System Design of a Futuristic Wardrobe
Aim: To conceptualize, design and prototype a smart wardrobe.
Duration: 4 months (Winter 2007 | IITG, India)
Collaborators: Kshitiz Singh, Rajinder Arora, Vikas Vaishnav
Tools Used: Literature Survey, Contextual Enquiry, Persona Creation, Scenario Analysis, Prototyping, Cognitive Walkthrough, Interface/ Visual Design, Product modeling, 3D graphics and animation, System Analysis, Information Architecture
Project Brief: The aim was to make shopping experience more interactive and entertaining. It’s generally tiring and irksome to try too many clothes before buying one or two. So the concept of this project got originated from the idea that ‘What if we just try one cloth and then we could see all others on an interactive screen with our 1:1 virtual model? This smart wardrobe will suggest us clothes in accordance with the personal preferences of fiber, color, and texture as per user’s mood and wish.
Design and Methodology: We started with literature research and on-site visit of retail garment shops to get an understanding of user behavior of shopping experience. We conducted surveys to find out user’s stand on Bargaining tendency, Brand Consciousness, Brand Loyalty, Comfy in trying etc
On the basis of our study, and requirement gathering, we thought of either conceptualizing an all new Shop Experience with all the latest technology and smart fitting room or else conceptualizing an idea of a smart Personal Wardrobe. We decided to go with the latter one and focused on making a smart Personal Wardrobe.
Major features of Smart Personal Wardrobe named “Fujo” by us were
- It will allow user to manage all the personal clothes.
- User will be able to keep track of his clothes.
- He will be able to see on a screen when he had worn that cloth last time.
- He can see how he looks in any specific cloth.
- After selection of cloth, wardrobe will help him in finding it.
- Wardrobe will take him instantaneously for online shopping.
- It will guide the user to wear the clothes, which suit him according to the weather outside.
- It is easy to operate, understand and update.
We worked upon dimension, material, interior design of the wardrobe; brand Identity of the wardrobe, CAD drawing, backend Technical support, Interface and interaction design. The interface will show a real-size 3d model of the user with the clothes he selected. When the wardrobe is not in use, the interface could be used as a media device, communication device or can act as interactive wallpaper.
Deliverables: A complete documentation including details of the concept, implementation feasibilities, technology, material and prototyping details was made. A prototype of 1:5 scale was also made. Styrene and acrylic sheet was used for the basic structure of FUJO. For the doors, clean glass with black film was used, to give it an expensive, composite and mild black touch. Interactive interface was also developed on flash.
Get a first hand experience of this interface. Download here.
