Understanding the Needs of VIP in Online Clothing Shopping

In this blog, we explore a research article titled "The Barriers to Online Clothing Websites for Visually Impaired People: An Interview and Observation Approach to Understanding Needs" . This study takes a dive into the challenges VIP face when shopping for clothes online and offers insights on how to make the experience better.

Why Is Online Shopping Still a Struggle for VIP?

Shopping online is meant to be convenient, right? But for visually impaired users, it’s often anything but. From misleading descriptions to a lack of accessibility features, many e-commerce platforms aren’t designed with inclusivity in mind. The researchers behind this study wanted to understand the key challenges VIP face and what could be done to improve the experience.

What the Research Explored

The study focused on answering some important questions:

• What challenges do VIP face when independently selecting and coordinating outfits while online shopping?

• What type of assistance do VIP regularly make use of when shopping for clothes online?

• To what extent do VIP consider a specific celebrity or fashion style when selecting outfits?

• What services are offered to assist VIP in coordinating outfits in offline stores that are not yet offered in online stores?

• What types of assistance would VIP like to have when coordinating outfits while shopping online?

To find the answers, the researchers conducted two studies—one where participants were observed while shopping online, and another where they were interviewed about their experiences.

The key findings

Here’s what the research uncovered:

1. Challenges in Selecting and Coordinating Outfits Online

   Unlike grocery or electronics shopping, buying clothes requires assessing multiple visual details—colors, styles, and materials. VIP described the process as overwhelming, often feeling like they were taking shots in the dark. Product descriptions are often vague, inconsistent, or misleading, making independent selection even harder.

To cope, VIP shoppers develop their own strategies. Many stick to "safe" colors (like black) to avoid mismatches, while others turn to customer reviews for more useful product descriptions than what retailers provide.

2. The Type of Assistance VIP Use When Shopping Online

Most VIP rely on screen readers, magnification tools, and voice assistants like Siri or Alexa to navigate shopping websites. However, these tools are often not enough to fully grasp product details. Some VIP shoppers seek assistance from sighted friends or family members to validate their choices.

3. Fashion Preferences and Influence of Trends

Surprisingly, most VI shoppers aren’t influenced by celebrity fashion or trends. Instead, they focus on comfort, practicality (like having pockets), and familiarity with specific brands. Some VIP do follow general fashion trends, but they prefer recommendations based on their own body shape, skin tone, and personal style.

4. Services in Offline Stores That Are Missing Online

While online shopping eliminates the need to navigate physical stores, VIP shoppers still prefer brick-and-mortar shops for one big reason: they can touch and feel the clothes before buying. Offline stores also offer sales assistants who can describe clothing in detail, something that most online platforms lack. Coordinating outfits is easier in physical stores because VIP shoppers can get direct feedback from store employees.

5. What VI People Want to Improve Their Online Shopping Experience

VIP suggested several improvements that could make online shopping more accessible and enjoyable:

• Better Descriptions: Online retailers need to provide more details—like whether a shirt has buttons, the fabric’s texture, and how colors are distributed.

• Smarter Search Tools: Filters should be improved to help VIP shoppers quickly find exactly what they need.

• Audio Descriptions: Having an option to listen to a detailed product description would be a huge help.

• AI-Powered Outfit Recommendations: Imagine an AI assistant that helps VIP coordinate outfits based on their wardrobe and personal style.

• Building Trust in Automation: Many VIP don’t fully trust automated systems yet, but if these tools become more personalized and reliable, they could become a game-changer.

Final Thoughts

Online shopping should be accessible to everyone. This study sheds light on the barriers VIP face and provides a roadmap for how e-commerce platforms can step up their game. With smarter technology and more inclusive design, we can make online shopping a seamless experience for all. These insights will also help in creating our Virtual Reality shopping experience for VIP.

Reference

Alluqmani, A., Harvey, M.A. and Zhang, Z., 2023, July. The barriers to online clothing websites for visually impaired people: an interview and observation approach to understanding needs. In Proceedings of the 2023 ACM designing interactive systems conference (pp. 753-764).