HEMD clothing
User Research
Most men don’t like shopping for clothing. — Is this statement true or is it just a stereotype?
Most of our assumptions about the people around us are not based on facts but on biases. I worked with the team behind HEMD clothing to find out what men are really looking for when shopping for clothing. That research was then developed out into customer personas, archetypes, user flows and journey maps to provide useful data and insight into the launch of HEMD’s line of men’s shirts.
I hit the streets of New York to find out what Men were actually looking for and what they wanted in a brand or shopping service. This type of research takes some people-skills and a friendly open environment. Making sure to ask the right questions and not lead the user down any specific route, I created a safe space for men of different ages, races, sizes and styles to feel welcome and give me feedback on what convenience means to them when shopping.
(click on the headshots below to see quotes from my research.)
“It’s all about convenience. Once I know the fit works for me, then I buy online for convenience, but these days it is hard to tell what will fit well, which is the biggest problem for me. ”
Translating the research into useable data
This research was recorded on video and voice, annotated and transcribed into a report to give the client the most data points possible. I then used design research tools to pull out insights and related data from all of the people I spoke with and start to formulate a narrative for a persona based on my research.
Mapping the Data
After narrowing insights and data points we used a tool to identify pain points in the customer journey using a map to show the flow of the customer’s shopping experience from beginning to end.
We also created empathy maps to show what the customer is seeing, saying, thinking and feeling while on their shopping journey. These tools allow us to dive deeper into what is influencing the customer to make certain choices.
This data was complied into a report for the client to make smarter more informed business decisions. User Research creates a companies user-DNA, and can be used to create thoughtful, empathetic products and services, built with a foundation of more than just guess work. The impact can be quite powerful!
