The aim of this project was to build a pleasant customer experience of personalizing, virtual fitting and ordering made-to-measure knitwear, so as to improve their satisfaction on fit as well as reduce waste in the fashion industry.
The project started with a deep dive into the design context. Relevant knowledge from academic and industry was learned, together with the technology learning on 3D virtual fitting.The research findings revealed several problems on customers’ side: the lack of sensory inputs (visual and tactile) for evaluating apparel fit in online environment; the perceived complexity and uncertainty of making choices on personalized garments; the gap between one's fit requirements (depending on body sizes and personal fit preference) and actual garment sizes. The research findings also confirmed the perceived usefulness of 3D virtual fitting as a promising solution for online shopping. By using the software CLO3D, the visualization of knitwear is achievable, as well as the simulation of how the knitwear fits to different human body models. After the analysis stage, the focus of the project was transferred to how to connect the research findings to the design. An explicit and specific design statement was established, “To design a website that enables customers to customize and order knitwear made to their measurements, in all possible looks, sizes and fits. Include the use of 3D virtual fitting in the website to boost customer confidence in evaluating clothing fit online and shopping enjoyment. In the end deliver the real garment that achieves customer satisfaction”. The design goal, along with a website framework and a list of design requirements, gave a clear guide where the design should go. During the design stage, several iteration cycles were conducted to evaluate the design effectiveness of each part of the website, so as to quickly make design decisions and refine the concept in an early design phase. The final concept was built based on both the design requirements and new inputs from design process. In the last stage an evaluation study was carried out. A user test was done with thirteen participants using the website prototype to finish an order, and a comparison between physical try-on and virtual fitting was done with two of them. From the study results it could be evidenced that the website is able to support people to finish the online process of customizing made-to-measure knitwear, and for the majority the function of virtual fitting achieves its intended effects of enhancing customer confidence and shopping enjoyment. In the end, a review of the concept showed the validity and limitations of this project, some recommendations were discussed as well.