Abstract

The goal of the research project “Service Fascination” is to create a concept for designing highly valuable service solutions with a strong focus on customer excitement, fascination and user experience. Besides the creation of new services, this project also focuses on service re-engineering in order to enhance existing solutions. Applying a combination of different fields including psychology, design and information science, a basis for the user centered design of IT-enabled services is formed. Based on the evaluation of important customer touch points, the purpose is to create prototypes of services that fascinate a respective focus group through the smart use of innovative technologies. The concept finally leads to an enhancement in customer loyalty, favorable word of mouth and impressing services through innovation leadership.

Research Picture

Project description

Heading towards a service oriented economy, companies strive to be successful mainly by providing extensive services in a wide field of applications. For the creation of highly successful e-services and IT-enabled products this strategy turns out to be insufficient. General psychological aspects, especially the criteria of usability, user experience and joy of use are often neglected when designing a new product or service. Especially for reaching the younger generation striving for individuality, fun and self-expression, a company has to differentiate from competitors and consequently come up with innovative and fancy service offerings. Only the consideration of these needs as well as applying a strategic approach for integrating excitement criteria finally leads to customer experience and fascinating services.

This research project makes use of innovative technologies, especially from the fields of mixed reality, human computer interaction and ubiquitous computing. During the creation of different use cases and their respective prototypes, the combination of selected stimulating elements and their specific characteristics turned out to be promising when it comes to generating customer fascination. The real and the virtual world start to blur in many ways, whereas the following components promise to contribute most:   

• Feedback
  Modern technologies allow the integration of several forms of feedback into services, hence making them interactive. According to the principles of direct manipulation and user control, feedback to user input has to be provided as immediate as possible, either visible, auditory or both.

• Immersion
  The achievement of a state of consciousness where a person’s awareness of its physical self is diminished or lost by being surrounded in an engrossing total environment. This could ultimately lead to the mental state of flow, in which the user loses him- / herself in the service. Real and virtual world should merge in a way, that the user undergoes one seamless experience.

• Ubiquitous sociality
  The use of social media traditionally happens on a local PC or via mobile devices. New concepts allow the effortless and immediate identification of the user and make it possible to integrate his entire social network into any service offered.

• Customized services
  Knowing the customer and his interests enables a company to offer highly individualized services, providing the best solution for the customer’s needs and desires.
• Availability of data
  Internet access, globally available at decent speed, enables access to high quality data, allowing the improvement of customer services. Supporting the customer with up to date information and multimedia not only creates a state of certainty, but offers the possibility to create offers in a more appealing way.

The importance of strategically integrating excitement factors into electronic services is demonstrated through the user centered design of various use cases and prototypes. The implementation builds on previously identified important customer touch points with the goal to create an innovative and exciting experience in the retail environment of the sports- and fashion industry. Respective to a customer journey map the following prototypes integrate the components stated above and integrate the user as their most important element.

• WISH – An Interactive Shopping Window
  Although shopping windows represent one of the most important embodiments of retail stores, almost no innovation was introduced in that area within the last 200 years. The VirtuaShop project realizes a prototype of a fully interactive shopping window allowing the customer to receive information about products, do shopping or even engage in games played throughout different windows in globally distributed locations – with no restriction to shopping hours. Besides focusing on the combination of real (e.g., products) and virtual (e.g., multimedia information) content, the prototype allows customers to take along the experience when leaving the location. A combination of motion tracking, gesture control, projection-mapping as well as content customizations create an impressing experience.
• Body Kinectizer – Reconstruction of three-dimensional avatars using the Microsoft Kinect
  The project “Body Kinectizer” realizes a cheap body scanner utilizing the Microsoft Kinect game controller. Applying a method developed at the university provides the possibility to produce digital models of human bodies in a high quality by using only one controller. The cheap price of the device allows making the technology available to the general public. This enables everyone to create a digital avatar of their own body. The presented technology serves as a basis for various use cases in retail as well as at home. Taking measurements of the created 3D models allows the realization of online shops that automatically recommend the correct clothing size. The additional real-time animation of the avatar through integration of captured movements can be utilized in video games or even in the realization of a virtual mirror in which customers can try on clothes, even without physically dressing. Options like size or outfit recommendations can be integrated, this addressing an important need of the customer
• Product Experience Wall
  The product experience wall represents an automated outfit advisory system that uses sensor technologies like face detection, RFID, and 3rd party ressources (e.g., weather data) in order to provide consumers with individualized and personalized offers. The system displays a virtual avatar in real-life size on a large touch-enabled wall. This avatar can be dressed with complete outfits and offers the possibility to inform oneself about the newest fashion trends. Products and complete outfits can be shared on social networks.
• CyberFit – An Interactive Dressing Room
  Dressing rooms are one of the most important elements of every retail shop in the clothing industry. Despite of their importance, modern technology did not find its way in yet. The project CyberFit realizes an interactive fitting room making advantage of innovative sensor systems like RFID and touch interfaces as well as virtual reality and immersive powerwall technologies. Besides identifying the customer and supporting him in his buying decision process by providing extensive information, the user is also able to reach out to friends, experts or even link to other dressing rooms in order to call for advice. A connection to the customers’ personal smartphone allows usage of the service even beyond the physical boundaries of the dressing room.
• Social Mirror
  Fashion shopping usually involves friends and fellows in the shopping process. Asking for feedback is one of the most common tasks. The social mirror constitutes a system that allows consumers to take a picture wearing their new outfit and upload it to their favorite social network. Likes and comments provide indications if the outfit whould be bought.

Related work – applied theories

• Customer Experience
• Service Excellence
• User Experience
• User Centered Design
• Human Computer Interaction

Company contacts

• adidas Group

Related Student Reports (excerpt)