Case study
Think Shape: empowering people to buy less and buy better
- Product design
- React Native
- Go
- MongoDB
- Docker
- Google Cloud Run
- Firebase
Many people struggle to find clothes that truly fit their body shape, leading to frustrating shopping experiences and wardrobes full of unworn items. The goal of Think Shape was to solve this by digitising the 28 years of expertise of its founder, professional fashion stylist Anna Berkeley.
The process
Before any code was written, the first priority was to establish a firm user experience. We started with an intensive product design phase, where I worked closely with the client to translate her nuanced body map styling process into a clear and logical user journey.
We then moved on to several rounds of low-fidelity wireframing to map out every step, from initial sign-up to the final recommendations. The main focus was on the measurement process as we knew this would be the biggest hurdle for users. We iterated on a guided, step-by-step flow to make it as simple and foolproof as possible. This design phase was crucial, as it gave us a solid blueprint and de-risked the subsequent development work.
Analogue to algorithm
With the wireframes signed off, development began on two parallel streams. I built the front-end mobile application using Expo, which allowed us to target both iOS and Android from a single codebase efficiently. The app was built to spec from the approved wireframes, with a strong focus on creating a polished and intuitive interface.
Simultaneously, I developed the core algorithm. This was the brains of the operation, where I digitised Anna's styling rules into a RESTful API. It was designed to take a user's measurements, calculate their unique body shape, and generate the corresponding clothing and style recommendations. This dual-stream process allowed us to build the user-facing app whilst perfecting the complex logic that powered it.
Impact
The project resulted in the successful launch of the Think Shape app on both the App Store and Google Play. By prioritising the user experience design upfront, we created an app that successfully guides users through the potentially difficult task of taking their own measurements.
The Think Shape app is now live on the App Store and Google Play, serving thousands of monthly active users. I managed the project from concept to launch, which included the UX design, the React Native development, and the implementation of the core backend algorithm. I continue to serve Think Shape as a consultant.