ILLUMINATE

The Challenge

‍

Athleta seeks to provide women with product discoveries for every stage of their day and life by leveraging immersive technologies in store and online.

‍

Design Objectives

‍

The goal was to develop an integrated shopping experience that:

• Leverages immersive technologies to enhance both in-store and online shopping.
• Provides a structured yet personalized approach to sizing, selection, and visualization.
• Bridges the gap between digital convenience and in-person tactile experience.

‍

The Solution: Illuminate

‍

A hybrid shopping experience that digitizes wardrobes, refines size discovery, and enables visualization of Athleta products in everyday life.

‍

‍

Key Features

‍

• AthletaExpress: Scans clothing to create a digital wardrobe with curated style recommendations. (Addresses: The Bigger Picture)

• AthletaFit: Merges personal items with suggested outfits; in-store body scanning ensures precise sizing. (Addresses: Sizing Struggles, Overwhelming Options, The Bigger Picture)

• AthletaWay: AR wayfinding directs customers to personalized items, refining recommendations based on real-time interactions. (Addresses: Overwhelming Options)

• AthletaVision: Parallel Reality technology projects individualized outfit inspiration on in-store walls. (Addresses: Overwhelming Options, The Bigger Picture)

• AthletaExpress Integration: Purchases auto-upload to customers’ digital wardrobes, streamlining future shopping. (Addresses: Overwhelming Options, The Bigger Picture)

‍

The Process

‍

Research & Insights

‍

To uncover the problem, our team conducted research and market immersion:

• Ethnographic Research: Studied diverse shoppers to understand their struggles with sizing, decision-making, and visualization in both online and in-store settings, identifying key behavior patterns and unmet needs.

• Service Excursion: Evaluated existing experiences, including Athleta and Lululemon, to benchmark best practices. Digital catalogs and styling services exist but fail to address core frustrations like inconsistent sizing and choice overload.
• Secondary Market and Trend Research: Analyzed industry reports, trend forecasts, and consumer behavior studies to identify innovations such as body scanning, AI-driven personalization, and AR/VR applications shaping the future of retail.

‍

Four key insights emerged:

‍

1. Standardization Isn't Standard:

Shoppers struggle with inconsistent sizing across brands.

‍

“You go into a smaller store and a 10 doesn’t fit. It makes you feel like absolute crap."
‍— Lauren, Vintage Specialist Persona

‍

2. Trade-Off Between Options and Personalization:

The abundance of choices can feel overwhelming.

‍

“I feel like they have so much that it can become a little bit overwhelming.”
— Mindy, Amateur Athlete Persona

‍

3. Value of Adaptability:

Customers want clothing that seamlessly integrates into their wardrobe.

‍

“Being mindful of how things fit and what’s going to go with your color scheme.”
— Eaugelique, Fashionista Persona

‍

4. Need for Visualization:

Seeing clothing in action builds confidence in purchasing decisions.

‍

“I’m not sure if they’re all that they’re cracked up to be by CNN on CNN’s review.”
— Regina, Review Reader

‍

‍

mapping the current state of shopping

‍

The shopping experience for women, whether in-person or online, comes with its highs and lows. Sizing struggles, overwhelming options, and challenges in visualizing the complete look are common issues. Interestingly, where one modality falls short, the other often excels. For instance, while in-person shopping allows for immediate sizing checks and a more tactile experience, online shopping offers a vast range of options and the convenience of trying items in the comfort of home.

‍

‍

‍

‍

REIMAGINING the future of shopping

‍

‍

Athleta has the opportunity to bridge the gap between in-person and online shopping experiences, making them more seamless and integrated by leveraging emerging technology.
‍

Digital twins replicate fabric, fit, and style, while body scanning technology creates precise shopper avatars for realistic fittings. AR allows customers to visualize how outfits fit in real-time, addressing sizing concerns. Parallel reality provides tailored, real-time information both in-store and online, enhancing personalization. AI analyzes preferences, suggests products, and streamlines checkout, making the shopping journey efficient and engaging.

‍

‍

‍

Viability & Future Opportunities

‍

In order to successfully deploy the illuminate strategy, partnerships with existing companies need to be leveraged.

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

Conclusion

‍

Illuminate redefines the shopping experience by transforming a traditionally complex process into an intuitive, personalized journey. By integrating emerging technologies, it ensures that Athleta remains at the forefront of retail innovation while empowering women to shop with confidence and ease.

‍

‍