A lively and diverse city, historic North Charleston wanted a campaign that reflected its vibrant atmosphere and signaled that it’s a worthy destination in its own right. As a result, I developed this colorful, eclectic map illustration that highlights the unique features of the city. Our campaign presented North Charleston as a hub from which nearby downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and West Ashely are accessible, but also highlighted some of the fun and exciting aspects that make the city stand out.
Parfait
Parfait (previously called Hairtelligence), a venture-backed startup, is revolutionizing the wig industry with its AI-powered platform. Parfait is direct-to-consumer (DTC) business model eliminates the need for in-person visits and eliminates the associated costs of customization from traditional stylists.
Through Parfait platform, users can visualize realistic results of their chosen products in real time. Parfait gathers the dimensions of our customers' facial features by using standard ID Cards to ensure a perfect fit for wigs, closures, and frontals. Our system also employs color identification techniques to match the skin tone with the appropriate lace tint. Additionally, customers have the freedom to select their desired color and cut for their hairstyle.
Services:
User Experience and User Interface Design
Year:
2021
Deliverable
I became a part of the Parfait team during its pre-seed and seed stages. Initially known as "Hairtelligence," the company only had a single webpage dedicated to the launch of it's product.
The deliverable was in both desktop and mobile:
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Create a multi-layered website that comprehensively presented the company, its brand, products, and more.
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Design a seamless user experience, allowing individuals to personalize their wig from the initial steps to the final product with AI.
Team:
Isoken (CEO), Ifueko (CTO), Simone (CMO), Rachel (UX Designer)
Desk Research:
With my limited knowledge of the wig culture, particularly among African-American women, I embarked on conducting research to understand the target consumer group. This involved exploring trends, familiarizing myself with relevant terminology, delving into the wig-wearing process, and gathering other essential information. To gain further insights, the CEO shared a couple of YouTube videos that highlighted various processes, the challenges women faced when wearing wigs, and the overall experience.
Through my research, I discovered that many wig-wearers faced a few common scenarios. Firstly, they had to purchase a wig from a store and then learn how to customize it themselves. Alternatively, they could seek assistance from a professional wigmaker to personalize their wig. Lastly, there was the option to buy wigs online from platforms like Amazon or Alibaba, but the quality often fell short of expectations.
Another significant observation was the stark difference in prices. Wigs customized by wigmakers could cost upwards of $400, while those available on platforms like Amazon, Alibaba, and beauty supply stores were often of low quality, but more affordable.
User Discovery
We conducted interviews with 10 African American women, all of whom were wig wearers. Our objective was to gather valuable insights by asking them a range of questions about their backgrounds, experiences, and emotions related to wigs. Additionally, we explored their experiences with purchasing both standard and customized wigs online. To gain a comprehensive understanding of their needs and desires, we also had them visit three different websites that specifically catered to Black hair.
This process proved to be highly beneficial as it provided us with personal stories, different perspectives, and valuable insights into both the positive and negative aspects of purchasing wigs online. However, during the course of our research, we realized that not all of these interviewees aligned with our targeted user demographic. Specifically, our intended users were women seeking high-quality, human hair wigs. It was noted that while some of our interviewees expressed a preference for synthetic hair, our primary focus remained on meeting the needs of those desiring premium human hair wigs.
Users:
10, African-American, Wig-wearers
Style:
Moderated Google Meet Calls
Length:
1 hr long
Team:
Rachel (UX Designer)
Competitive Research
Conducting competitive research was a priority for Rachel and I. Our goal was to gain valuable insights into how other competitors approached product customization, particularly in the realm of customized wigs. By studying their strategies, we aimed to identify their key strengths and determine how we could integrate those strengths into our own process.
Rachel and I were impressed by Prose's approach, which took users on a comprehensive journey. Their process involved gathering essential information about the user's hair, including (1) basic details, (2) preferred treatments, (3) lifestyle factors, and (4) personal preferences and goals. We believed that this flow could be highly applicable to Parfait's wig customization process, as it allowed for a holistic understanding of the user's needs and desires.
Strengths:
Terminology
System status
clear exit
Hers, another notable example, implemented a well-designed flow that guided users through a journey. They began by gently easing the user into the process, gradually gathering information about their mental health and medical background. Hers also incorporated a helpful system status feature that kept users informed about their progress throughout the journey. They employed bold fonts and graphics strategically to assist users in successfully completing each step of the flow. This user-friendly approach and visual support were elements that we found compelling and worth considering for Parfait's wig customization process..
Strengths:
Minimal design
Graphics visuals
Finding a major company that specialized in selling customized wigs proved to be quite challenging. However, we came across Heavenly Tresses, a notable company that offered a customized wig process. They had a user-friendly interface that featured multiple drop-down menus, allowing customers to make various choices and personalize their wigs according to their preferences.
Weaknesses:
Limited user flow
Limited visuals
No Assistance with measuring or matching lace tint.
Parfait AI Customization
Parfait stands out from the competition by leveraging AI technology to enhance the wig customization process. One unique feature is the utilization of AI to measure the user's head capsize accurately and identify the appropriate lace tint for their wig. This innovative system was developed by Ifueko, the CTO of Parfait. By using a standard ID or credit card, the AI system can accurately read the dimensions of the user's head capsize. Additionally, with the assistance of optimal lighting conditions, AI technology can analyze the user's skin tone and precisely match it with the ideal lace tint, ensuring a seamless and natural look.
AI Requirements
Following extensive discussions with the CEO, CMO, and CTO, Rachel and I recognized the importance of collecting and showcasing specific information to the user.
Information Collect:
Current Wig-wearer?
First-time wig-wearer?
Credit Card- ID Card Available?
Efficient Light Space?
Access to webcam
Data Collection (AI):
A Picture with a credit card on the forehead- Front
A Picture with a credit card beside ear- Left
A Picture with a credit card beside ear- Right
General Selfie
Styling Wig (Showcasing information)
Wig Types:
5x5 closure
133x6 frontal
Pattern/ Texture
Kinky Straight
Body Wave
Straight
Deep Wave
Length
14”
18”
20”
22”
Haircut:
Natural
Blunt
Layered
Part Style
Middle Part
Left Side Part
Right Side Part
Check-out
Contact information
Credit card information
Results:
The results revealed that every user favored the tab interface over the original interface. It was intriguing to note that a few users were unaware of certain categories such as notes or templates in the older design, and they had to adopt a workaround to access them. These users expressed their enthusiasm and satisfaction upon learning that we would be implementing these changes.
All users successfully completed every task listed with a 100% success rate on the Tab interface.