Overview
SNKRS CV (Sneakers Centralized Verification) is a mobile application which tackles the problem of the counterfeit goods industry. The application allows users to submit photos of sneakers that they want to verify as legitimate. Certain guidelines are followed in the verification process which allows the user to receive their answer within the 48 hour turnaround time.
Example of fake vs real sneakers and just how legitimate fakes are looking nowadays.
Problem Statement
This project needed to happen because of just how massive the counterfeit goods industry is.
Counterfeit goods make approximately $400 Million a year
Counterfeit products made up 5 to 7% of world trade in 2013, and in 2014 cost an estimated 2.5 million jobs worldwide, with up to 750,000 jobs lost in the U.S.
Sneakers play a massive role in this industry, so it only made sense to take on one of the main players within the overall problem. The goal is to get one step closer each and every day to an overall solution.
Preview of the final product!
Competitive Research
Throughout the research process we decided to review what competition is out there with similar ideas as ours. I came across two different mobile apps/websites with similar but not completely the same concept as SNKRS CV. They are listed below.
StockX & GOAT
Third party sneaker retailer
Sneakers are purchased by users and then sent to StockX for verification and then sent to the user if verified authentic
Insights: After this research I realized that there isn’t really an application that can provided verification for the user within a short turnaround time. Our application operates solely on photos submitted by the users. Authenticators inspect every aspect of the products through our guidelines created by our experts.
Secondary Research
Replica goods are an enormous black market industry at the moment and has been for years. Back in 2016, CNN reported that the "fakes" and counterfeit goods business was worth as much as $461 billion.
According to CNN, footwear is the product that is counterfeited the most, followed by clothing, leather goods and electronics.
There's a few brands that are the most targeted by the counterfeit industry. These brands include, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Ray-ban and Rolex. According to a documentary done by VICE and HBO, Putian in China is the fakes capital of the world. The economy of Putian is greatly supported by the counterfeit industry.
The process of bringing fake goods into the United States is very similar to the act of smuggling drugs into the country. In a GQ article they referenced an incident that happened back in 2016 where a Chinese national, Qing Fu Zeng, tried to bring in $472 million (had the sneakers been real) worth of fake sneakers. Zeng used legitimate businesses as buyers of the goods but slipped up on the contact info, which led to burner accounts.
Heuristic Analysis
We went a little deeper in the analysis of our competition. We broke down certain aspects of the apps and rated them on a scale of five. We did this to get a better understanding of who we are competing with and what we should add to stand out the best we can.
Empathy Mapping
We completed empathy mapping to step into the mind of the user. We wanted to ensure that we were taking on every concern or need that the users have. Some examples of what we made are listed below.
Feel
I want to feel confident in my purchases
I want to make sure I am not falling victim to purchasing fake products
Do
Submit listings of sneakers for verification prior to making a purchase
Think
How can I trust that verifications will be legit?
Fakes are getting more and more legit nowadays, how can I make sure I do not accidentally purchase fakes?
Will this app be able to assist me in my e-commerce/investment endeavors?
Persona
Through research we discovered that our ideal user will be most likely be someone who identifies as male and relatively young. Obviously SNKRS CV is for any and everyone but this persona is about who we feel will mainly utilize our application. The user will have a relatively high budget as buying sneaker can get a bit expensive. They are a passionate person as the sneaker world is filled with customers who are extremely passionate about the products.
Users & Audience/Scope & Constraints
The audience for this product can really be anyone with an interest in sneakers. However, after further research and deliberation it was determined that the primary audience would be males ranging anywhere from the ages of 25 to 35. During the interview and testing processes, both males and females were asked to participate. This app can be for both the sneaker lover and someone who is not quite interested in sneakers and wants to simply make sure they are not falling victim to a counterfeit product.
The main constraints that came into play were COVID-19. The pandemic caused any research and interviews to be completed remotely. Personally, my family and I were affected by COVID-19 as well so that played a major role in constraints.
User Interviews
I conducted user interviews for this particular project.
Click the link below to view my thought process & the actual interview questions:
User Flow
At the earlier stages of the design process, user flows were completed. This broke down the main steps that the users will be taking to complete the verification process as well as simply logging into the application. We completed these user flow because they would break everything down from the buttons the users would click and the pages they would get to. The user flows put us in the mind of the user and exactly how to make the application in the most user friendly manner.
Click the button below to get a closer look
Sketches
Initial rough sketches were completed to get a feeling of how we wanted the application to look. We initially started when the app had aspects of buying/selling sneakers and the social media inspiration. During that portion we realized that we wanted to keep the application strictly about the problem solving aspect. We solely wanted to focus on what is going to ensure the user gets a 100% trustworthy experience.
Wireframes
The wireframes were a more organized version of our rough sketches. We focused on proper placement and tried to ensure that the user was able to maneuver through the application effectively and efficiently. The wireframes and the mockups ended up having slight differences as we went along, because we discovered better ways to organize the screens.
UI
The color palette I initially went with was more of a yellow and gray type of palette but we quickly decided to change to different tones of blue. Blue represents trustworthiness and serenity. I wanted the users to feel calm and feel that they can trust the app. After all, this application is about verifying products as legitimate so that they can go and spend their hard earned money. The font for the body & other text was chosen because I wanted to keep a minimal aesthetic. The font for the logo provides a sporty and athletic edge.
Moodboard
Logo
Color Palette
Fonts
Mockups & Prototype
Usability Testing
The usability testing process was done with a total of ten people. I did this testing this way because I wanted to be hands on with the testing and be able to ask the participants questions along the way.
The initial process included five individuals.
Most were somewhat like minded and one was not very interested in sneakers.
I wanted to get the viewpoint from everyone possible, from all walks of life.
The testing was moderated both done remotely and in person.
Insight: The users all had the same critique they felt that there should be a filter option on the submissions history pages. A filter button was included on for the second round of testing.
Click here to see the testing report:
Takeaways
This was my very first UX/UI Project and I was in charge of every single step along the whole process. It was very eyeopening as to just how extensive the whole UX process actually is. This is a months long process that involves numerous different actions and brainstorming sessions.
SNRKS CV came from my love for sneakers and fashion as a whole. I recognized a huge problem within the industry and wanted to try to create a solution. Taking the idea and watching it slowly manifest into a full on product that is clickable and potentially usable was amazing.
This taught me how to network, conduct user interviews, create user/wire flows and a plethora of other processes that I have never completed before.