The Mobile Shopper

Zara: A New Update, A New Perspective

2012-11-24T03:46:00.003-08:00

I have been waiting for this update for around 18 months. Finally, as of October 2012, Zara have an app worth recommending and it is truly brilliant! The app used to look like this, so you might understand why I am so delighted. Also note that the entire app is iPhone5 compatible, taking up all of the screen estate.

The opening screen displays a recent promotional image. Portraying the identity of the cool and chic brand, the image beckons you inside. With a tap on the page, the homepage is revealed. It is quite a nice way of opening the app and asks for immediate user engagement.

The home screen displays a toolbar offering products, the checkout, a scan tool, a profile area and a store locator - very similar to the best apps currently on the market. The products screen seen here above, allows the user to vertically scroll through categories, displayed as large horizontal images. The backgrounds being alternative colours really makes a change from the usual white bands seen on most apps, and really adds a professional edge to the screen.

By selecting one of the categories, a drop down appears offering further options. The text is brand specific and looks extremely sophisticated placed on top of a completely white page. Rather than having each category separated by a black line to portray a button, the user still knows that they can select the option of choice.

The product lists are again brilliant. Each image has been thought about perfectly, so that all images are uniform. Each on a gradient background to allow the clothing to stand out, it sets a really minimal and sophisticated tone for the brand and I for one absolutely love shopping on this app now. Yes, the product information cannot be viewed on the screen such as prices, but I think that it is not always entirely necessary. If you have used the correct photography, the user will be intrigued to click into the item to view the price anyway.

The product screens open to a full screen image of the clothing. I have never seen this done before; always opening to a product information page with smaller product images that the user can manually zoom. This app instead sends the user right to the product allowing them to scroll vertically to view further images. Scrolling horizontally moves to the next product. By scrolling all the way to the bottom, symbolised by a square rather than a circle (down the left of the screen), a box appears along the bottom of the screen offering you items to wear it with. Fantastic; personalisation at its best!

It is only when the user taps on the product that the product information then appears. The price is displayed on the screen and a share button promotes sharing on Facebook, Twitter and via email with a drop down selection. The product is still full screen and the users viewing experience of this product always at its highest.

By choosing the small information icon, a screen appears offering the user all of the necessary information about the product. I have been waiting for Zara to give more than just a price and it seems that they have listened. Again the screen looks professional and sophisticated.

Another area on the products screen is one labelled 'Campaign' and another, 'Lookbook.' Each contains photography and imagery for the brand and latest collections. I think imagery on an application is paramount and enables the user to become inspired and aspire to the look of the brand.

The campaign imagery is full screen and shows off the latest photography. It does not lead to any of the products however but works more as a brand lookbook. The imagery is beautiful and really aspirational.

The Lookbook imagery is split by month and allows you to find particular pieces from a certain time. The great thing about these images is that they can be selected, opening up a translucent bar displaying the alternative products on the page and the pages you can buy them from. Such a streamlined experience is perfect and really makes this app special. The user does not have to fuss around searching for an item they had viewed - the retailer sends them straight to it.

Another category is entitled 'Films' and another 'By/.' Again, allowing the user to gain a variety of multi-media experiences on the app will really increase their positivity and satisfaction with the brand and will inevitably leave them coming back for more.

The films are shown as horizontal bars filled with the black and white imagery. The 'Play' sign suggests that the user can select each to play, moving to full screen and opening the iPhones play and pause buttons. The films are short promotional clips for the season but again portray the atmosphere and identity of the brand, really creating an aspirational lifestyle.

The 'By/' displays the artistic side of the brand. Zara works with artists to highlight great talents. This film is a short production by such an artist and offers something slightly different to watch. The user can view imagery of the artists work or a short film.

The checkout area is alike to others but yet still continues the aesthetic throughout. Each product is listed with the price and size and the next button beckons the user to continue.

The scan tool is again alike to others and allows the user to take a picture or type in the bar code of a product they have seen in store. Perfect for those times that your size is out of stock and you want to quickly find it on the app. It brings the technology into the physical store and create a fully streamlined buying experience.

The app asks you to log in to view your profile or to continue to checkout. I used to hate this screen, just because it stops you from continuing quickly. But I realise now that in fact it was the design of the screen that I hated. It was always so dark and gloomy and didnt excite me to continue. Now that the screen is brighter and better designed, I do not mind creating an account or logging in.

