Preserving Fashion History in a Digital Age
Preserving Fashion History in a Digital Age
Preserving Fashion History in a Digital Age
Designing an intuitive digital archive that helps fashion students explore history with ease
Designing an intuitive digital archive that helps fashion students explore history with ease
Designing an intuitive digital archive that helps fashion students explore history with ease
Client:
Client:
Client:
Mount Mary University — Fashion Department
Mount Mary University — Fashion Department
Mount Mary University — Fashion Department
My Role:
My Role:
My Role:
UI/UX Designer
UI/UX Designer
UI/UX Designer
Team:
Team:
Team:
3 UX Designers
3 UX Designers
3 UX Designers
Duration:
Duration:
Duration:
September 2023-October 2023
September 2023-October 2023
September 2023-October 2023
My Contributions:
My Contributions:
My Contributions:
As part of a team of three UX designers, I contributed to redesigning the archive by facilitating research activities, creating wireframes, and improving usability, visual hierarchy, and overall consistency to create a more accessible and engaging experience.
As part of a team of three UX designers, I contributed to redesigning the archive by facilitating research activities, creating wireframes, and improving usability, visual hierarchy, and overall consistency to create a more accessible and engaging experience.
As part of a team of three UX designers, I contributed to redesigning the archive by facilitating research activities, creating wireframes, and improving usability, visual hierarchy, and overall consistency to create a more accessible and engaging experience.
Project Overview
Project Overview
Project Overview
The Mount Mary Digital Fashion Archive is a web platform that showcases the university's historic fashion collection through 360° garment imaging. Designed to support education and spark creativity among students, researchers, and the broader community, it serves as a bridge between fashion heritage and modern learning. I collaborated with a team of three UX designers redesign the archive, focusing on improving usability, visual hierarchy, and consistency to create a more accessible and engaging experience for all users.
The Mount Mary Digital Fashion Archive is a web platform that showcases the university's historic fashion collection through 360° garment imaging. Designed to support education and spark creativity among students, researchers, and the broader community, it serves as a bridge between fashion heritage and modern learning. I collaborated with a team of three UX designers redesign the archive, focusing on improving usability, visual hierarchy, and consistency to create a more accessible and engaging experience for all users.
The Mount Mary Digital Fashion Archive is a web platform that showcases the university's historic fashion collection through 360° garment imaging. Designed to support education and spark creativity among students, researchers, and the broader community, it serves as a bridge between fashion heritage and modern learning. I collaborated with a team of three UX designers redesign the archive, focusing on improving usability, visual hierarchy, and consistency to create a more accessible and engaging experience for all users.
The Challenges Students Face
The Challenges Students Face
The Challenges Students Face
Mount Mary fashion students need a user-friendly source of creative inspiration for their assignments. The current Digital Fashion Archive is difficult to navigate, so many students turn to platforms like Pinterest instead. This led us to ask: "How might we design a more accessible and inspiring resource for fashion students?"
Mount Mary fashion students need a user-friendly source of creative inspiration for their assignments. The current Digital Fashion Archive is difficult to navigate, so many students turn to platforms like Pinterest instead. This led us to ask: "How might we design a more accessible and inspiring resource for fashion students?"
Mount Mary fashion students need a user-friendly source of creative inspiration for their assignments. The current Digital Fashion Archive is difficult to navigate, so many students turn to platforms like Pinterest instead. This led us to ask: "How might we design a more accessible and inspiring resource for fashion students?"
Working Within Constraints
Working Within Constraints
Working Within Constraints
Through conversations with the client, we explored the capabilities and limitations of Omeka, an open-source web publishing platform used for educational archives. Understanding these constraints early helped guide our design decisions, allowing us to preserve the archive's history while creating a more modern and user-friendly experience.
Through conversations with the client, we explored the capabilities and limitations of Omeka, an open-source web publishing platform used for educational archives. Understanding these constraints early helped guide our design decisions, allowing us to preserve the archive's history while creating a more modern and user-friendly experience.
Through conversations with the client, we explored the capabilities and limitations of Omeka, an open-source web publishing platform used for educational archives. Understanding these constraints early helped guide our design decisions, allowing us to preserve the archive's history while creating a more modern and user-friendly experience.
