Podium is a unique social network with fashion at its centre. It is a rendez-vous point for stylists and advice seekers where both can mutually make better fashion decisions.

1. It’s the people, who
make the fashion

3. Technology, mobility and social media, among other
things,havedramaticallychangedtheretaillandscape.But
the future of retail is bigger than flashy new technologies
or the hyper-connected Internet of Things. Success lies in
giving consumers more than what they’ve come to expect
from the shopping process.
The aim of the project is to search and test new concepts
of how we would buy and sell tomorrow, connecting the
virtual and physical possibilities. The expected outcome
is a conceptual system presenting a new and enhanced
customer experience and a scalable business opportunity.
A human-centered design approach is taken, which
means we will look for trends and possibilities in people’s
behaviour to find insights what is meaningful and what
offers value to the consumer. The new concept should
enable technology platforms which will change the way
we live and experience our everyday life.
I N T R O D U C T I O N

4. T E A T Ü Ü R
Technical Design and Technology of Apparel
P R A N AY K E N K R E
Production Engineering
A N E T T E S E P P
Product Design
T E A M
S U P E R V I S O R S
M A R T I N PÄ R N
Head of D&E, Estonian Academy of Arts
R U T H - H E L E N E M E L I O R A N S K I
Researcher, Tallinn University of Technology
J A N N O N Õ U
Supervisor, Tallinn University of Technology
who make the
PEOPLE,
FASHION.
It’s the

5. C O N T E N T S
INTRODUCTION 5
RESEARCH 11
Focus 12
Shopping and socialising 14
Social commerce 16
Disconnecting advertisements 20
Research findings 23
Problem statement 27
Existing solutions 28
Framing 30
Design brief 33
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT 35
Concepts 36
PROTOTYPING AND TESTING 41
Take it to the streets 42
PODIUM 47
CONCLUSION 57

6. - 11 -
R E S E A R C H
- 10 -

7. We started out with desk research in order
to get a broader overview of the vast
topic of the future of retail. We gathered
information from various online resources
about the issues the retail industry is facing,
the future trends, statistics on consumer
behaviour and existing solutions and
concepts.
DESK RESEARCH
An online survey was composed to gather
informationaboutwhopeopleareshopping
with, whose opinion do they value and how
is the trust relationship between them and
the retailer. Also, whether they prefer to
shop in store or online and what are the
pros and cons of both of the options.
SURVEY
Interviews were conducted with men and
women aged between 18-25 years in order
to get more qualitative information about
the customer’s shopping behaviour. We
also interviewed two of the shopkeepers
in the Baltika retail store Bastion to get a
different angle of view on consumer needs.
INTERVIEWS
An observation day at Rocca al Mare was
carried out in order to reveal different
shopper types and how they behave in
and outside the retail stores. We observed
how people behave when they shop alone
versus when they shop with friends, a
partner or with family; and with or without
children.
OBSERVATIONS
- 13 -
F O C U S
Preliminary research lead us to the field of shopping as a social
activity. The following subchapters will explain the reasoning
behind the choice and what the term ‘social retail’ means.
Once the topic of the future of retail was narrowed down to
the social aspect of it, we conducted more thorough research,
involving quantitative and qualitative methods such as online
survey, interviews, observations and desk research. The research
questions that we set were - with whom do people shop with;
how do they shop together and why do they shop together? Our
aim was to understand the consumer, to get an insight on what
it is that would create value for the consumer in the future and
to start designing according to this insight. The methodology
explained in detail on the right.
- 12 -

