New York Fashion Week - IMG
Proposal for rebuilding the NYFW platform.
IMG approached us with an RFP for a new world-class website that would expertly introduce, educate and convert online audiences.
“The website must be a flexible tool that adopts a future-proof design/development approach and it must be reusable and fit-for-purpose for a minimum of 3 years (6 fashion weeks) from the point of delivery.”
The role of this agency was to deliver a prototype within a 48-hour deadline. Given the thorough brief provided, we established a hierarchy of relevant information and key bullet points to focus on, ensuring effective development despite the time constraints.
We conducted user interviews and surveys with hospitality employers, discovering that the main pain points were time-consuming hiring processes and lack of trained staff.
CHALLENGE
CONTEXT
NYFW is one of four major fashion weeks in the world (as well as London, Paris and Milan).
New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is a semi-annual event held in New York City where fashion designers showcase their latest collections for the upcoming seasons. The event typically takes place in February and September, with each season lasting for approximately one week.
During NYFW, designers host runway shows, presentations, and parties to showcase their latest designs. These events are attended by fashion editors, buyers, influencers, and celebrities, who use the occasion to see the latest trends and connect with others in the industry.
PROBLEM
The current website is outdated and doesn’t provide a user centered experience.
GOAL
To expertly introduce, educate and convert online audiences.
SOLUTION
A new world-class website that has the user experience at the forefront of the design process: easy to navigate and use, with clear CTAs and intuitive menus, responsive and optimized for mobile devices, visually appealing, on-brand, and modern, with a clear hierarchy of information, with important information easily accessible.
PROTO PERSONAS
They were validated with 5 interviews, which provided deeper insight of the users.
OLIVIA - 28 YO - FASHION EDITOR - NYC - SINGLE
Olivia is a dynamic fashion enthusiast with a degree in fashion journalism, she has climbed the ladder to become a fashion editor at one of the city's most renowned fashion magazines. Olivia lives and breathes fashion, and her life revolves around the latest trends, designers, and runway shows.
GOALS
- Stay updated about trends, collections and runway shows.
- Networking.
- Content creation: high quality images.
- Inspiration for fashion stories.
CHALLENGES
- Keeping up with the constant flow of new collections and trends.
- Coordinating her attendance at multiple fashion week events and keeping track of schedules.
- Filtering and prioritizing the most relevant information from the NYFW for her work.
Olivia is a driven fashion editor who relies on the New York Fashion Week website to stay on top of her game in the fast-paced world of fashion journalism. This user persona illustrates how the website serves as an invaluable resource for her career and passion for all things fashion.
- Event Schedule: The website provides a detailed and up-to-date event schedule, helping Olivia plan her attendance efficiently.
- Live Streams: Olivia can watch live streams of runway shows, ensuring she doesn't miss any key moments.
- Designer Profiles: The website offers in-depth profiles of designers and brands, providing valuable background information for her articles.
- High-Quality Media: Access to high-resolution images and videos allows Olivia to create visually appealing content for her magazine's website and social media.
- News and Updates: The website provides real-time news and updates, helping Olivia stay informed about last-minute changes and emerging trends.
- Networking Opportunities: Olivia can use the website to connect with other fashion professionals, arrange interviews, and plan collaborations.
We defined the core problem as the need to quickly connect employers with available, verified temporary workers.
BENCHMARKING
We analyzed the competition and found their strengths and weaknesses.
PARIS FASHION
WEEK
STRENGTHS
Clean and clear design.
Accessible links to schedule.
Relevant + trendy visual content.
Interactive components that make the site more engaging.
WEAKNESSES
The Home screen is quite short with only 2 sections + hero.
Access to extra information is hidden.
LONDON FASHION
WEEK
STRENGTHS
Information is very well organised and sections are recognisable.
The Home screen provides a lot of information.
Clear CTAs.
WEAKNESSES
Visual design is not that appealing.
