Technology in Retail: Using Participatory Design to Enhance Shopping Experiences for Female Consumers

Abstract

Today’s consumers currently face an unprecedented number of seemingly homogeneous product alternatives. Because of the overwhelming number of product options, consumers are experiencing increased negative psychological consequences such as increased regret, decreased product and life satisfaction, lower self-esteem, and less self-control (e.g., Baumeister and Vohs 2003; Carmon et al. 2003; Schwartz et al. 2002). To address these concerns, this paper will explore how a participatory design approach can be applied to understand and remedy issues within the landscape of brick-and-mortar retail. Rather than taking a traditional marketing approach to address concerns around retail experiences, this paper will investigate how design thinking can more appropriately uncover latent consumer needs and thus design a more applicable solution. This change in approach and process is due to the expectations that design thinking and participatory design is more suitably tailored to defining expectations, uncovering insights, and designing solutions that meet latent user needs. Additionally, a revolution is occurring where consumers no longer want to be passive recipients of consumer goods; they want to be directly involved in the creation of goods and services (Sanders 2006). In order to satisfy the changing needs of individuals, both in their roles as consumers and as everyday people, this paper will explore the consequences of design research on traditional retail experiences. By including everyday people throughout the design process, this project will aim to enhance shopping experiences by making it easier to reach satisfactory decisions. Because of gender specific variables such as time and energy spent shopping, level of involvement, and enjoyment felt from shopping, this project will comprise an all-female group of participants, including both female shoppers and retailers/staff. To answer the proposed research question, this Master’s Thesis paper will begin by presenting a deep understanding of current research on consumer behavior. This knowledge will be applied throughout the design process both as a limitation when selecting design research methods and as a lens for interpreting collected data. Through both primary and secondary research, the paper will present insights into consumer behavior and retail experiences. These insights will then be used to craft ideas for an interactive consumer decision aid that will enhance retail experiences. Through iteration, this paper will then present a conceptual solution that will aid shoppers in making it easier to reach decisions and make rational product choices. By supporting consumer’s ability to make rational decisions, this paper will highlight how increased consumer satisfaction can improve both the relationship quality and the product/product choice quality, determinants of consumer satisfaction. By improving consumer satisfaction, this paper asserts that the final outcome will be able to increase a consumer’s level of trust and commitment in a retailer. This will allow the solution to serve as an aid to retailers in building loyalty, boosting retention rates, differentiating services, and staying competitive, thereby driving sales and improving revenue. By increasing revenue for retailers and improving satisfaction for consumers, the outcome of this project can be a beneficial artifact for both parties of the retail experience.