Footwear Shopping Case Study
Design Research Methods & Concept Development
Created as the final deliverable for the course Research Methods (DSGN 7021), a key part of the Year 1 Curriculum for the Master of Design Program at the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning (DAAP).
During the Research Methods course within the University of Cincinnati's Master of Design Program, my team developed a case study centered on footwear shopping. The project combined primary and secondary research methods to identify opportunity areas in the footwear shopping experience, organize opportunities using the “Jobs to Be Done” framework and develop innovative concepts.
The process concluded with creating and iterating a concept prototype, demonstrating the integration of comprehensive research and creative problem-solving.
Role
Research Team Member, Data Analyst
Team
Researchers (4)
Researcher & Graphic Designer (1)
Tools Used
Microsoft Excel, Canva, Miro, Adobe Express, Adobe Illustrator
Background
In the Men's & Women's Footwear – US – 2023 Mintel Report…
37% of respondents state they research shoes before buying
59% of men and 50% of women value expertise when shopping for shoes
44% of consumers want to try on shoes before they buy - regardless of whether they purchase online or in-store
As the world becomes increasingly digital, it is important to show that individuals still desire an in-store shoe shopping experience. This key insight helped the team understand the potential opportunity areas for innovation and identify necessary research methods to create a meaningful solution.
Project Scope
Project Goals
The Research Methods Curriculum divided learning outcomes into three key modules with unique goals:
Understand Qualitative and Quantitative Methods for Research
Frame a Problem Space and Identify the Key “Jobs to Be Done.”
Develop Innovative Concepts and Validate through Collaborative Research Methods
Research Methods
Primary Research
Survey for Quantitative and Qualitative Data
User Interviews
Observations
User Shop Along
Persona Role Play Activity
Card Sort Activity
Prototype Feedback Activity
Storyboard Generation Activity
Secondary Research
Literature Review
Persona Development
Journey Maps
Product Benchmarking
Project Outcome
The project's outcome was a validated prototype addressing key opportunity areas within the footwear shopping experience. The project highlighted actionable insights and showed how research-driven design can create meaningful, user-centered innovations in retail experiences.
Process Overview
RESEARCH
Survey
User Interviews
Literature Review
IDENTIFYING JOBS TO BE DONE
“Jobs to be Done” Framework
Persona Development
Journey Map Creation
IDEATION & CONCEPT TESTING
Empathy Building Activities
Shop Along
Persona Role Play
Observations
Ideation
Concept Testing & Validation
Card Sort Activity
Prototype Feedback Activity
Storyboard Generation Activity
REFINEMENT
Concept Iteration
Final Presentation
RESEARCH
Survey of DAAP Students (Primary Research)
To understand the current landscape of footwear shopping, we conducted research with students at the University of Cincinnati's School of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. The team developed a targeted survey to understand shopping behaviors, footwear selection preferences, and decision-making criteria. Out of 32 student participants, 46.9% wanted to use online and in-person experiences to shop for shoes. This highlights critical consumer needs in the footwear shopping experience.
These findings built a strong foundation of knowledge that informed the next stages of research. The survey insights guided subsequent exploratory methods by uncovering user-driven needs and preferences, enabling a deeper investigation into opportunity areas.
User Interviews (Primary Research)
A team member interviewed 11 students at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning to gain deeper insights into footwear shopping behaviors. These discussions revealed additional support for the survey findings. 73% of interviewees wanted to shop for shoes in person. A key theme emerged in the interview synthesis and coding process: individuals valued in-person shopping experiences in finding the right shoe fit.
The insights were surprising in an online shopping-focused society and helped refine the focus of our research, ensuring that the next stages were well-aligned with authentic user experiences and priorities.
Literature Review (Secondary Research)
To understand the relationship between individuals and their footwear choices, we conducted secondary research to understand fashion preferences, influences, and consumer shopping behaviors.
Our literature review highlighted the growing influence of online shopping on footwear preferences, particularly through visual presentation and design. Rahman (2018) demonstrated how visual attributes, such as product imagery and layout, significantly impact consumer choices, especially among female shoppers. These insights emphasized the importance of creating engaging, user-friendly digital experiences, adding context to our research into improving the footwear shopping journey
Rahman, Osmud. "Online Consumer Choice: Footwear Design and Visual Presentation." Journal of Textile and Apparel Technology and Management, vol. 10, no. 4, 2018.
“Jobs to be Done” Framework
Building on our initial research, we shifted our focus to bridging the gap between online and in-store shopping experiences. To ground our exploration, we selected DSW as our target store, allowing us to study its unique retail environment. Using the Jobs to Be Done framework (Wunker et al.), we identified emotional and functional jobs consumers aim to fulfill, such as the need for the perfect fit, efficiency in their shopping experience, and confidence in their purchases. This approach helped us uncover key opportunities to enhance the shopping journey by addressing unmet needs across digital and physical touchpoints.
