Lee Jeans Case Study

The1stMovement and Lee Jeans:Lee’s Made Like Me

Lee Jeans Case Study

Interview and research by Skye Sant

Design rationale version 3.5Last modified Sept 8, 2011

The1stMovement Practice of Design 3 - Michael Mages last modified 9-8-11


The Task The1stMovement was asked to assist Lee Jeans in finding an innovative way to help woman become more comfortable with buying jeans on-line. The1stMovement, through interviews and research, uncovered several facets to a woman’s jean-buying experience. They then used this user-centered research to design a tool which will help women feel more comfortable buying jeans online.

Agency:

Client:

Project Title:

Team:

Duration:

The1stMovement

Lee Jeans

Lee’s Made Like Me

Hugh Graham, Chris IngwalsonDave Schell

5 months:10+ weeks research10+ weeks prototype

About



The ClientAbout Lee Jeans

Audience

Lee Jeans is a leading international retailer and manufacturer of denim wear and casual wear. Lee Jeans’ parent company, the VF Corporation, is the largest publicly held apparel company in the world. Lee Mercantile Company was founded by Henry David Lee in 1889, and throughout the ‘30s and ‘40s Lee continued to build on their brand, becoming the nation’s #1 manufacturer of work clothes, appealing to workmen and cowboys. The company continued to expand its fashion lines throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s and today’s Lee is all about bringing more fits, styles, finishes, features and choices than ever before to market.

The audience for woman’s Lee Jeans is in early middle age and values the lower pricepoint of Lee Jeans over more upscale and expensive choices like The Gap or American Apparel. Many of these woman are not visually represented in traditional advertising, marketing nor website images.



Methodology After brainstorming what an innovative jean-shopping experience would be like, The1stMovement determined that the best way to sell jeans to woman online was to discover insights into woman’s jean-buying experiences and then resolve any issues in an innovative way.

The1stMovement engaged in user-centered activities such as field research (going on shop-alongs), primary interviews, and direct observation of the target demographic. They asked woman questions about the jeans buying experience, both buying in person and also buying jeans on-line, in order to discover how women make their jean-buying choices. What is the ideal experience? What is difficult about buying jeans? What adds to this experience? What informs their choice of jean? How do they select the right fit and style? What is difficult or confusing about the process? What is the difference between real and on-line jeans buying?

The Project



Results

Insights The1stMovement found that there are many difficulties and insecurities involved in womans’ jean shopping, and several things hinder a woman’s desire to buy on-line.

Many shoppers’ own body insecurities loomed large in the interviews. Not unrelated, the lack of online visual representation in the form of actual individual woman’s body types (not idealized models) is a large source of uncomfortability. Because there can be no self-identification, woman are reticent to buy jeans online. The1stMovement also found that to be effective, the on-line process must be closely aligned to a woman’s in-store purchasing process. When buying jeans online, shoppers want help, guidance and commonsense advice about how to look and feel their best. The inclusion of clear visuals regarding how the jeans will actually look on a specific individual’s body assists woman in self-identification which makes the shopper feel comfortable.



PrototypeThe solution to these difficulties is a tool called Lee’s Made Like Me, an online personal shopping section of the main Lee Jeans website. This tool includes clear visuals of real and fabulous models specific to various real-life body types. Each selection has practical advice regarding each body type’s real-life jean fitting challenges. These visuals are accompanied by supportive messaging regarding being comfortable with one’s self and body. The whole tool is positive in tone, visuals and language.

Prototype



The process of creating this prototype started with 3 teams generating sketches of what this online tool might look like and include. Once some preliminary customer insight was gathered, everyone worked together to create a coherent hi-fidelity mockup that was tested in focus groups. Reworking the tool using the customer input with an eye toward greater usability, The1stMovement then gathered extensive feedback from a live beta of online customers.



ConclusionsMade Like Me tested very positive in beta. 90% said that this tool would be something they would use and that it would make the online jean-shopping process easier. In reassuring women in the areas of their jean-shopping insecurities, The1stMovement has created a personalized tool for Lee Jeans that has the potential to increase brand engagement, customer loyalty and sales.

Results



The1stMovement is happy with Made Like Me and considers it an innovative solution. It’s not without controversy, however - the use of ‘larger’ models is a very unusual and disputed move in advertising. This difficulty may be just the point of the customer’s problems and the solution this tool offers. The1stMovement has made a useful online experience that takes bold steps to solve problems.

“This tool is one of the more innovative things that The1stMovement has done,” says Hugh Graham, Director of User Experience, “and best of all it’s based on solid user research.”



The1stMovementDirector of User Experience

The1stMovementUser Experience Design

University of Colorado DenverProfessor, Practice of Design

Skye [email protected]

Case study created for:

Interview and Document InformationRyan Gaddis

Hugh Graham

Michael Mages

University of Colorado Denver - Practice of Design 3

Draft written

Interview (Ryan)

Interview (Hugh)

Final draft

Second draft

8-30-11

8-27-11

9-7-11

9-8-11

9-1-11

Changes:

Documents

Lee Jeans Case Study