Final Prototype
Final Prototype
Final Prototype
Designing With History in Mind
Designing With History in Mind
Designing With History in Mind
I began exploring wireframe concepts that highlighted Sister Aloyse, the founder of Mount Mary's Fashion Program, while collaborating with my team to establish a cohesive visual direction. As we researched design references, we analyzed the MET website and identified several patterns we wanted to adapt for the archive design. I wanted to incorporate:
Organizational structure: we liked how the MET organized its content and wanted to apply a similar structure to help students navigate information more easily.
Balanced content and accessibility: we aimed to strike a balance between rich, comprehensive content and user-friendly interface that invites exploration.
To preserve the program's history and make the archive more engaging, we added interactive features, such as "Curator Pick of the Month" and "Fast Fashion Facts." These elements make learning about the program's heritage a more interactive and inspiring experience for students.
We began by sketching wireframe concepts, with a focus on highlighting Sister Aloyse, the founder of Mount Mary's Fashion Program. While researching design references, we looked at the MET website and drew inspiration from several key elements we wanted to incorporate into our redesign:
Organizational structure: we liked how the MET organized its content and wanted to apply a similar structure to help students navigate information more easily.
Balanced content and accessibility: we aimed to strike a balance between rich, comprehensive content and user-friendly interface that invites exploration.
To preserve the program's history and make the archive more engaging, we added interactive features, such as "Curator Pick of the Month" and "Fast Fashion Facts." These elements make learning about the program's heritage a more interactive and inspiring experience for students.
We began by sketching wireframe concepts, with a focus on highlighting Sister Aloyse, the founder of Mount Mary's Fashion Program. While researching design references, we looked at the MET website and drew inspiration from several key elements we wanted to incorporate into our redesign:
Organizational structure: we liked how the MET organized its content and wanted to apply a similar structure to help students navigate information more easily.
Balanced content and accessibility: we aimed to strike a balance between rich, comprehensive content and user-friendly interface that invites exploration.
To preserve the program's history and make the archive more engaging, we added interactive features, such as "Curator Pick of the Month" and "Fast Fashion Facts." These elements make learning about the program's heritage a more interactive and inspiring experience for students.
Understanding Content Structure
Understanding Content Structure
Understanding Content Structure
Building on our wireframe concepts, I helped facilitate a card sorting activity with the clients to understand how they organize content within the Fashion Archive. After the session, our team synthesized the findings to uncover shared patterns and prioritize an information architecture that aligned with users' mental models.
Building on our wireframe concepts, our team facilitated a card sorting activity with the clients to understand how they categorized content within the Fashion Archive. We regrouped to discuss the reasoning behind their choices, uncover shared patterns, and synthesize the results into a board highlighting key themes to guide our design decisions.
Building on our wireframe concepts, our team facilitated a card sorting activity with the clients to understand how they categorized content within the Fashion Archive. We regrouped to discuss the reasoning behind their choices, uncover shared patterns, and synthesize the results into a board highlighting key themes to guide our design decisions.
Refining Designs Through Feedback
Refining Designs Through Feedback
Refining Designs Through Feedback
I helped facilitate student focus groups to evaluate our design concepts and gather feedback on terminology, navigation, and overall usability. Participants suggested clarifying labels such as "Women's Wardrobe" versus "View All Collections," adding a color filter to Advanced Search, and incorporating a Pinterest-inspired gallery to better support visual inspiration.
When presenting our concepts to the client, we aimed to celebrate Mount Mary’s history by featuring influential figures like Sister Aloyse and Bonnie Cashin. Our goal was to create an organized, engaging experience that reflected key features from competitive solutions while addressing the specific needs of fashion students searching for garments.
During the student focus groups, we received valuable feedback including clarifying terms like “women’s wardrobe,” vs. “view all collections,” adding a color filter to Advanced Search, and incorporating a Pinterest-inspired gallery for visual inspiration.
From Goals to Design Choices
From Goals to Design Choices
From Goals to Design Choices
Using insights from the card sorting activity and student feedback, our team refined the navigation structure using Miller's Law, limiting the primary navigation to seven main categories to reduce cognitive load and improve discoverability.
We structured the navigation using Miller’s Law, keeping it simple and easy to follow, with no more than seven main tabs to reduce mental load and help users find what they need quickly. As a team, we decided to include:
Three sections highlighting the history of the Fashion Archive and Mount Mary's Fashion Program.
