StyleMate
From a visualised digital wardrobe to fashion sustainability.
Challenge-based Design / UIUX Design / iOS App Development
STYLEMATE it is not just an app—it’s a movement.
“A small yet impactful step towards a sustainable future.”
With a visualised wardrobe and outfit generation and recommendation features, it encourages fashion lovers to make the most of their existing clothes, elevating fashion reusability.
I joined UTS's Apple Foundation Program in November 2024. During this three-week, challenge-based product design program, our team followed the Double Diamond methodology, refining our core values and reframing the problem to align with our goal.
Duration: Nov 2024 (3 weeks)
Deliverable: MVP Prototype
Role: UX Researcher, UI Designer, iOS developer
Design Process
Week 1: Shaping the Challenge Statement
Starting from the Big Idea
We used Miro as our primary ideation tool throughout this journey. To begin, each team member generated a Big Idea surrounded by key words. We then colour-coded our concepts, identified common themes, and ultimately agreed on ‘Environment’ as the core focus of our problem to solve.
Diverging and Converging to Refine the Challenge Statement
Next, we asked ourselves a series of essential questions to explore opportunities and challenges in improving the ‘Environment.’ Through a quick voting activity, we selected “How can we make reusability fun?” as our key focus question.
We then used a Mind Mapping Diagram to expand on this idea. After another round of voting, we identified “Creating awareness of reusability” as the most important challenge to address. However, before finalising our challenge statement, I sought feedback from other teams and mentors. Through these discussions, I realised that people are already aware of reusability—the real challenge lies in encouraging them to act on it. Based on this insight, I suggested reframing our problem as “Creating willingness for reusability.”
Week 2: Validating Assumptions and Designing
Guiding Questions
At this stage, our focus was still quite broad, so we needed to narrow down ‘reusability’ to make our goal more concrete. By generating guiding questions and engaging in several rounds of internal discussions, we ultimately decided to focus on fashion reusability as our key problem.
Through Research and Interview to Validate our Assumption
Before starting the design phase, we conducted several user interviews with other groups to validate our assumptions. For example, we wanted to determine whether "second-hand clothing is a solution for fashion sustainability" aligns with actual user needs. We also aimed to explore their personal experiences and how they practice fashion sustainability in their own way.
During my interview, I gained unexpected yet valuable insights. One participant never purchases second-hand clothes due to hygiene concerns, despite finding the lower prices tempting. However, she donates her clothes to institutions instead of discarding them. She also helped a friend organise a second-hand garage sale to raise funds for another friend in need of surgery—something she found deeply meaningful.
Combining insights from all interviews, we concluded that second-hand clothing is not suitable for many people. However, we discovered an interesting new insight: impulse buying is a major issue, directly opposing the principles of fashion sustainability.
Defining the Problem Statement Through Persona & Ideation
To help us visualise our users and align our ideas for the next ideation phase, we defined our Problem Statement using a specific persona. Followed by that, we used the Lotus Blossom method to generate and organise ideas based on the metrics of 'Effort' and 'Impact.' Given that we only have a week and a half to build the MVP, we prioritised features that we all agreed were valuable and feasible within the timeframe.
Aha Moment in This Project
Finally, we present our 'App Statement' as shown in the image. We recognise that fashion sustainability is not just about buying second-hand clothes or supporting eco-friendly brands—it can be as simple as reusing your own clothes and avoiding impulse purchases.
Design
Sketches
Before jumping into Figma, we needed a way to align our vision, especially since not everyone on the team was a designer. So, we explored different ways to present our ideas—collages, sketches, anything that helped bring our concepts to life. To keep ourselves from straying too far from the core features, we mapped out each flow based on three main user stories. This process not only kept us focused but also ensured that when we moved to the high-fidelity prototype, we were all on the same page.
Meet our MVP features — Digital Wardrobe and Smart Dresser
With only one week remaining and the need to deliver an iOS app, we prioritised these two core features as our MVP.
During ideation, we explored a broader range of possibilities beyond what's currently presented. For example, we considered how to gradually motivate users to input their clothing information into the Digital Wardrobe, and how to reduce impulse purchases using smart nudges.
Some potential solutions included gamification elements, fashion-related social sharing challenges, or a digital wallet “detector” that triggers alerts when users are about to overspend. We also explored the idea of letting users set their typical shopping hours so that timely notifications could be delivered as gentle reminders.
However, given the current MVP scope and timeline, we decided to focus on delivering only the most essential features for now.
Digital Wardrobe
Users can visualise their wardrobe, supporting qualitative analysis. For example, they can clearly see how many jackets they own and identify the most common colours in their clothing collection.
Moreover, this database powers the Smart Dresser feature, providing outfit inspiration based on the clothes they already have.
Smart Dresser
With this feature, user can get new inspiration on how to match their existing clothes. The main purpose is to let them know with the exisiting outfits, they can already have many conbination that they don't need more. Besides, it can also help them safe time before they go to work, set them free from not knowing how to pari their
Final Pitching & Takeaways
Let's celebrate!
After three intensive weeks of app development, we had the opportunity to present our product to the Apple team and the teaching staff. Presentation is one of the most essential skills a designer should possess — it’s about clearly, logically, and convincingly communicating ideas, and showing users that we are creating something meaningful and impactful.
Takeaways
The biggest highlight from these three weeks was definitely the communication and collaboration within our group. Each of us brought unique strengths and expertise to the table, and in a cross-functional team like this, active listening, empathy, and open-mindedness were key. I’ve realised that the best way to grow is to grow alongside teammates who share the same values and goals.
Another valuable takeaway was the power of reflection and feedback. In our daily sessions, we presented small sprints to mentors and other teams, receiving rapid feedback that helped us iterate quickly. The process of self-reflection also allowed me to challenge myself and improve with greater self-awareness.
Thanks for reading 💓