User Persona:

We are primarily focusing on users like "Allison." Allison is a 33-year-old woman who has recently been diagnosed with alopecia. She represents the beginning stage of our target demographic - those who are at the onset of their hair loss journey. Being new to the world of alternative hair, she has minimal knowledge about hairpieces such as wigs or toppers.

User Needs and Pain Points:

Allison's needs can be categorized into three main areas:

Product Discovery: Allison is looking for suitable alternative hair products. As she's just beginning her journey, she is uncertain about the options available to her and what would best suit her needs and lifestyle.

Education: She needs to learn how to properly care for the hairpiece once she has it. This includes understanding the different types of materials, how to clean and maintain them, and how to wear them correctly.

Professional Help: Lastly, Allison wants to find a local stylist who is knowledgeable and experienced in working with alternative hair.

Her major pain points are rooted in a lack of information and the overwhelming number of choices available. She is uncertain about what she's purchasing regarding quality, fiber type, and color, especially since these products are often bought online, making it hard to get a true sense of the product.

Market Research:

Our research has shown that the market is flooded with hair products for women. However, these products often lack clear, comprehensive information, especially about the quality, fiber, and color of the wigs and toppers. Online shopping further compounds this issue as it's harder for consumers to judge the products accurately.

There's a clear need for an all-encompassing solution that not only helps individuals like Allison find suitable alternative hair products but also educates them on product care and connects them to local stylists. Currently, these needs are not being effectively met in the market, resulting in a challenging and potentially dissatisfying experience for users at the start of their hair loss journey.

The WigMe App aims to bridge this gap by providing product recommendations tailored to users' specific needs and circumstances, comprehensive educational content on wig care, and a directory of local stylists who specialize in alternative hair. By addressing these issues, the app aims to simplify the journey into alternative hair for users like Allison.

Sketches and Wireframes:

The ideation phase led to the initial layout concept of the WigMe app featuring four main menu tabs:

Home: This is the main screen where recommended Jon Renau products are showcased based on the user's profile. It will also display the order status for the user's current purchases and suggest accessories relevant to the user's selected items or frequently purchased products.

Hair Care Education: This tab is a comprehensive guide for wig care, focusing on the maintenance of three different types of hair fibers: human hair, synthetic, and heat defiant synthetic. This educational hub will serve to equip users with the necessary knowledge to prolong the life and quality of their wigs.

Retailer or Servicer Locator: This feature enables users to find the nearest retailer or wig servicer for alterations or lace front repairs. It incorporates a map function for ease of use, showing the closest salons and their contact information.

Shop: The final tab takes users to the full Jon Renau catalog, which includes a shopping cart feature and payment processing. This provides a seamless shopping experience, allowing users to explore, select, and purchase products all within the same space.

An additional feature, the User Profile, is integral to personalizing the WigMe experience. It stores critical information such as head measurements, hair color and style preferences, details about the user's hair loss, and frequency of wig use. This profile not only informs product recommendations but also can be shared with salon professionals for consultations. The ability to send this profile as a comprehensive PDF, complete with user-uploaded photos, adds another layer of functionality, enabling easy communication of the user's specific needs and conditions to a professional.

The design decisions for the app revolve around user-centric principles, ensuring simplicity, functionality, and an intuitive user interface. We sought to streamline the process of discovering, learning about, and purchasing alternative hair products. The primary aim of these choices is to enhance the user experience, making the journey to finding the right wig or topper less overwhelming and more tailored to each individual user.

Information Architecture:

The information and functionality in the WigMe app have been thoughtfully structured around six main components, ensuring seamless navigation and user-friendly experience:

Welcome Screen and Login: The entry point of the app, where users can sign in to their existing accounts or create a new one.

Client Profile: This section serves as a personal hub for users, where they can input and update all their specific information related to alternative hair needs and preferences.

Home Screen: The heart of the WigMe app, the Home screen offers personalized product suggestions based on the user's profile. It aims to make the discovery process more relevant and enjoyable.

Hair Care Education: This educational hub features various videos and tutorials about proper hair care, extending the lifespan of a wig or topper, and how-to content from Jon Renau's stylists and educators.

Find a Servicer or Retailer: Users can utilize this tool to locate a nearby physical retailer or servicer for trying on, styling, or altering a wig.

Shop: The complete catalog of Jon Renau products resides here. Users can browse, add items to the cart, and proceed with payment, all in one place.

UI Design:

The design elements of the app have been crafted to match the stylish, sophisticated nature of Jon Renau's brand, while maintaining a strong focus on user-friendly experience:

Iconography: The app utilizes custom icons designed for easy recognition and quick navigation. They include symbols for alert badges, overlay screens, and more.

Colors: The app's color scheme is a mix of earthy and warm tones, including blacks, grays, coppers, and teals, chosen to complement the tones of the hair products and the chic, studio-quality model photography.

Typography: The primary typeface used in the app is Montserrat, a clean and modern sans serif typeface with a large x-height, chosen for its readability and elegant aesthetics.

Other Elements: The app also features a glossary of terms, helpful charts and diagrams, links to web resources from Jonrenau.com, and forms for users who wish to share their hair loss journey as a feature on the official website.

Prototype:

As for future prototypes, our plan is to incorporate feedback from initial testing rounds into successive iterations. We'll continually refine the app's usability and aesthetics to ensure we're delivering an experience that resonates with our target demographic and faithfully represents the Jon Renau brand. The development of prototypes will be an iterative process, with each one building upon the insights gained from the last. This approach ensures we are creating a product that truly meets the needs of our users, while maintaining the high-quality design and functionality they deserve.

Usability Testing:

Our initial plan is to conduct internal testing of the WigMe app within our development and design team. This will allow us to iron out any glaring issues and assess the general usability of the app.

Following this internal testing phase, we aim to run a focus group comprising 10-15 women who closely resemble our user persona, "Allison." During this focus group, we will observe how these users interact with the app, ask for their feedback, and take note of any difficulties they encounter or suggestions they make. We aim to understand their experience, from overall impressions to specific interactions with the app's features.

We will categorize this feedback into three main areas for ease of addressing:

User Interface Design Updates: This covers suggestions and comments on the app's layout, color schemes, typography, navigation, and overall visual appeal.

Content Updates: This includes feedback on the content provided in the app, such as the educational material, product descriptions, and guidance on product care.

Coding Updates: This concerns any technical issues encountered, including bugs, crashes, slow loading times, or any other technical aspect affecting the app's performance.

The team will meet to discuss this feedback in detail, with the aim of identifying any missing features and assessing the relevance and usefulness of the current features to our audience.

Iterations:

Based on the feedback gathered, we will proceed with an iteration phase. This involves making changes and improvements to the app. We may adjust the UI design based on users' suggestions for better visual appeal and usability. Content updates may include enriching our educational material or refining product descriptions for clarity. Any technical issues identified will be rectified in the coding update phase.

Once these updates are made, we plan to test the updated version of the app with a larger, more diverse focus group. This group will include about 50 individuals, consisting of both women and possibly some men. Gathering feedback from this larger, more varied group will allow us to further refine our app, ensuring it meets the needs and preferences of our wider user base.

Through these testing and iteration phases, we aim to continuously improve the WigMe app, enhancing its user experience, and ensuring it effectively serves its purpose of assisting individuals navigating their hair loss journey.