8. Shoppingisaboutsomuchmorethanjustthepracticalneedtoacquirenew
belongings. The motivation for almost everything we buy has something
to do with connecting with other human beings. Even when it comes to
practical purchases, the particular brand or product we choose relates
to our connections with other human beings. Our use of technology has
turned us into speed demons when it comes to processing information.
We want it fast and therefore rely more on symbols and visual data to
inform our perceptions. We also look for symbols to understand other
people - what people are wearing, what they own, and what brands they
attach to are shorthand ways of understanding and communicating with
other people.1
Shopping can be therapeutic. When people are going
through transformation, shopping may be used to feel less anxious. When
people select products, they are mentally visualising their new future. It’s a
way to prepare and to express creativity. When doing christmas shopping
with your family, it’s a part of your traditions and culture.
Socialising is a basic human need. The benefits of socialising include
stress reduction; a feeling of importance; high self-esteem and reduction
of the risk of mental diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.2
A famous
study conducted by researcher William Fleeson3
and his colleagues who
tracked a group of people, every three hours for two weeks, recording
how they’d acted and felt during each chunk of time. They found that
those who’d acted “talkative” and “assertive” - even if they were introverts
- were more likely to report feeling positive emotions such as excitement
and enthusiasm. Everyone feels happier when they socialise, concluded
the researchers - introverts included.
To visualize the relation between shopping and socialising, we did a mind
mapping exercise. We mainly tried to ask ourselves why do we really shop
and what are the reasons behind people socialising. After listing down the
attributes, we could see a bigger picture of shopping as a social activity.
We can clearly identify the social motivation for people to shop. The sheer
motivation of developing an identity and to feel as a part of the community,
made people shop for garment that could inspire others.The other aspect
of shopping, was the need of the people to flaunt their style, their fashion
sense. From existing social platforms we can note the people’s addiction
to socialise and check out their friends’ shopping trends.
1 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/814649
2 Alzheimer’s & Dementia.The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. The Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to
Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER): Study design and progress.(2013)
3 An intraindividual process approach to the relationship between extraversion and positive affect: Is acting extra-
verted as “good” as being extraverted? Fleeson,William; Malanos,Adriane B.; Achille,Noelle M.Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology,Vol 83(6),Dec 2002.
- 15 -
S H O P P I N G
A N D
S O C I A L I S I N G
- 14 -
What makes
shopping a social
experience?

9. Shopping has been a social experience for ages. It was
something families did together in order to spend more
time together. It was a curious trip with a goal of not just
buying something but to communicate with the people in
the town or village, to see how they were doing, to hear
the latest gossip and to make new acquaintances.
The term ‘social commerce’ was introduced by Yahoo!
in November 2005 which describes a set of online
collaborative shopping tools such as shared pick lists,
user ratings and other user-generated content-sharing of
online product information and advice.1
View the elements of social commerce on the page right.
What social shopping really is doing is turning products
into conversations.
The term ‘social commerce’ shouldn’t exclude the physical
element of socialising in a store, shopping mall or a
marketplace though. In western society, communicating
with strangers in a shopping centre is often seen as a
taboo. However, shopping online allows for an easy
access to the opinions and reviews of many people,whom
you might not want to approach in real life for whatever
reasons. If a retailer or a franchisor can understand the
social aspect of shopping then there are high chances of
increased sales.
1 http://www.ysearchblog.com/2005/11/14/social-commerce-via-the-shoposphere-
pick-lists/
- 17 -- 16 -
S O C I A L
C O M M E R C E
Defining
the term

10. Authority
Many people need proof that
a product is of good quality.
This proof can be based on the
recommendations of others who
have bought the same product. If
there are many user reviews about
a product, then a consumer will
be more willing to trust their own
decision to buy this item.
When a company gives a person
something for free, that person
will feel the need to return the
favour, whether by buying again
or giving good recommendations
for the company.
Reciprocity
When people find a group that
shares the same values, likes and
beliefs, they find community.
People are more committed
to a communityand when this
commitment happens, they tend
to follow the same trends as a
group and when one member
introduces a new idea or product,
it is accepted more readily based
on the previous trust that has been
established.
Community
- 19 -
People trust based on the
recommendations of others.
If there are a lot of “likes” of
a particular product, then the
consumer will feel more confident
and justified in making this
purchase.
Liking
As part of supply and demand,
a greater value is assigned to
products that are regarded as
either being in high demand or
are seen as being in a shortage.
Therefore, if a person is convinced
thattheyarepurchasingsomething
that is unique, special, or not easy
to acquire, they will have more of
a willingness to make a purchase.
Scarcity
To receive positive feedback, a
company needs to be willing to
accept social feedback and to
show proof that other people
are buying, and like, the same
things that I like. It is beneficial to
encourage open recommendation
and feedback. This creates trust
for you as a seller. 55% of buyers
turn to social media when they’re
looking for information.
Social proof
- 18 -
Just chillin’
with ma
girlzz