The store locator is again as standard yet follows the aesthetic of the rest of the app so that the screen has a very minimal edge. Each store is listed with the option to view it on a map or to move forward to more information. Each store can also be directly called from the app easily. The user is not hassled at all and can complete their request in the most satisfactory way.

The app is truly brilliant. The entire aesthetic is clean, clear and crisp and reminds me of a designer brand. The product screens are now exellent, complete with full information, multiple images and personalised product recommendations. The rest of the app is filled with photography, videos and additional features that truly add to the brands identity and increases the users brand equity. There is nothing really lacking here apart from perhaps a customisation feature that allows a more refined product search. However, the product category listings are beautiful with uniform imagery and items in two columns to allow a minimal aesthetic. There is not much I could fault on this app and it has now become one of my favourites. Highly recommended! 5 Stars!

All screenshots taken of the Zara App, November 2012.

The Mobile Shopper

The Amazon App

2012-11-11T08:13:00.001-08:00

I was unsure whether to review the Amazon app due to the fact that it is not essentially a fashion store. However, due to the brand selling everything from toasters to shoes, I decided that there are still some consumers who will utilise the app to buy fashion.

The best thing about this app are the personalisation tools it comprises of. I'm sure we are all aware of how clever the Amazon website is, as it remembers everything we have bought and offers us everything we could buy along those lines, recommending a large number of additional products. The fact that the app has integrated this same feature is great and creates a really consistent journey from website to application. The aesthetic is also concurrent with the online store, utilising silver and whites and a simplified layout. The user can either search via the search bar or by choosing to 'Shop by department.'

The search bar brings up a list of products that match your search. I searched for Jeffrey Campbell boots as I knew that Amazon was sure to sell them on the site. The search brings up a thumbnail and a description with prices and star ratings within large horizontal bars. The search can also be refined by department or by delivery options, which is slightly alternative to other refine options. The layout is pretty bland, but then again we need to take into account that this isn't primarily a fashion app.

The product screen shows the product at the top which can be selected for a full screen view, but not an alternative view. This is awful when it comes to buying fashion and accessories. The description bar lists the most obvious information such as brand name and price but by clicking the bar, a second screen opens to reveal further information such as a description, features and details. Some of the products also include customer reviews with star ratings and consumer opinions. This is really useful, especially for the non fashion products.

The user can also share the product via text or email or the social networks if they wish to.

If the user chooses to buy the item, they can either buy it straight away, being led to their sign in information and a direct checkout, or instead they can add it to their wish list or basket for later checkout. This is quite a simple way to offer a number of options to the user depending on what they are hoping to do. They can save it for later, keep shopping or check out straight away. Easy.

The basket area is the same as that on the Amazon site. The basket at the top, a subtotal and then saved items listed below. The website also remembers saved items for years, as there are items in my saved items that I looked at years previously. That is a very clever website indeed.

The wish list area is fairly explanatory and contains all of the items you are wishing for. You can also manage the list, sending it and enabling it for particular users only.

The 'More' area contains all of the necessary information that you may need including order and account info, help and contact details. You can also search for someone else's wish list by entering their name and email address, helpful for those who have set up a wish list for birthday, wedding or christmas present inspiration.

There is also a new 'experimental feature' where the user can photograph items and be recommended similar products from Amazon, almost like a product look up. If you can't find it, they will find it for you. It is a really interesting concept and I would be interested to see if it works. If it does catch on though, they will have a lot of researching to do.

Overall, I need to put my feelings towards the design of this app aside and review it more on its features and usability. For the utilitarian user, this is a great app. Very simple, straight forward and user-friendly. Products can be located by the user, they can look through a variety of similar recommendations, read customer reviews on the products and product information. Yet, products generally have only one image, which for fashion products isn't really acceptable. For a fashion consumer searching for a new product on this app, the chances of them finding a product and being satisfied with how it will look, fit and hang is very slim. For that reason, it is not that ideal as a fashion app. However, some of the other features including the wish list, the 'Amazon remembers' tool and the personalised recommendations are really great and make the app a lot better than it would be without them. For that reason, I have to give Amazon a 3 stars for offering a simple and usable app with very clever features, but for not really paying any attention to the requirements of the fashion consumer.

All screenshots taken of the Amazon app, November 2012.

The Mobile Shopper

Tatty Devine: The Jewellery App

2012-10-31T10:08:00.001-07:00

Tatty Devine is a brand I always been aware of, but I never really ventured into their online store. When the lovely creators over at Poq Studio asked me to review the Tatty Devine app, I was quite excited to review an app I was actually unaware of. This review will be just as unbiased as the rest however, as critique can always be used to the designers advantage. So here it is...

