Unlock
Reimagining styling and secondhand discovery with AI for Gen Z
Unlock is a mobile platform to help Millennials and Gen Z make smarter fashion choices by rethinking how they use what they already own.
Built around digital wardrobes, AI-powered outfit suggestions, and seamless resale and repair features, it helps reduce waste and overconsumption—without sacrificing style.
My Role
Research & Strategy Lead, Product Designer
Skills
User research & testing
Design strategy
Storytelling
Prototyping
Timeline
Sep-Dec 2023
Team
Sohee Kim, Vanessa Huang
In collaboration with Deloitte Digital
Kinza Kasher, Julia Ponteli, Hayoung Shin
"From the outset, Sammie and the team showcased an impressive ability to understand the user’s needs and connect them with one of the top global challenges: sustainability. Her ability to pull insight from qualitative and secondary research is outstanding as you can see from the outcome of the product in her portfolio."
Hayoung Shin, Senior Design Consultant
"Sammie conducted meticulous research followed by an innovative design process, leading to ‘Unlock’. The product was highly engaging and relevant, with a business model strongly tied to sustainability and environmental goals. Her work ensured the seamless integration of user-centric design and sustainable practices, making ‘Unlock’ a powerful, forward-thinking concept."
Julia Ponteli, Digital product & Innovation Manager
Context
Preliminary Research
We did not want to push a “green” feature for its own sake. Our goal was to uncover real pain points in how people shop, use, and part with clothes, then design something valuable enough to adopt that also moves the needle on impact.
Why this matters
• The fashion industry produces 10% of global carbon emissions.
• 85% of textiles end up in landfills.
• Fast trends drive overconsumption, which makes slowing production hard.
Thus, we decided to focus on Millennials and Gen Z, because they:
• Purchase and refresh wardrobes more frequently
• Are highly influenced by trends and social media
• Represent a large lever for behavior change at scale
Participant Recruitment & Screening
To capture diverse perspectives, we used Bain & Company’s global fashion consumer personas and designed screening surveys to select interviewees from two core groups:
• Group A: Sustainability-focused shoppers (e.g., avid thrifters)
• Group B: Trend-driven shoppers with lower sustainability priority
Source: Bain & Company, How brands can embrace the sustainable fashion opportunity. View report
Unearthing the Real Insights
Many participants began with “sustainable” answers, but deeper conversations uncovered more candid and sometimes conflicting views:
3 Key Insights & Quotes
Many eco-conscious consumers still choose price and design over sustainability.
“Sometimes they even have good messages people don't buy products. And I think majority of people don't buy the products based on the messages they buy things based on their profits.”
People feel less guilty giving up unworn clothes if they can sell them first, donating only what doesn’t sell.
“It definitely started from there of feeling like I don’t want to lose all of the money that I spent but at least if I get a little something in return it feels better. Right? You don't feel as guilty.”
Buyers value purchases that harmonize well with their existing wardrobe.
“I would definitely make sure that what I buy goes with my other stuff that I already have in my closet. So that would be like the most important aspect that I would think about whenever I buy an item. So whatever would go well with my closet at home. So that I think that will lead me to a satisfaction at the end. And I would wear them frequently.”
Design Strategy
These three insights became the backbone of our final solution, but early on we had nearly seven. This broader set fueled a flood of concept ideas, which we mapped across the fashion lifecycle—exploring, purchasing, wearing, and parting with clothes—using an 1) affinity diagram and a 2) journey map.
At this stage, we aligned on our 3) design strategy: reduce environmental impact by breaking the cycle of overproduction and overconsumption, encouraging users to maximize the use of existing textiles in diverse ways.
Concept Testing: Finding What Resonates
We had a long list of service ideas and needed to find the winners. To do this, we 1) tested them with Group A (avid thrift shoppers) and Group B (regular fashion consumers) in real-life settings. Participants ranked each idea from “love” to “hate” and shared why.
We grouped their feedback into another 2) affinity diagram, revealing clear patterns in what they valued and where concerns surfaced. From there, we used an 3) impact–effort matrix to prioritize ideas that landed in the high-impact / low-effort quadrant.
4) One example: Collage Community, where users shared wardrobes and built outfits from others’ items. Group A loved it; Group B worried about negative comparisons. Since everyone valued outfit inspiration, we replaced the community feature with AI-generated outfit suggestions—keeping the benefit, removing the barrier.
Final Design
In a world where trends shift faster than ever, it’s easy to feel stuck with a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear. The cycle of overbuying, overspending, and worrying about the environmental cost can be exhausting.
Unlock changes that with a digital wardrobe at its core—powering smart outfit suggestions, seamless buying and selling, and easy alterations. It’s a fresh way to build your wardrobe: simple, stylish, and kind to both your wallet and the planet.
0. Snap or select a photo of your fashion item
—we’ll crop it and add it to your digital wardrobe.
: Easing the way to build a foundation for opportunities
"Hmm.. a digital wardrobe?
I do have a photo of my new bermuda shorts.."
1. Provide details upon receiving offers for easier selling.
: Lowering barriers to entry for resale
"Oh, it shows outfits with the same bermuda shorts!
Wait, someone wants to buy this?"
2. Buy pre-owned items that seamlessly match your wardrobe.
: Elevating the appeal of second-hand items & unlocking more ways to wear what you own
"Wow, my jeans would look great with this outfit.
I love that red bag.. oh, there's a similar one here! And it's affordable!"
3. Revitalize unworn items with alteration experts.
: Extending garment lifespans with expert help
"These reworked pieces are adorable!
Wait, I want my jeans altered too. Let's see…"
Potential Impact
Based on our testing results, Unlock’s approach could:
• Shift consumer behavior by making second-hand items more aspirational through outfit suggestions.
• Extend garment lifespans by connecting users to alterations and encouraging better wardrobe utilization.
• Reduce overconsumption by showing how to style what’s already owned before buying new.
This positions Unlock to not only meet user needs for convenience and style but also meaningfully contribute to reducing waste in the fashion industry.
What I've Learned
Always have solid reasoning behind every decision.
Throughout the project, I engaged in many discussions/debates with teammates, classmates, professors, and the Deloitte Digital team. This experience taught me to always consider the “why” behind even the smallest idea or change, making me a more thoughtful and confident designer when communicating with others.
Flexibility beats attachment.
Our team went through countless iterations, filling an enormous FigJam board in the process. We often became attached to ideas, only to let them go after user testing revealed they didn’t land. That constant cycle of creating, testing, and refining ultimately led us to a direction that truly resonated with our users.
If I could do one thing differently, I’d spend more time defining and aligning on our key insights earlier. Our heavy FigJam board tells the story of countless iterations, but a clearer early focus could have streamlined our path. With more time, I would have tested a functional MVP to see how our ecosystem of resale, alterations, and outfit suggestions worked together in real-life use.
I’m looking for new opportunities where I can learn, grow, and work alongside thoughtful people. If you’re interested, or just curious to hear more about this project, I’d love to chat! :)
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