11. - 21 -
as the second most trusted format in 2013. Sixty-
eight percent of survey respondents indicated
that they trust consumer opinions posted online.1
So who do the modern buyers trust? Well, users.
They are eager to know about the experiences
of people already using the product they aspire.
They follow blogs, read reviews and follow
YouTube channels in order to make an informed
decision. Moreover, they trust the people around
them the most. But the same people who are so
socially active digitally, chicken out when it comes
to interacting with a stranger. Even when there is a
need to approach the stranger, they are reluctant
to strike a conversation.According to a publication
by DKNewMedia with data culled from Forrester,
32% of online consumers trust a stranger’s opinion
on public forums or blogs more than they trust
branded advertisements and marketing collateral.
Today, consumers appear to be increasingly wary
of big companies and the celebrities paid to
endorse them. This shift appears to be spurred
by the Internet, which has made it much easier to
find authentic opinions about products in online
reviews and on social media. Before buying a
product for themselves or their families, women
want to hear from everyday people with whom
they can relate: 86% of the 1,470 women surveyed
said they put the most trust in real peoples’
product and service recommendations.”In the
past, women would predominantly turn to
bloggers they trusted,” Samantha Skey, CMO
of SheKnows Media, tells Fast Company. “But
today they are turning to what we refer to as
‘everyday experts’ on YouTube, Pinterest, and
Instagram.”For their part, these “everyday experts”
say that followers trust them because they don’t
appear to have ulterior motives when producing
content about products (although in reality, plenty
of well-known social-media stars shill for brands
as well). These influencers recognize that being
authentic, honest, and responsive to their readers
is very important in order to build relationships
with them. This means giving bad reviews, when
they are warranted—although presumably, not for
products of companies they are paid by.2
1 http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2013/global-trust-in-
advertising-and-brand-messages.html
2 http://www.fastcompany.com/3051491/most-creative-people/female-
shoppers-no-longer-trust-ads-or-celebrity-endorsements
of online consumers trust a
stranger’s opinion on public
forums or blogs more than they
trust branded advertisements
and marketing collateral.
32%
- 20 -
D I S C O N N E C T I N G
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
The betrayal
behind the fancy
Businesses need to market their brand in an already crowded fashion
marketplace. Fashion brands convey many images to their customers,
including quality, innovative design, status, utility and value. Thanks to
ever-changing customer tastes, many fashion brands seem to come out of
nowhere to capture major market share in certain niches. They want their
consumers to create an identity of their brand in the minds of their buyers.
Advertisements by retailers are luring. They are inspiring and fancy. The
perfect model, the perfect location, in all ideal conditions, showing off the
best apparel designs. They create high expectations among the consumers.
But when real people try it on, users are faced with betrayal. The apparel
does not fit most consumers as expected, creating a negative association
with the Brand. Advertisements definitely do the job of flaunting the design,
but it no longer resonates with the audience making the purchase,especially
when it comes to generation Z.
According to Nielsen’s Trust In Advertising report word-of-mouth
recommendations from friends and family, often referred to as earned
advertising, are still the most influential, as 84 percent of global respondents
across 58 countries to the Nielsen online survey said this source was the most
trustworthy.Trust in advertising on branded websites was 69 percent in 2013

12. R E S E A R C H
F I N D I N G S
- 23 -
On the survey, we were firstly interested in the
sex and the age of the respondents. 74.1% of the
respondents were the Y generation (age 21-35) and
22.2% Z generation (age up to 20 years).72.2% of the
respondents were female. The most responses were
from Estonians but other nationalities such as French,
Indian, Norwegian, Latvian, Georgian, Lithuanian,
Pakistani and Russian were also represented. Most of
the respondents usually shop for new clothes alone,
but there were people that preferred to do it with
friends (37%) or with a partner (27.8%). When asked
whose opinion is the most important to them, most
people answered ‘myself’ (49 replies), but friends’
and family’s opinion was also in high place (18 and
17 replies, respectively). Most people preferred to
buy their clothes from a physical store rather than
an online store because of the possibility to try on
clothes, check for the product quality and because
there is no waiting time involved in receiving the
products bought.
To the question “Do you ever take photos of your
shopping experience?” 37% of people replied
that they do take pictures in a fitting booth. When
asked “Do you trust the recommendations made
by shop assistants?” 25.9% replied ‘no’ and 68.5%
‘sometimes’.Only 5.6% said a concrete ‘yes’.53.7% of
the repliers said they do not give recommendations
on clothes to their friends, but 29.6% said they do,
they shop together with their friends.
- 22 -