The app opens to a quick brand screen displaying the brand logo, description and developer logo. I have never seen a developers logo displayed so large on a brand application before, but I think it is actually quite a nice touch. The designers of these applications should be given credit where credit is due. The aesthetic of the app is monochrome and very minimalistic. This I appreciate as it is consistent with the online store, however, I do think in places that the pink shade that runs throughout the website could be integrated at some points. It could brighten up some of the screens and add a different style.

When the app is opened, it immediately updates the selection. This is good to know and ensures that you are viewing only the latest products.

So, here is the first page. My first feeling was slight disappointment actually. I am not the biggest fan of home screens that move directly into the shopping area. Although it is too the point and immediately points the user in the direction of the products, sometimes the user wants to grasp the concept of the application first, becoming aware of all of the separate areas and then navigating to the page they are looking for. However, I do like the simplistic layout with small thumbnails on white backgrounds against white, so that they appear to be floating. The screen vertically scrolls and reveals further categories including cufflinks, books, hair accessories and alternative collections. Again, I feel that if the app opened to a main screen similar to Topshop, that laid out a number of areas such as 'shop' and 'collections' in a more sporadic format, it would show off the exciting areas of the application much more. The app is split into four sections, shop, news, bag and more...

Moving into a chosen category within the shop area, the products are laid out in two columns that the user vertically scrolls through to view more. There are no prices or descriptions on the screen which I feel does quite work here as it means the jewellery is left pride of place and doesnt overly fuss the page. Perhaps a customisation tool would have been nice though, allowing the user to change the layout of the screen to either show one column or perhaps four columns depending on whether they wanted a zoomed in or zoomed out perspective. The zoomed in view could also then provide the price and description beneath. Consumers love to be able to customise products, as it gives them more control over their experience and adds to their satisfaction with the brand. Its just something to think about.

Choosing the product you like, it moves to a large view of the product with two alternative views and the price is now displayed. Having the products on a white background allows the user to see all of the details and colours vividly, again not adding too much fuss to the page.

For some reason though, I was hoping for more than just two views of the product. I do appreciate the modelled view a lot, as especially with jewellery it is helpful to see how it will sit on the neckline or wrist. Yet, I would have liked to see a close up of some of the details on the necklace. Two views just doesn't seem enough.

By double clicking the image, it moves to full screen and again allows the user to enlarge the image to see further details by manually zooming. This is great, but still I would have appreciated more photographs of the product.

The info tab in the top right of the product page opens a transparent box over the top of the imagery displaying the products information. Brands often query whether the product information should be displayed on the page or hidden away to be triggered when needed by the user. To be honest, I am not bothered either way, as long as it is obvious where it can be found. In some cases, product information is not even offered, so points are scored automatically for apps that do think about their consumers (pay attention Zara!). I would have perhaps liked to know the type of material the chain is made of though, as with jewellery, I hate to buy anything that is going to rust and there is nothing more annoying than not being told the exact material. But that just might be me. Otherwise though, I do like that they have added some trend and style advice in here, advising the consumer where and when they could wear the piece.

For those social savvy people, they can also share the product with the usual suspects. Saving the picture is also something that a lot of consumers like so this is handy. Yet, social features such as these aren't that widely liked, but there will be the odd person who may use it, so why not promote it to those people.

The consumer can then add it to their bag, moving directly to the bag tab. From here, the product can be removed with the cross symbol or checked out. The screen is simple, honestly telling the consumer what delivery will also cost them to display a total amount. This is great and I wish more apps would do this.

An area that I feel needs to be made more fuss of, is the 'Fine' collection. Beautiful jewellery made out of solid silver, lasercut by an exterior company and finished by Tatty Devine. The pieces are stunning and should really be promoted more. This is an area that would benefit from a good position on the home screen.

The product pages are the same as the others, yet of course the prices are much higher. Again, these would benefit greatly from further images, and modelled images also. Paying such a high price warrants having a modelled image of the jewellery just to check it will be exactly how you expect it.

Another collection is the A/W 2012. The jewellery here is gorgeous and really autumnal. This could again be made more of a fuss about as tucking it at the very bottom of the shop section seems a massive shame. There will be consumers who would love to own a wintery piece, and with this collection not appearing in the necklaces section, the company will be missing out on potential sales. Whilst being available in the collection section, the individual pieces should still be placed within their separate categories, so if I am shopping for necklaces, I can find every single necklace this brand stocks. That is a bit of shame.