SHANGHAI FASHION
WEEK
STRENGTHS
Menu sidebar: works well showing relevant links.
Access to schedule is fairly easy.
WEAKNESSES
Hero banner: embedded YouTube video.
Interactions are confusing.
Hierarchy is not clear.
PROTO PERSONAS
INTERVIEWS + EMPATHY MAP
They help us validate our proto personas and get a better understanding of our users.
5
Interviews with people in Fashion: a fashion blogger, a fashion photographer, a design student, a fashion PR specialist, an events planner.
5
Overall, these interviews validate Olivia Vogue's user persona and emphasize the New York Fashion Week website's essential role in meeting the diverse needs of fashion enthusiasts, professionals, and students in the industry.
3
Pay attention to the personality and image, they hire people that they find interesting. Prefer young, with little experience and moldable employees.
THINK AND FEEL
Sarah appreciates staying updated on fashion events to produce fresh content for her blog, but sometimes feels overwhelmed by the volume of information.
Michael relies on the website for up-to-date event schedules and show locations. He feels stressed when juggling multiple events.
Emily feels inspired and motivated by the website's designer profiles and runway show coverage. She thinks it's a valuable resource for her fashion studies.
David appreciates the website for its real-time updates, which help him manage PR campaigns for his clients effectively.
Maria finds the website invaluable for organizing fashion week events.
SAY AND DO
She often mentions how essential it is to have a reliable source for event schedules and designer information.
Michael uses the website to access high-quality images for his portfolio.
She frequently explores designer profiles on the website and takes notes on emerging trends.
He relies on the website's news section to gather information for press releases and pitches.
She relies on the website for event schedules and venue information, and she uses it to connect with fashion brands interested in hosting events.
PAINS
Sarah hears about the latest fashion trends and event highlights from fellow bloggers and influencers, whom she follows on social media.
Michael often hears feedback from clients and colleagues about the importance of attending key fashion events for networking and portfolio building.
Emily frequently hears from her classmates and professors about upcoming shows and emerging designers that she should follow.
David hears about new designers and brands from his PR clients and relies on the website to stay updated on their activities.
Maria hears from event sponsors and participants about their expectations for seamless event planning and execution.
GAINS
Sarah is always looking for visually appealing content, including street style photos, runway shots, and behind-the-scenes coverage.
Michael notices how the website's photo galleries provide high-resolution images for his portfolio and networking.
Emily frequently explores the website's designer portfolios and runway shows to stay updated on emerging trends.
David is focused on the website's news section, which helps him gather information for press releases and client pitches.
Maria relies on the website for scheduling and venue information to ensure her events run smoothly.
Through brainstorming and design sprints, we developed various concepts, ultimately focusing on a mobile-first solution that prioritizes simplicity and speed.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
After the card sorting we organised the content for the user to follow the happy path. The architecture was iterated through the process and here we can see both the initial and final.
BEFORE
AFTER
USER FLOW
To better design the experience, we explored the paths the user can follow to accomplish the task.
TASK FLOW
HAPPY PATH
We created high-fidelity prototypes of the app, focusing on an intuitive interface where employers can post jobs and workers can easily apply.
WIREFRAMES
COMPONENTS: SCHEDULE
We presented two variants, a simplified version that works well on responsive with tabs expanding, and a more complex version with a hover interaction presenting a cover image for the event.
VERSION 1
LAPTOP
MOBILE
VERSION 2 - LAPTOP
COMPONENTS: DESIGNERS
We presented two variants. The first one with images for each designer and a hover animation with their name + link to their profile (this was the idea suggested by the client). The second one with a list and a picture of the designer appearing while hovering over their name.
VERSION 1 - LAPTOP
VERSION 2 - LAPTOP
MOOD BOARD
ACCESSIBILITY
We analyzed the color contrasts through colour.adobe.com aiming for AAA, to make sure they are accessible to the majority of the population.
