ACADEMIC PROJECT
Designing fashion discovery for
all gender identities
OUTCOMES AT A GLANCE
84
System Usability Score
40%
Boost in task Completion Rate
VIEW PROTOTYPE
Click here to view the prototype.
Introduction
CONTEXT
This project reimagines shopping through identity-first onboarding, non-gendered filters, and affirming product language, allowing users to explore personal style freely and authentically.
DURATION
Aug' 23 - Jan'24
ROLE
UX Designer (Me)
UX Researcher
Faculty Advisor
RESPONSIBILITIES
User Research
Visual Design
UX Workshops
Process
THE DESIGN PROCESS
A rigorous, research-driven approach combining heuristic evaluation, mixed-methods user research, and iterative prototyping was adopted.
DISCOVERY
Why these problems need to be addressed?
There has been a notable shift in societal perceptions of gender definitions, largely influenced by younger generations.
Problem 01:
Gender Segregation
Most retail systems still enforce a rigid “Men vs. Women” structure, which forces shoppers to choose an identity category before they can even browse.
This binary gating alienates non-binary and gender-fluid users, restricts exploration, and reinforces outdated norms that don’t reflect how people actually shop today.
Problem 02:
Lack of Representation
Brands frequently present clothing through narrow, traditional gendered models and styling. Industry analyses point out that this limits visibility for diverse bodies, identities, and expressions, making many shoppers feel unseen or misaligned with the brand.
Without representation, users can’t envision how products fit people like them, reducing trust and emotional connection.
Problem 03:
Assumptions regarding Gender-Neutral clothing
Existing market offerings often treat “gender neutral” as oversized basics or muted, minimalist styles. This reinforces the idea that neutrality equals “unfashionable,” “plain,” or “masculine-leaning,” which fails to capture the full spectrum of personal expression.
As a result, current gender-neutral collections feel repetitive, uninspired, and disconnected from real user needs.
These patterns erase or marginalize non-cisgender users, making something as personal as style feel inaccessible, unwelcoming, or unsafe.
DESK RESEARCH
Traditional fashion interfaces exclude diverse gender identities
Despite growing awareness and visibility, most digital storefronts force users into binary entry points, i.e; Men or Women, with little room for personal identity, fluidity, or exploration.
Research tells that:
01
Research by The Trevor Project reveals that 26%
of LGBTQ+ youth prefer to identify as non-binary or genderqueer rather than strictly male or female
02
Data from the Pew Research Center shows that 35%
of Gen Z Individuals know someone who uses gender neutral pronouns
03
Another study from Pew Research, about six-in-ten Gen Zs, 59%
say forms or online profiles should include additional gender options beyond just "man" and "woman."
USER PAIN POINTS
We recruited participants from gender-diverse communities and observed their natural shopping behaviors across various online fashion platforms, allowing us to see how users genuinely interact with existing interfaces through contextual inquiry.
Through this immersive process, we uncovered key pain points such as discomfort with binary entry points, hesitation around sizing charts, and frequent workarounds to avoid gendered filters. These observations provided valuable insights that directly informed Unbound’s inclusive design features—prioritizing expression-based navigation, flexible filtering, and affirming user flows.
USE CASE FRAMING
Solution? A shopping experience that does not categorize, rather prioritizes all identities.
Rather than building another inclusive site, we explored
Augmenting existing shopping experiences through a browser extension
so users can access personalization wherever they shop.
DESIGN SOLUTION #1
Onboarding
A seamless onboarding flow welcomes users with inclusive language and minimal steps, allowing them to optionally select pronouns, preferred style, and shopping goals, establishing trust and affirming identity from the start.
DESIGN SOLUTION #2
Adding Details
Users input body measurements and fit preferences, to receive personalized sizing recommendations. The optional form emphasizes comfort, favorite apparel types, and common sizing challenges, ensuring autonomy and ease.
DESIGN SOLUTION #3
Running the web extension
Lorem Ipsum
Final Designs
Expand to view the full prototype
LEARNINGS & TAKEAWAYS
01
Inclusion starts at the system level
We learned that true inclusivity isn’t just about adding options, it’s about rethinking assumptions baked into the shopping experience, from filters to sizing to language.
02
Language can validate, or alienate
Small copy shifts (e.g., “structured fit” instead of “menswear”) had a big emotional impact. Inclusive language is a core design tool, not just a UX subtlety.
03
Autonomy builds trust
By making features optional and user-controlled (like pronoun entry or fit data), we reinforced a sense of privacy, agency, and psychological safety, especially important for marginalized users.
04
Real users challenge assumptions
Observing gender-diverse users in real shopping contexts revealed nuances we hadn’t anticipated, like avoiding size charts entirely or using wish-list hacks to bypass gendered sections.