This is the news section, but where is the news? I was perhaps hoping for a nice news feed, offering bite size chunks of news from twitter, facebook or perhaps other media. Maybe celebrities wearing the collections or images sent in from consumers perhaps tagged via instagram. The possibilities are pretty endless and could have been amazing for inspiration. So, this was disappointing to see.

As mentioned previously, the checkout area is neat and simple. Moving to the secure checkout, the user is asked for their information in an easy to use contact details box. So many brands make these pages so boring, often asking you to log in or some other fussy request. I found this page quite simple and easy.

Finally, the 'more' option includes the brands information, services and developers information. The aesthetic is again simple and easy to navigate. Not too fussy and categorised simply.

The 'About this app' section I have again never seen before. Here Poq Studio have taken the time to promote themselves, displaying their contact information and a small blurb about what they are all about. I think this is totally acceptable and having a contact number for support is really helpful, showing care for the consumer.

One area spoke of a super sample sale which I was quite excited by, but then I realised it was 5 months out of date. This isn't great to see, and suggests that the app hasn't been looked at or updated since last May. The About Us section is again great for the unknowing user to gain a bit more information about the company and is easy to read, but perhaps some colour, a logo or some imagery might have livened up the page and provided more of a personality.

Overall, I was quite excited by some of the things I saw on the Tatty Devine app, whilst also being disappointed by a number of other things. I really feel the home screen could do with some work, altering the layout from a generic horizontal bar screen, to a flowing page with clickable graphic links, alike to the Topshop app layout. It would mean that some of the great collections could be brought out and shouted about. I would have also liked to have seen some promotional images of models wearing the jewellery, providing some inspiration and excitement, and least of all, some colour.

The design aesthetic is nice and minimal, but as mentioned, I think it could be livened up and more personality added with the user of the pink tones from the website and further imagery. The news section also requires attention and could include a lot of exciting and inspirational features for the user to view. However as it stands, I still think the app is usable, reflects the brand and provides a great user experience. For this, I award the app 3.5 stars out of 5, and I must say I think Poq Studio will be a mobile app company you should keep an eye out for.

All Screenshots taken of the Tatty Devine app, October 2012.

The Bershka App

2012-10-25T09:34:00.001-07:00

Bershka is a brand dotted around the country in select places. It is part of the Inditex group, alongside Zara and Pull and Bear, therefore follows a similar mobile design strategy. The app opens to a small splash screen before moving into the main page.

The entry page doesnt really look like a home page at all. It looks more like a category list section that a user would normally move to after choosing to 'shop.' However, this app leads the user to the shopping area straight away. The screen comprises of horizontal bars in a gradient blue with a small thumbnail and description. The brand logo is central at the top and a navigation bar is along the bottom. The user can choose to look at products, check out with their purchases, view the store locator or look at their profile. First impressions, not too impressive.

Moving into the 'new' area, the user can view thumbnails in rows of three and horizontally scroll to view more. There are no descriptions or prices or even a customisation tab to change the page layout. The brand is just hoping the user sees a picture or garment that they like. Good luck with that.

Moving into a product page, the user can now view a full screen image with a small description and price. This is the only product information that the consumer can hope to gain. They can then choose the colour they like, the size they want and add it to their shopping bag.

Other than this, the user can also select the 'photos' tab on the top right to view a few additional images. Thank goodness there was something else. By selecting each photo, it moves to full screen and the user can zoom in or out manually.

Moving back to the home screen, this time selecting the Bershka tab, the user can view the girls section, split into the usual categories, i.e. dresses, jackets, shoes etc. There is also a collections tab which allows the user to view the garments alongside other collection pieces. At least there was something slightly trend or style inspired.

The second tab is the checkout. Self explanatory. The user can buy if they feel they have gained enough information and encouragement to do so...

The store locator again leaves much to be desired. You can search for your nearest store and it is displayed on a map. I dont have much more to say.

The profile area is the same as the other Inditex brands. The user has to log in to view their details, address data and order history. Its handy for some but fairly boring to look at otherwise. Im not inspired to log in whatsoever. I would rather see services information, delivery information or brand history.

Overall, the app is fairly boring and uninviting. The lack of product information is shocking and I still can't believe that some brands think they can get away without informing their consumers. Fair enough if a consumer is using the app to purchase a previously spotted item, but a first time consumer is not going to feel persuaded or excited by this application. There is no promotional images, no videos, no service information, in fact not much at all. I have found it hard to be positive. Yet, at least they have integrated a number of product images and a large variety of products. For this reason alone, I am awarding the app 2 stars.