An advanced search and filter feature so users can easily explore garments or accessories by time period, color, textile, or designer/brand.
We structured the navigation using Miller’s Law, keeping it simple and easy to follow, with no more than seven main tabs to reduce mental load and help users find what they need quickly. As a team, we decided to include:
Three sections highlighting the history of the Fashion Archive and Mount Mary's Fashion Program.
An advanced search and filter feature so users can easily explore garments or accessories by time period, color, textile, or designer/brand.
Bringing the Archive to Life
Bringing the Archive to Life
Bringing the Archive to Life
Building on insights gathered from the card sorting activity, client presentations, and student focus groups, the team developed high-fidelity wireframes that reflected Mount Mary’s branding — while improving usability and visual hierarchy. The redesign introduced a bold homepage carousel, dedicated sections highlighting the Fashion Archive's history, and enhanced search filters that made exploring garments more intuitive.
Our first prototype focused on meaningful features that enhance usability and engagement. Based on client and student feedback, we designed two high-fidelity wireframes that reflected Mount Mary’s branding — using its colors, fonts, and overall tone — while introducing a bold carousel to showcase the Fashion Archive highlights and dedicated sections for the program and its history.
We also included key additions like the CREO Fashion Show, digital resources, 360° View Instructions, and Haggerty Library access to enrich the overall experience. On the collections page, we introduced an intuitive search filter by team period, designer or brand, textiles, color, and item type, along with helpful resources and an inquiry form, making navigation simple and efficient.
Our first prototype focused on meaningful features that enhance usability and engagement. Based on client and student feedback, we designed two high-fidelity wireframes that reflected Mount Mary’s branding — using its colors, fonts, and overall tone — while introducing a bold carousel to showcase the Fashion Archive highlights and dedicated sections for the program and its history.
We also included key additions like the CREO Fashion Show, digital resources, 360° View Instructions, and Haggerty Library access to enrich the overall experience. On the collections page, we introduced an intuitive search filter by team period, designer or brand, textiles, color, and item type, along with helpful resources and an inquiry form, making navigation simple and efficient.
Looking Ahead
Looking Ahead
Looking Ahead
If I continued this project, I would prioritize reorganizing the side navigation based on additional user feedback and continue validating the experience through focus groups and surveys. I'd also explore a custom advanced search experience that makes browsing the collection feel more intuitive while remaining within the technical constraints of the platform.
If I continued this project, I would prioritize reorganizing the side navigation based on additional user feedback and continue validating the experience through focus groups and surveys. A larger challenge ahead will be reformatting the layout and developing a custom advanced search feature for the collections page to make exploration even more seamless.
Moving forward, our next steps include reorganizing the side navigation and continuing user research through focus groups and surveys to measure the impact of these changes. A larger challenge ahead will be reformatting the layout and developing a custom advanced search feature for the collections page to make exploration even more seamless.
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
This project strengthened my ability to design within the constraints of a legacy platform while balancing user needs, client goals, and technical limitations. Through facilitating research activities, creating wireframes, and iterating on feedback, I gained a deeper appreciation for how thoughtful information architecture can improve complex digital experiences. I also become more confident leading discussions, delegating responsibilities, and collaborating across a team. Looking back, this project reinforced that meaningful UX isn't always about adding new features-it's about making existing systems easier to understand, navigate, and enjoy.
This project strengthened my ability to design within the constraints of a legacy platform while balancing user needs, client goals, and technical limitations. Through facilitating research activities, creating wireframes, and iterating on feedback, I gained a deeper appreciation for how thoughtful information architecture can improve complex digital experiences. I also become more confident leading discussions, delegating responsibilities, and collaborating across a team. Looking back, this project reinforced that meaningful UX isn't always about adding new features-it's about making existing systems easier to understand, navigate, and enjoy.
This project strengthened my ability to design within the constraints of a legacy platform while balancing user needs, client goals, and technical limitations. Through facilitating research activities, creating wireframes, and iterating on feedback, I gained a deeper appreciation for how thoughtful information architecture can improve complex digital experiences. I also become more confident leading discussions, delegating responsibilities, and collaborating across a team. Looking back, this project reinforced that meaningful UX isn't always about adding new features-it's about making existing systems easier to understand, navigate, and enjoy.
Other Work
Other Work
Other Work
