scroll-activated text appears as you begin to scroll down the page, this quote reflects brand values and combines mission with industry trends
ticker shows how many lbs of CO2 are offset by purchases made on the site, up-to-date count
...expands to "IMPACT OF PURCHASE"section of original site
e-commerce call-to-action moved further up on the homepage to convert more site visits to purchases
space for another interactive environmental component
parallax section - begins with graphics and strips w/title text
strips expand vertically as you scroll
strips expand into desktop-height sections/ banners
parallax graphics continue between sections
sections collapse again as you scroll
back to original size
repeat parallax with new sections
condensed footer incorporates map,
restyled to imitate dark mode
Feature Partners -
Incorporate real stories from partner brands
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Vessel Spring Water
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UCapture Plug-in
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Eternal Balance Candles
"We have the power to create a better world. Not for us, but for future generations because they deserve it."
-Mauryell
Vessel Spring Water
Phase 4
Increase Engagement:
-Stream live events
-Incorporate customer photos into product pages
Phase 5
Incorporate Innovative Features (3D Logo)
3D logo
Incorporate Innovative Features (Graphics Parallax)