Dior: Mobile Elegance

2012-09-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

A very brief run through of the Dior app features.

Please view the video above for a run-through of the features of the app.

A loading screen opens into the main menu: News, Apps and Store sections.

Each section links with an image so that vertically scrolling the text moves through matching images, as below.

Each section includes articles, videos or galleries creating a really interactive application. It also adds a lot of detailed information to each collection, range or section of the app.

For example, the Dior New Nude area allows the user to view articles about the model, the range, the Dior makeup brushes you can use and watch a video.

The video applications open swiftly and move to landscape. The video can be shared, downloaded and paused.

All of the areas on the app can be shared socially, including facebook, twitter and email, found behind the 'share' button each page, top right.

The gallery opens the images full screen that can be either scrolled horizontally to move between images, or the user can press the small arrow right key to move from image to image. Each image can also be saved or shared.

The 'Apps' area has a number of applications that allow the user to interact. The feature above allows the user to choose a mascara that will suit their requirements. The user chooses the type of eyelashes they hope to achieve and the app will provide the user with the Dior mascara that they need to use. It makes the user feel that the app is tailor made for them and will increase brand interaction.

Another application allows the user to do the same, this time to choose the perfect Dior foundation type. It works perfectly and offers a number of options.

A lot of the app is dedicated to Dior makeup and the perfect, professional makeup application. The user is therefore able to view a large selection of make up tutorials as well as the area above where the user chooses the look they desire and the window opens as a video tutorial. Again, an excellent use of video to provide further information for the user.

The user can also then see the Dior products that were used in the video using the 'see the products' button. Again this is an excellent way to sell the products and link from tutorial to products.

Finally the store locator functions allow the user to find a Dior counter in any country and city in the world. The store then shows its place on a map, with an address and contact number.

Overall, although the app is non-transactional, you can see that a lot of thought and effort has been put into the application. There is information, imagery and video footage for each section and there are more sections than you can count. It is beautifully presented in sleek black with the brand logo positioned top centre at all times. The three main areas allow for a very clear and easy to use application and do not over complicate the users journey. I have never seen so many interactive features in one application also and for that, the app is truly special. Overall, I would like to give the app a 4.5 stars for truly caring about their consumer and creating an informative lookbook channel to be proud of.

All screenshots taken of the Dior App, September 2012.

The John Lewis App

2012-09-27T00:35:00.000-07:00

The John Lewis app popped up some time in the last few months. Its objective seems to be one thing, to sell John Lewis products via another channel. Aside from this, the app does not really serve any other purpose than a mobile catalogue. That said, the look and feel of the app is succinct with the brand image and their usual identity traits. Clean, clear lines, beige grey tones with the signature green of the logo.

The opening screen is as above. No image or colour in sight, just four areas of navigation which are duplicated at all times throughout the bottom toolbar. The user can scan products in store to find them on the mobile app, search for a product, view their previously viewed items or find a local store. Nothing more, nothing less.

By deciding to 'Search', the consumer is taken to another plain page with only the brand colours displayed. A small description instructs the consumer on how to use the search function and the rest is common sense. By opting to 'Browse by department', a drop down list fills the screen to which you are able to vertically scroll to find your category. The categories are standard and also allow the consumer to shop by brand name.

Moving into the 'Women's' area, the user can again use the search bar to find a product. They can also vertically scroll through the list of brands or products. This is the first time we also see anything promotion based or even colourful on the application.

The product lists are slightly better. Each product displayed in a fairly large horizontal bar with a small description, colour, price and thumbnail. The user can at this point choose to sort the item with the sorting tools provided on the toolbar. Products can be sorted by relevance to the search, price low to high or vice versa, by how new it may be or in alphabetical order.

The user may also choose to 'refine' the products, moving further into the categorisation of the merchandise. Products are separated by brand, length, shape, price etc. and make the filtering process much easier.

The product area is as above. The thumbnail displayed slightly larger to the left with a description and price to the right. Yet, this is as far as product viewing goes. There is no option to enlarge, zoom or view other images. It is literally this one static image and only this. It is clear therefore that John Lewis are using this app as an extension of their selling channels and not for product exploration. I'm guessing they are hoping that people in the store or on the move will purchase the products on their phone after previously viewing the products. Very bold.

Below the image and description is the area to add the product to your bag or wishlist. The consumer can also read about the items care instructions, size guides, delivery information and news about the brand.

The information I must say is fairly detailed. It includes all of the information about the fabric as well as snippets of style advice and product information. At least they have this.