13. “Shopping
is a boring
entertainment”
There is a growing distrust in branded advertisements among the consumers.
Although the advertisements are designed to catch the eye of the consumer and
drag them into their world of inspiration, the reality of trying on the garment is
often times different from the expectations. This trust issue has led consumers to
search for information from other user who already have an experience with a
similar product. There is an ever-growing need for communication in the world of
retail.
1 DECREASING TRUST IN ADVERTISING AND BRAND MESSAGES
While gathering inputs on the social behavior of people, when it comes to buying
fashion, we asked consumers if they ever liked a garment a stranger around them
was wearing, and felt the need to approach him/her to know more about the
apparel. Nearly all the participants agreed to have come across a similar situation.
On digging deeper, none of the participants gathered the courage to jump the
hurdle of reluctance and approach the stranger to gather info about the inspiring
garment. The survey concludes that the hinderance in striking a conversation
with the stranger, is the lack of information about the unknown. There is no prior
conversation starter or an ice-breaker. Although people are comfortable to start a
conversation online but chicken out when it comes to talking in real world.
2 DIDN’T YOUR MOM TELL YOU NOT TO TALK TO STRANGERS?
Secondhand clothing trend has started showing up in couture fashion, streetwear
and even everyday office wear. Thrift shopping can be great for new shoppers and
business. Besides the incentive of saving money, thrifting has also become trendy.
Hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis won a 2013 Billboard Music Award for
their hit song “Thrift shop,” which brags about “looking for a come up” in a thrift
shop.1
Goodwill Industries, one of the most recognizable names in secondhand
shopping, says it has experienced an 84% increase in revenue from the sale of
donated goods from 2007 to 2012, from $1.9 billion to $3.5 billion.
1 http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/11/living/thrift-store-style/
3 SHIFT BETWEEN OWNERSHIP
- 25 -
From our research we found out that for many people
around the world, including Estonians, shopping is a
form of entertainment. Our research also suggest that
for many people, shopping as turned boring.
- 24 -

14. P R O B L E M
S TAT E M E N T
- 27 -
“People are
reluctant to
interact with
strangers in
physical world.”
From our research, we can take away that people do not just shop in the
stores. They shop on the go, 24/7. Fancy advertisements no longer do a
convincing job of luring the consumers. People find inspirations in users
more than the brand-endorsed advertisements. Our conducted research
and survey helped us identify the issues consumers face while interacting
with the world of apparel around them.
- 26 -
“Instantaneous
info about the
inspiring garment
is not available.”