Wunker, Stephen, et al. Jobs to Be Done. AMACOM, 2016.
IDENTIFYING JOBS TO BE DONE
Persona Development
We developed three key personas grounded in insights from our research and the Jobs to Be Done framework to deepen our understanding of user needs. These personas include Ms. On a Mission, shopping with a purpose for specific occasions; the Busy Family, focused on efficient back-to-school shopping; and Mr. Predictable, seeking to replace well-loved, reliable shoes. Each persona reflects distinct emotional and functional jobs, providing perspectives to guide our design process and ensure solutions address the needs of our target audiences.
Journey Map Creation
To better understand the shopping experiences of our three personas, we created detailed journey maps for Ms. On a Mission, the Busy Family, and Mr. Predictable. Each map outlined user actions, touchpoints, considerations, and interactions with DSW’s marketing materials or platforms, such as the website, app, in-store signage, and promotional emails.
By mapping these journeys, we identified key pain points for each persona. For example, Ms. On a Mission often struggled with locating specific items quickly, while the Busy Family found coordinating multiple needs within a single visit challenging. Mr. Predictable, on the other hand, faced frustrations with navigating the store layout for familiar products. These insights were instrumental in highlighting opportunities to improve the overall shopping experience and tailor solutions to each audience's needs.
Empathy Building Activities
To build empathy and gather additional context, we engaged in several activities focused on understanding the in-store shopping experience at DSW in Rookwood Commons. We conducted a shop with a customer searching for shoes for a special occasion, gaining firsthand insights into their decision-making process, challenges, and interactions with the store environment. Additionally, we performed persona role-plays to simulate how each persona—Ms. On a Mission, the Busy Family and Mr. Predictable—would navigate the store, interact with touchpoints, and respond to the overall shopping experience.
To supplement these activities, we observed shoppers in the store, noting behaviors, engagement with displays, and areas where they encountered difficulties. These empathy-building exercises deepened our understanding of user needs and the DSW environment, providing a rich foundation for ideating targeted and impactful solutions.
IDEATION & CONCEPT VALIDATION
Concept Ideation
During the concept ideation phase, we generated two targeted solutions for each persona—Ms. On a Mission, the Busy Family, and Mr. Predictable—focusing on addressing specific challenges in their shopping journeys. Each concept aimed to enhance the experience by solving pain points identified in earlier research, such as simplifying product discovery, streamlining group shopping, or improving store navigation.
We developed a minimum viable idea for each concept, evaluating its feasibility and desirability while ensuring it aligned with the personas' functional and emotional needs. To communicate these solutions effectively, we created storyboards that illustrated how each concept would integrate into the shopping journey, showcasing its impact at key touchpoints and emphasizing the user-centric value of each idea.
Concept Testing & Validation
In the concept testing and validation phase, we focused on the top three concepts: Lacey, the AI Shopping Assistant, Shoe Box Family Profiles, and Replenish. To ensure diverse perspectives, we engaged 11 individuals from different demographics, spanning from late teens to early 70s, to validate and refine each concept through tailored co-creation sessions.
For Lacey, participants completed a card-sorting activity to prioritize potential features, helping us identify the functionalities most valued in an AI shopping assistant. We tested app wireframes for Shoe Box Family Profiles, collecting feedback on usability and features like shoe size and style tracking for family members. For Replenish, we shared storyboards illustrating the ideal shoe replacement experience, gathering insights on preferences for subscription models and alternative-finding tools. These sessions provided critical insights that shaped the final direction of each concept, ensuring they met the needs and expectations of a broad user base.
Iterating the Prototype
Following our co-creation sessions, we identified that the Replenish and Shoe Box Family Profiles concepts could seamlessly integrate as key features within Lacey, the AI Shopping Assistant. This synthesis allowed us to create a more holistic and versatile solution that addressed multiple user needs within a single platform.
A team member developed a refined app mock-up to bring this vision to life, incorporating these features into Lacey’s interface. The mock-up showcased functionalities such as personalized shoe replacement options and family profile management alongside Lacey’s AI-powered shopping assistance. This refined prototype is now ready for future testing, ensuring that the combined solution continues to align with user expectations and delivers an enhanced shopping experience.
REFINEMENT
View the App Mockups Created by a Team Member
Special Thanks to Team Members
Kelly Steele - Researcher
Derek Kramar - Researcher, Graphic Designer
Johnny Peng - Researcher (Early Stages Only)
Jumana Nasar - Researcher (Early Stages Only)