1) Research

User Research ​ I conducted a user survey asking recent customers and Instagram followers open-ended questions regarding their lifestyle, interests, career goals, and experiences with Hypo Footwear. I incentivized them to complete the survey by providing a 20% discount towards a Hypo purchase on completion of the survey. I received a 33% response rate out of 65 applicants.

User Personas ​ Based on the results from the user surveys, I developed these consumer descriptions and personas of Hypo's audience. Hypo consumers range from 18-38 years old. They are selling active streetwear shoes that are innovative in style and comfort. Their consumers are enthusiastic and goal-driven individuals who strive to live their best lives. Their community is vibrant and robust, with talented individuals wearing and promoting their shoes. They are growing at a gradual rate with consistent sales. Consumers enjoy the release parties they have when releasing a new shoe.

2) Analysis

Competitive Analysis ​ I performed a competitive analysis on the start-up footwear market to further understand Hypo’s competition and market position. ​ When analyzing a competitor, I focused on answering these questions. ​

• Who is their target market?

• What type of footwear do they sell?

• How do they present their shoes online?

• How is their online presence and community following?

• How do you purchase a shoe online?

• Do they provide any assistance with the recommended shoe size?

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User Challenges

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Based on the user surveys’ responses, I concluded that users have trouble picking the correct shoe size during checkout because of Hypo's unique sole and shapes.

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Hypo consumers are looking for that perfect fit and aren’t hesitant to return it if it does not fit right. Several people have mentioned that they have returned a Hypo shoe before because of sizing issues.

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Users said they would be interested in trying out an app that assists them with the shoe-sizing process.

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From my analysis, I developed an understanding of Hypo's market position. Their target market is niched down and focused on athletic shoes that are hip and stylish with unique shapes and soles. Their competitors have more basic shoe soles and styles targeting a more traditional consumer, giving them a competitive advantage on creativity and innovation. A competitor has launched an app that scans a user's foot to make custom-made soles. However, the app reviews were negative, complaining about the usability of the app's experience. I conclude from my research and analysis that Hypo has a strong position in its market. Its audience is cult-like, and its shoe designs are not be found or compared to any of its competitors.

3) Design

The app's purpose is to perform a 3d foot scan at home that can measure a person's unique foot's dimensions and measurements that can be used to recommend a shoe size. During the design process of Hypo Measure, my client and I brainstormed several objectives we wanted to keep in mind when designing the app. The list below are the three points we wanted to focus on when creating the apps experience.

User Journey ​ A user journey map is shown below, starting from initial discovery from the website to in-app returning users.

App Features ​ Hypo Boy Assistant Is a digital assistant whose purpose is to guide the user through the foot scanning process, just like someone would in person at a store. We brainstormed over 30 phrases to be incorporated into Hypo Boy's phrasebook. He communicates in a motivating and fun manner to keep the user focused on performing a successful scan. 3D Scanning Our primary focus is to make the scanning process intuitive to ensure a high completion rate. Though our target audience is familiar with new technology, 3d scanning is a relatively new, and we want our consumers to have an easy and memorable experience. ​

5) Test and Deploy

Development, Testing, and Launch ​ My role in this project was to get the initial ideation of the app on paper with high-fidelity wireframes, transitions, and audio. (At this time, I will not be able to present the final prototype) ​ The hypo team acquired a series of engineers to incorporate the designs within the initial 3d scanning process. They are working to develop the prototype and incorporate their expertise in 3d printing and engineering to bring an initial final prototype to life. We are currently going through initial testing of the 3d scanning prototype. ​ Project Learnings & Findings This was my first project designing an app from scratch. From creating different input screen states to buttons to transitional motion to error messages, I completely underestimated the workload for this project which got me to learn many roles in the design and prototyping process.