Problem:
Going shopping and finding the right clothes is sometimes a difficult adventure. It can be divided into four parts: finding what one likes, finding the right size, finding something that fits with other things that one likes, and waiting in line to enter the fitting rooms to possibly figure out that what one thinks goes together doesn’t actually work or that the size is not the right one. In the end, time is wasted especially when there are not that many fitting rooms in the store.
Solution:
Although the size question can only be figured out by actually trying the cloths on, understanding what different cloths go together is something that could be solved in a different way. Many stores already display these manikins that serve as guidelines in terms of acceptable outfits; however, in a limited number with limited designs. Using manikin size touch screens that allow to combine different cloths might solve this problem and create a different shopping experience. For example: A store has 15 different types of pants, 15 different types of shirts, several shoes etc. ….all what would have to be done is to take one model and take several HD pictures of any combination possible, display them digitally and allow customers to interact with a program to figure out what combination fits best to their style. Going one step further, one could use virtual reality to integrate a customers measurements and photo into the system to make the overall experience even more personal and interactive. The measurements would “only” have to be taken once as long as the customer doesn’t change his/her body size dramatically which would facilitate further shopping trips and possibly increase loyalty due to the changed customer experience that might save some time based on a problem that was solved before entering the fitting room – the question of what goes with what.
The Idea Library 