challenge

Explore the future of shoe stores through the lens of intelligent environments. Incorporate technologies into the shoe store in a way that supports rather than replaces salespeople.

solution

Give salespeople insight into customers' purchase history and replace manual tasks with automation. A tablet dashboard for salespeople, interactive shoe displays, automated shoe retrieval, and an intelligent treadmill.

project stats

focus: Little's Shoe Store
duration: 5 weeks
role: I conducted observation and behavioral mapping in the field. I created service concepts through storyboarding for speed dating. I planned and took the photos for the video, created the UIs, and edited the video. I created the imagery for the photomontage and made it interactive.

teammates: Stefan Dasbach, Brian Liu Xu, Maggie Yu
research methods: observation, behavioral mapping, literature review, competitive analysis, speed dating (needs validation)
deliverables: slide deck, visioning video, photomontage of proposed environment, service blueprint

PROCESS

We started by sitting in the shoe store and observing how customers and salespeople spent their time. We recorded notes and made a behavioral map.

behavioral map showing frequent locations and common paths taken by customers and salespeople

From there, we did secondary research and a competitive analysis. That led us to a "rose, bud, thorn" exercise to determine what was working well about the service, what could be improved, and the biggest pain points.

final design

Asking For Suggestions

Liz asks her phone’s smart agent to help her find shoes for a party this weekend.

Reviewing a Recommendation

The smart agent suggests Little’s Shoes because of its positive reviews. Liz decides to go there.

Personalized Consultation

Liz’s smart agent notifies Little’s Shoes that she is on her way. A salesperson is assigned to help Liz and can see just enough information about her past shoe purchases at online and retail stores to help her today.

Passive Measurements

As Liz enters the store, the smart welcome mat measures her feet and compares this information with her past purchases to inform her experience today.

Personalized Shopping

As Liz looks around, recommended shoes shake to get her attention. She taps to select shoes she wants to try on, including other available colors.

Trying On Shoes

Once Liz is ready to try on shoes, the salesperson guides her to a station and the shoes rise out of the floor. She gestures to a pair and they come to her.

Test Run

Liz uses an interactive treadmill to try walking in the shoes on different surfaces. The system notices the current pair does not fit just right, so the salesperson suggests trying a half-size smaller.

Instant Checkout

Once Liz is happy with a pair of shoes, the salesperson lets her confirm the price then she uses her finger to authenticate the purchase. She heads on her way and receives a receipt by email.

The video above demonstrates a customer's experience of the reimagined shoe store. The service blueprint below shows how the customer, salesperson, and technical system interact to create the service experience.

The following photomontage gave an overall view of the experience through its different stages. It was interactive and explained each moment of the experience.