15. - 29 -
E X I S T I N G
S O L U T I O N S
- 28 -
FashionLike
The retailer C&A started a marketing push
in Brazil that marries online groupthink
with real-world decision-making. It’s
called FashionLike. Whenever someone
likes an item of clothing online at C&A
Brazil’s site, that thumbs-up is tallied on
a screen embedded in clothes hanger on
the store.Shoppers can then consider that
input as they browse the store aisles. Do
you take the popular shirt with more than
1,000 likes, or go under-the-radar and
pick the one with just a couple hundred.
C&A is not the first to marry digital and
real life in the world of fashion marketing.
A Stussy campaign last month promised
that a model dressed for winter warmth
would shed clothing layers according to
how many likes the campaign generated
on Facebook. Others have sought to
crowd-source design feedback from the
masses online. And Maybelline recently
hired the star of the popular “Sh*t Fashion
Girls Say” parody video for a stint as the
brand’s new spokesmodel. C&A’s effort is
an interesting intertwining of Facebook
and the real world — a trend that will likely
become more and more common.
Once we had defined a problem,
we started looking into what are
the existing solutions that are trying
to solve that problem. We found
some interesting concepts from
various online resources that were
envisioning the future of retail.
Very few of them were focusing
on the social aspect of shopping,
but there were some, though. For
example - Apps like Netrobe, Cloth
and FashionLike (right).
Netrobe
Netrobe helps you get organized,
clean out your closet and provided
you with an easy way to assemble
and test out new looks. It is great
for planning outfits for a wide
range of occasions, everything
from what to wear to work to an
upcoming wedding in May. There’s
also a Friend’s Activity feed, where
you can see what other people are
wearing and draw inspiration from
them.
Cloth
Cloth on other hand tackles the
problem is different way. Instead
of logging every piece of clothing
in your closet, the app is designed
more for taking a photo of your
outfit for the day or for a certain
event. Social networking plays a
big part in Cloth. Similar to the
location-based service Foursquare,
you can use this app to unlock
achievements and earn badges
for certain tasks, and many have to
do with sharing photos on social
networks like Facebook, Twitter
and even Cloth’s blog.
Other
We also looked at examples of solutions
for similar problem in various areas.
Shazam is one such good example. It is
a magical mobile app that recognises
music, TV and media around you. It’s the
bestwaytodiscover,exploreandsharethe
music and TV you love. Tinder is location-
based mobile dating app that simplifies
the process most dating websites require.
The app shows you photos of singles
based on your preferences. You swipe left
if you don’t like them and swipe right if
you do. If someone you like also swiped
right on your photo, the app immediately
informs you, “It’s a Match!” and urges you
to begin chatting. It is a simple solution
for strangers to strike a conversation with
dating as the subject.

16. G E N Z
Loosely qualified as anyone born after 1990, most of the
generation Z is still too young to have their own income.
But they will have purchasing power in the near future. That
might turn into a nightmare for the retailers, as unlike the
generations that have preceded Gen Z, they lack brand loyalty.
“The products themselves are more important to Generation Z
than the brands that produce them, and these consumers will
change brands easily in search of higher quality,” according to
Arkansas-based marketing agency Martin-Wilbourne Partners.
If the millennials were spending the majority of their budget
on clothing, then Gen Z will prefer a cool experience over a
cool product. They spend more money on food and drinks
than anything else, and their favourite eatery is Starbucks. They
want to be reached either by social media or by email, rather
than outdoor ads.
Furthermore, Gen Z wants to have an impact on the world.
Roughly 1 in 4 Generation Z-ers are involved in volunteering.
Advanced college degrees are less important to them
compared to the millennials. They are more entrepreneurial -
72% of high school students want to start a business someday
and 61% would rather be an entrepreneur than an employee
when they graduate college.They are digitally over-connected.
They multitask across five screens daily and spend 41% of
their time outside school with computers or mobile devices,
compared to 22% ten years ago, they fear missing out, more
than millennials, so being culturally connected is critical. They
communicate with speed and often use emoticons and emojis
instead of words.
TA R G E T G R O U P
Although we can get a pretty clear picture on what the average
Gen Z citizen of the world is like from the previous text based
on desk research, it does not mean that it applies to all the
Gen Z-ers out there. As an article found on AdWeek on the
millennials proved, the clichés may apply to certain members
of the millennial set but what really defines the more than 74
million adults 18-34 in the U.S. is that they tend to reject such
broad characterizations. The same may be transferred to the
Gen Z. Although they belong to the same generation and have
some big common characterizations, they are individuals that
have individual desires and needs.
- 31 -
F R A M I N G
- 30 -
“The products themselves are more
important to Generation Z than the brands
that produce them, and these consumers
will change brands easily in search of
higher quality,”
- Martin-Wilbourne Partners

