DISCIPLINE:
DIGITAL DESIGN
PROJECT:
SELF-DIRECTED UNIVERSITY PROJECT
TIME:
15 WEEKS
EXPERIENCE:
RESEARCH & DIGITAL
Virtual Fitting Rooms
about.
This self-directed design project investigates how digital innovation can reshape fashion to be more sustainable, transparent, and circular. I developed a prototype e-commerce platform that integrates:
Augmented Reality (AR) try-on experiences
3D body scanning for accurate garment fit
Blockchain and NFT technology to verify product authenticity and track ownership
A resale ecosystem to extend garment lifecycles and reduce waste
The platform offers a new model for online fashion retail; one that allows users with tools to make better choices, reduces environmental impact, and supports ethical design.
Test the prototype on desktop with the Show more button above!
challenge.
The fashion industry's environmental cost is staggering: it's the second-largest consumer of water globally and produces over 750,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually from returns in the UK alone. I focused on four interconnected issues:
Overproduction: Brands rely on poor demand forecasting, leading to unsold inventory.
Returns and Sizing: 24.4% of online fashion purchases are returned, often due to size mismatches, contributing to waste and emissions.
Lack of Transparency: Shoppers are skeptical of green claims with no proof or traceability.
Wasteful Sampling: Traditional sampling and photoshoots consume material and energy before garments even reach shelves.
The challenge was to design an interactive, engaging digital system that solves these issues in a user-friendly way, without overwhelming the user or requiring drastic behaviour change.
Below are two features I included to tackle my insight points. AR try-ons and Cloth simulation for more realistic try-ons
results.
The final outcome is a clickable, high-fidelity Figma prototype of a web platform that demonstrates a complete circular fashion ecosystem:
Key features:
AR & Body-Scan Virtual Fitting Room
Users can preview garments either via quick AR overlays or detailed cloth simulations rendered on their scanned body shape. This aims to drastically reduce returns by improving sizing accuracy.Blockchain-Backed Transparency & Ownership
Every garment has a linked digital certificate (NFT) that records its creation, ownership history, and resale. Smart contracts ensure that designers receive royalties with every resale, creating a more ethical fashion economy.Resale Marketplace for Circular Fashion
Users are encouraged to resell garments within the platform using verified transaction histories. This discourages waste and fast fashion reselling, while fostering a community that values longevity.Simulation Credit System
Garment simulations require energy. A credit system encourages sustainable behaviour; users earn credits by buying or reselling garments, which can be spent on high-fidelity cloth simulations.
Software and tech used:
Figma (UI design & prototyping)
Blender / CLO3D (3D clothing simulation)
Lens Studio (AR filter testing)
Unreal Engine (early workflow experiments)
Blockchain logic modelled via smart contract flowcharts (conceptual level)
User testing:
Using Figma’s interactive testing tools, I tracked user behaviour and CTA interactions to improve UX. Key feedback led to simplifying the navigation, increasing contextual info on the homepage, and making the try-on features more prominent.
testimonial.
The project presents a compelling user experience by leveraging intangible digital formats to reduce fashion waste. The design intent is clearly communicated through key visualisations, digital prototypes and simulations, wireframes, and webpage UI prototypes, effectively demonstrating product functionality. The inclusion of an implementation workflow and the integration of blockchain technology as a final solution highlight a thoughtful and iterative approach to creative technology.
The research is well-executed, providing insights into consumer behaviour and sustainable manufacturing. There is strong distillation of insights into product ideas, particularly in the exploration of digital AR assets and their potential applications. The credit/reimbursement model tied to digital features is well-conceived, and the webpage user-testing validation to the usability of the proposed system. This is project exhibits creative and justified decision making informed by a fastidious approach to the design research and design development processes. Well done.
Shama Rahman
UAL Course tutor
