AR Shopping Guide in Commercial Complexes for Smarter Consumer Experiences

To create a more personalized shopping experience in large commercial complexes, I redesigned the GIST App patented AR technology for indoor navigation, helping consumers find shops and parking spots more efficiently. Building on its core functionality, I designed an AR shopping guide that enables users to interact with product details in real-time, making smarter and more informed purchase decisions.

Team
1 Product Manager 2 Product Designers 3 Software Engineers 1 UX Researcher

My Role
Product Designer

Timeline
June 2018 - Dec 2018

Enhancing AR Navigation: From Parking Assistance to Smart Shopping

To address the challenge of finding parking spots and cars in large parking lots, our team developed the first AR indoor navigation product. However, GIST 1.0 struggled with user engagement due to its limited functionality as a navigation-only app. To improve its value and adoption, I am redesigning it into a new version Gist 2.0 that integrates a personalized shopping guide and AR interactions, enhancing the shopping experience in large commercial complexes.

Navigating the User Challenges in Large Shopping Complexes

As shopping complexes continue to expand in size, navigation challenges have become more significant, making it increasingly difficult for consumers to locate stores, parking spots, and key amenities. The complex layouts and lack of intuitive wayfinding systems often lead to frustration, wasted time, and inefficient shopping experiences. With the rise of multi-level malls and large-scale retail centers, there is a growing need for smart navigation solutions that enhance convenience and streamline the shopping journey.

Consumers often get lost in large shopping complex: Large commercial complexes are growing rapidly, averaging over 100,000 square meters, making it harder for consumers to find shops and parking spots.

Lack of customized and efficient shopping guidance: Merchants cannot accurately perceive individual consumers’ needs, and thus met difficulties to provide customized shopping guide that interact appropriately with consumers.

Poor shopping experience and difficulty in finding products: The mainstream consumers have poor experience and low efficiency shopping experience in large commercial complex, especially in finding goods they need and make wise shopping decisions.

To further explore consumer navigation needs and shopping pain points, we conducted an online questionnaire, gathering 247 valid responses to gain deeper insights into the challenges shoppers face and potential solutions to improve their experience. Our survey revealed that 59% of consumers reported getting lost in shopping complexes more than half the time.

What is your main purpose going to the shopping complex?

How often do you get lost in shopping complex?

In addition, we conducted 1:1 interviews with 10 mainstream shopping complex consumers to uncover key pain points in their offline shopping experience. The findings revealed that the biggest frustration for consumers is the difficulty in efficiently locating the products they need, leading to a less seamless and more time-consuming shopping journey.

How to help users find suitable products more efficiently and make smarter shopping decisions? This user journey map illustrates Kate’s shopping experience in a large shopping complex, demonstrating she faces challenges in product discovery, navigation, and decision-making, which impact her overall shopping satisfaction.. It explores how smart shopping guides and AR navigation can streamline the shopping process, helping users find suitable products more efficiently and make informed purchasing decisions.

How might we leverage AR shopping guides to enhance product discovery and navigation in large commercial complexes?

The GIST 2.0 design solution will focus on the Fashion & Accessories category. Fashion & Accessories is a highly customizable and low-standardized category, making it the perfect fit for GIST 2.0’s AR shopping experience. Unlike standardized products, fashion choices depend on size, fit, material, style, and personal preferences, making in-store decision-making more complex. AR can enhance product discovery with virtual try-ons, AI-powered styling recommendations, and personalized fit suggestions, helping users find the right products faster. Additionally, AR navigation can streamline the shopping experience by guiding users to specific stores and improving engagement with interactive product details. By bridging online and offline shopping, AR transforms fashion retail into a seamless, personalized, and intuitive experience.

This case study analyzes AR shopping solutions, revealing that while competitors enhance navigation, virtual try-ons, and personalized shopping, they lack comprehensive integration for large shopping complexes. Google AR Indoor Maps improves navigation but lacks shopping-specific features. Farfetch AR Try-On enables virtual fitting but is limited to one brand with no offline integration. Nike Fit AR offers accurate sizing but lacks styling suggestions. These findings highlight the need for a holistic AR shopping guide that seamlessly integrates navigation, product recommendations, and an online-to-offline shopping experience.

Case Study & Inspirations

Design Statement 

This AR shopping guide integrates indoor navigation, smart shopping suggestions, and virtual try-ons to enhance the in-store experience. Users can scan their wardrobe for recommendations, find nearby shops, navigate to stores, virtually try on clothes, explore product details, and complete purchases with home delivery options. By enabling seamless interaction with products, this solution helps consumers make faster, more informed purchasing decisions, improving efficiency and convenience in large shopping complexes.

Information Architecture 

The GIST 2.0 Information Architecture consists of four key modules: AR Scan for virtual try-ons and product interaction, AR Navigation for smart indoor wayfinding, Shopping Guide for AI-driven product search, store insights, and smart shopping strategies, and My Profile for managing preferences and orders. By combining real-time navigation, interactive product exploration, and personalized recommendations, GIST 2.0 helps users shop more efficiently and make smarter purchasing decisions.

Low-Fi Interaction Flow: Mapping the AR-Powered Shopping Experience

Final Design: Seamless AR Navigation & Smart Shopping

User Scenarios

1. AR Store Guidance – Navigate seamlessly to any shops using AR-powered directions for a hassle-free experience.

2. Find Specific Products – Quickly locate specific items in-store with AR guidance, enhancing shopping efficiency.

3. Instant Virtual Try-On – Try on clothes with one click and adjust model size for a perfect fit, eliminating the need for fitting rooms.

Business Model

The GIST 2.0 Business Model enhances AR-powered shopping by partnering with shopping malls, merchants, and delivery services. It offers smart navigation, efficient product discovery, and personalized shopping to improve user experience and boost merchant engagement. Revenue comes from advertising, technical services, and marketing partnerships, while key resources include AR patents, an ad platform, and strategic collaborations. Through gamification and community-driven merchant services, GIST 2.0 streamlines shopping and drives higher conversions.

Reflection: Bridging AR Innovation with User Adoption & Market Viability

  1. User Adoption Follows Technology Maturity: AR interactions on mobile devices are still evolving, with adoption expected to grow as hardware improves and user habits adapt. However, the success of any technology depends not on its novelty but on the real value it delivers to users and society.

  2. Turning Innovation into a Market-Ready Product is Challenging: For AR to become a practical, widely adopted tool, it must solve real problems, align with market needs, and operate within a sustainable business model. External factors like market trends, user readiness, and socio-economic conditions play a critical role in determining success.

  3. Product Development Requires a Holistic Approach: Building a great product is not just about features—it’s about integrating technology, user behavior, and business strategy. AR’s success relies on infrastructure, education, business adoption, and cultural acceptance to create a seamless, impactful experience.

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