17. - 33 -
Often it happens, you are somewhere at a
public place. You see a person wearing a
garment that inspires you, that you fall in
love with. You want to know more about
that apparel but are reluctant to strike a
conversation.
We want to design a platform which
gives you access to complete info of
your inspiring garment; the brand, price,
availability and so on.
It should be a stage where you can connect
to your inspiring stranger. Where advice
seekers can meet their aspiring stylists.
It should also create value for the brands,
helping them grow their revenues. Our
platform should explore future avenues for
selling their products.
D E S I G N
B R I E F
It must not be forgotten that the reason we are digging into the
generation Z in the first place, is that they are the majority in
the coming ten years and therefore they have the purchasing
power. That does not mean we exclude Gen Y from our target
group, as they will have more experience and better paying
jobs. So what really defines our target customer is the way he/
she behaves in a store and what his/her social shopping habits
are.
Our research led us to the realisation, that the ones that
need the improved social shopping experience are mostly
the companions, who are dragged along to the stores for
various reasons, but who are not there for the buy. We see an
opportunity to offer these people that little something extra
that they would find valuable, but at the same find ways to turn
them into prospective customers. That way we can design a
shopping experience that is valuable both, for the customer
and for the retailer.
T H E E X P E R I E N C E
As we see understand from our research, people no longer
shop just in the store.They find inspirations in the world around
them. They browse on the move and shop on their mobile
phones.
We asked ourselves, what if you could get the information
about your inspiring garment instantaneously. What brand
is it from, how much does it cost, where can you buy it from
or if you could even borrow it from the owner. What are the
modern retail shops today like? Retailers want people to see
their products so they push everything out there, creating
an overflow of information for the consumer. The shops are
completely product driven. So the main concern when it comes
to our area of interest is that these are not the kind of places
for socialising. Shops are perceived as a public area and not a
private comfortable place you chat with a friend.
So there is a conflict between the existing and what the future
generation’s expectations are. We see a big problem in the
surroundings. So we started looking into places outside the
shopping mall. Places, which are great for socialising and for
interaction. Places like bars, night clubs, sports clubs, recreation
centres, gardens and parks, concerts, shows so on.
We asked to ourselves - what if... you could shop for a dress
while grabbing some drinks with your friends? What if you
could choose an outfit for your child while walking her in the
park? What if shopping was made a game you could play with
your friends?
- 32 -

18. - 35 -
C O N C E P T
D E V E L O P M E N T
- 34 -

19. We want to make the clothing store’s
atmospheres feel more pleasant and calm.
A place where you can enjoy browsing
for clothes while sitting down and maybe
enjoying a drink like in a bar or a restaurant.
An area where you are separated from
other customers and where you can try on
clothes without being disturbed. Clothes
are displayed on screens and are brought
to you to try on on request.
LIKE A BAR
Inspired by Microsoft Hololens we thought
of making a clothing store that would have
the environment, that the clothes should
be in, visualised virtually. The clothes
themselves are still physically in the store,
so can can touch them, feel them and try
them on, but the atmosphere around them
is 3D imagery. So when you’re going to
buy a skiing outfit, the environment around
you can be a sunny hilltop with you deep
in snow. You can imagine what you want to
look like in a place like that.
VIRTUAL REALITY STORES
In the middle of a clothing store would be
a catwalk ramp that customers can walk on
with the clothes they try on. It would show
off these clothes to people who are walking
past the store and invite them to the store.
In the end of the ramp there would be
a mirror so the customer walking on the
ramp could see how they look like. This
ramp would also feature different lighting
conditions to show different environments
the clothes could be in.
CATWALK
- 37 -
C O N C E P T S
- 36 -
To start with the concept development process, we began by mapping the
customer journey. The task was aimed at realising the area or the stage during the
shopping experience that required attention. We tried to come up with as many
ideas as possible and list the values for all the stakeholders. We drew sketches
to illustrate our ideas and bring them to life. We also had a workshop studying
Ten Types of Innovation framework by Doblin. They provide a way to identify new
opportunities beyond products and develop viable innovations. Here we want to
introduce you to some of these concepts that we came up with.

20. We soon realised that tagging of every
garment is not a viable or a feasible idea.
We noticed that current iPhones & iPads are
iBeacon enabled. This technology could be
exploited to communicate with strangers.
Podium is a platform where stylists can
share their Outfit Of The Day. The admirers
can connect to the stylists using iBeacon
technology. Based on the appreciation they
receive from our platform, Brands rewards
them with financial benefits. At the same
time it gives an opportunity for brands to
attract new customers.
For the validation of our concept, we
introduced our concept to people on
the streets and asked for feedback. Our
target was specifically generation Z and Y
representatives. We asked how open they
are to using this kind of platform, if they
would show the information about their
clothes to other people, ‘strangers’, and
also, if they would be willing to share their
clothes or borrow someone else’s. We’d
also received feedback from Baltika group’s
representatives. From this information we
created a new concept - the final one.
PODIUM
- 39 -
Tag is a system. Every piece of clothing
has an electronic chip inside it. It holds the
identity of the apparel.The brand, the price,
the store it is available in etc. It also carries a
digital wardrobe of the owner.It allows the
strangers around you to gather info about
the apparel you wearing and about your
style statement. The concept incorporates
a virtual wardrobe, a 3D scan of the owner
and a social network that has the possibility
to assists people in the decision-making
process. So imagine you’re going to a
store. You have all these options in front
of you but what you’d really like to know,
is how well these new pieces would match
with your existing wardrobe. So now you
have the option to pair up the new clothes
in the store with the ones in your wardrobe.
You can virtually try on the clothes at the
store thanks to the 3D scan TAG has of you.
For some people, it can make decision-
making easier and allow for faster, less
troublesome shopping experience. On the
other hand, it creates a fun and creative
activity or one might even say, a game that
you could explore if you are a person who
loves shopping.
For the retailer,using TAG would have many
benefits in the manufacturing processes,
warehouse management, tracking and
managing of shipping and distribution; and
receiving information about the product’s
entire lifecycle.
TAG
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21. - 41 -- 40 -
P R O T O T Y P I N G
A N D
T E S T I N G

22. - 43 -
TA K E I T
T O T H E
S T R E E T S
To validate our concepts we took to streets to interact with people, show
them our initial wireframe prototypes to get some feedback. We asked
the people, if they saw a person on the street wearing something they
liked, would they be willing to compliment them physically or would they
rather do it digitally. To our surprise none of the interviewees would want
to bother a stranger physically, only if it was a friend. Doing it digitally
was more acceptable. We inquired if they ever felt the need to see their
clothes in the wardrobe while on the go. Also how they would imagine that
happening.
We got mixed response to our question. Most of the men said they
didn’t have that much in their wardrobe so they wouldn’t have problems
remembering what was in it. Women did wish they had some kind of a tool
that helped them organise their wardrobe digitally. Few had already tried
some of the mobile apps.
We asked if they would like to share their digital wardrobe with strangers
and also with people they knew. And if they would like to get compliments
on their wardrobes.
To which they answered they would share it with people they know. They
wouldn’t share it with people they don’t know, unless they would get
something from it. They did want to get compliments from strangers on
an app.
We asked people if they would upload daily outfits and use the app
every day if they would get discounts from using it. Most people said that
they wouldn’t use it every day. They would like this kind of app to use on
some days, when they are confident about their outfits and want to get
complimented. Some people said that using this app is perfect, because
they dress up every day anyway and if it was as easy as taking a selfie in the
morning in the mirror, they would gladly use it every day. It would motivate
them dress better every day.
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23. - 45 -- 44 -
To prototype we made hand-drawn views into mock-
ups in Axure. We had a sort of radar map that would
help you find the person you are interested in. And
then we planned what views would come up, when
you open that person’s profile. We showed it to
people and asked how to improve it. We changed it
according to the feedback we got.

24. - 47 -
P O D I U M
- 46 -

25. I am shy, and I don’t like
to talk to strangers. But if
I wear something which
can let you know what
kind of a person I am,
what I want in my life,
what I support and what
I disagree, you may want
to know me better.
- 49 -
Podium is a unique social
network with fashion at its
centre. It is a rendez-vous point
for stylists and advice seekers
where both can mutually make
better fashion decisions.
P O D I U M
It’s the
people,who
make the
fashion
- 48 -

26. Podium gives you an opportunity to get instantaneous
information about an inspiring garment. It uses iBeacon
technology to connect to your inspiring stranger on the
go.
Users of Podium upload their Outfit Of The Day whenever
they feel confident about their look and would like to get
appreciation from others. If you like what the stranger next
to you is wearing, go ahead and search for him on Podium.
Locate him and dig deeper into the details of his apparels.
Podium also acts as an ice-breaker helping you start a
conversation, If both sides are open to it. By having an
overview of the wearer’s’ wardrobe, you will have more
knowledge of the person, helping you discover similar
tastes and style choices.
One of the great uses of Podium is the endless possibilities
that it has as a social platform. Our research revealed
that many people value the opinions of their loved ones.
Podium could help you get ready for a party with your
best friend. It could involve your friends in the decision-
making process of choosing what to buy or what to wear
for the event. Another opportunity would be the apparel
exchange aspect, that we’ve explored, giving people the
ability to share their garments, or borrow garments from
people nearby.
The possibilities Podium creates are vast - you could
see your outfit history, you could post outfit of the day
pictures, share them on other social networks, get likes/
opinions. You could have games, contests and so on. We
all know there are people who just love shopping. Even
if they have no money to buy anything, they go through
stores to see the latest trends, they create mood boards at
home and roam through fashion magazines. Then there’s
the people who’d surely like to look good, but are not
sure how or maybe just don’t have the time to plan their
outfits. Why not bring these people together for a win-
win situation? Podium would create a totally new world
of person-to-person marketing. Because people find
inspiration in the world around them and from the people
they are surrounded by. Podium allows retailers to market
their brand through their existing customers.
- 51 -- 50 -

27. - 53 -
Podium uses iBeacon technology to connect you to
other Podium users in your area
It is your chance to be the walking advertisement
for your favourite brands and to see what others are
wearing
- 52 -
David
Nikolaidis
Add friendFollow
23 followers 56 following 34 friends
message store (0) wardrobe
Hey!
I’m David, a 23-year-old software engineer. My reason for
joining Podium is to find out more about fashion and
how to dress to impress.
I’d like to find a stylist who could help me with some
basic skills of what to wear to work, to parties or other
occasions. I am not quite sure how to describe my style
yet but I know I like rather specific colors and interesting
cuts.
Still, for me, a garment always needs to be functional as
well as stylish.
outfit historyOOTD
Add friends and follow the people who’s style you
admire
Tell your story. Whether you’re a fashion-savvy design
student or simply want to know a little more about how
to dress, everyone finds their way with Podium.
C O N N E C T I O N

28. - 55 -
Shop for any item with ease. With
lots of information available, you can
make an informed decision
Get recommendations on how to
pair the new purchases with the
existing items on your wardrobe
Shop for your favourite items
anytime, anywhere
Keep the clutter away from your
closet by using Podium as a virtual
marketplace. You can upload any
item from your closet up for sale
Contact the stylists and seekers
around you with ease using Podium’s
message function
Combine outfits with ease or use
messaging to set up an appointment
in your favourite retail store
Soft Lara Embroidered Satin
and Acrylic Box Clutch
Crafted from lustrous black satin, Edie Parker's vintage-in-
spired 'Soft Lara' clutch is intricately embroidered with a col-
orful bird and flower motif. The petite box design has mar-
bled acrylic ends - a brand signature - and a saffron satin
lining with a handy designer-embossed mirror.
sell add to outfit
PA I R I T W I T H :
Freedom For All
cotton-piqué shirt
Lizard-effect loafers Cylinder silver-plated
cuff
Cady straight-leg
pants
- 54 -
Keep an overview of your daily
outfits and analyse your style
throughout seasons
View others outfits to get style
inspiration, or connect with Podium
stylists for personalised style advice.
Get instant information about what
people around you are wearing,
see each garment in detail or even
purchase your favourites
Make people around you smile by
showing appreciation
See your favourite apparel in detail
Get information on the brand, price,
material, avaliability and much more
Discover how popular the garment
is among other Podium users

29. The aim of the project was to identify future
buying and selling trends in Fashion retail. We
chose to find our way by looking at the social
attribute of shopping. Consumer and market
research was carried out in collaboration with
our industry partner Baltika group. Analysis of
our research, gave us interesting insight about
the human behaviour in public surroundings.
After thorough testing and developing our
ideas, we deliver you, PODIUM. We believe
Podium helps break the barrier of human
awkwardness to interact with people around
you, Creating an environment for new
connections and commerce.
C O N C L U S I O N
- 57 -- 56 -