The news about the brand is also a nice touch and something I haven't seen much of. The retailer gives a short synopsis of the brand for the unaware consumer which really adds more personality to the garments.

The user is then able to share the product via email. Somewhat archaic in this modern age I feel, but at least there is some sort of sharing feature.

The history tool I do really like actually. The consumer is able to look back at products they have previously searched for in a clean and plain setting. It allows the products to appear brighter against the white background and offers a quick reminder of the item. Note how the price is missing though...

Finally, the user can find their local store, the primary purpose of the mobile application. This area I do like on this app as again it has some colour! The consumer can view a map or list view of the local stores and on choosing a location, can view the shop details, ring the store and view the opening hours, as below. It is very handy in some cases and adding extra information about each store is a bonus.

In conclusion, the app does what it is intended to do; sell the products. It doesn't include any fancy imagery or promotional material to create desire or inspiration, neither does it include any imagery at all actually. One product image per product is really poor and quite shocking for such a store so I would be surprised if it remains this way for much longer. Videos and imagery would have livened up the whole app and added more colour and visuals, as well as personality. Other marketing features would have also livened up this space without taking away from the overall design and feel. Otherwise however I do quite like the way that it has been designed so consistently with the website and the brand identity. It is also extremely easy and clear to use which is a bonus. I understand the the brand is aiming to look more upmarket and this app does portray this nicely. Therefore, although they have offered a working and easy to use channel, they have not given the user enough ways to view the products or be inspired, pushing me to award the app 2.5 stars out of 5.

All screenshots taken of the John Lewis App, September 2012.

Black Milk Clothing: The Web App

2012-09-25T03:06:00.001-07:00

Black Milk Clothing is an Australian Pure Play retailer that I happen to be mildly obsessed with. Their USP being stretchy elastane with a high lustre finish adorned in the most gorgeous, wacky and wonderful prints, they have taken the internet shoppers dream world by storm. Unfortunately they have not moved into the native application network, so instead I thought I would review their web app, seeing as it sits pride of place inside my 'Pure Play' app folder.

You should definitely have a look at their website if you haven't before. They have become a cult brand, with thousands of followers buying the designer garments, rushing to take photographs wearing them and posting them on the Facebook profile. As such, the brand has capitalised from utilising their loyal followers as their models, re-posting the most glamorous and exciting photos from the thousands of options they receive daily. I must say, I have myself taken the odd instagram photograph in their latest leggings or swimsuit to find myself adorning their Facebook feed hours later. Each consumer photograph is also tagged as the corresponding garment tag, meaning that at the bottom of every product screen, the consumer can scroll through hundreds of tagged consumer pics of them wearing the exact garment. Very clever indeed. I myself have completely dismissed a particular piece and then after viewing the styling ideas of other 'Sharkies' (The Black Milk loyal follower who apparently 'noms hard' at every product launch) I have then become obsessed with the idea I must buy that garment. I could write a whole lecture on the marketing techniques of this brand as they far surpass others, yet lets get into what their mobile app looks like shall we...

The main screen opens to their brand logo above a picture of their primary promotion model Julietta who just happens to look incredible in whatever piece she is wearing. Above this, the clock is counting down to the next Black Milk product launch 'Star Wars,' just in case we weren't all excited enough. If a new product launch is coming out, it is promoted before the last launch has even come out, so that buzz is constantly building and building for each and every launch. It means that people in the UK have to awaken at 5am to sync with the 2pm Aus launches because they are that desperate to get their hands on the sell out pieces. And I am not over exaggerating here. I can not exclude myself from this.

Below this are the categories in light greys and black text. Very boring for this brand I must say, but it does form some consistency between their rather modern and minimalistic website. It leaves the clothes looking like the brightest thing on the page and that is all part of the plan. At the bottom of the categories are the two recent launches, 'Sick Puppies' and 'Ammo' and finally the 'Museum' section where past clothing pieces are stored. How many other retailers make a museum out of their past pieces? Exactly!

Moving inside the product category of choice, the user again gets to see a lot of grey and black, this time with a small thumbnail of the garment. At this point, each product also displays which sizes are available - something they have to do now because the need for stock was so high and girls were proclaiming suicide every time they did not bag a pair of leggings. Now they are calmly sedated by the assurance that more will be stocked soon.

By moving into the product screen, the thumbnail is moved to full screen with a number of options for further views. These are the cathedral leggings, and yes I can see them hanging on my rail from where I am sitting. Having an enlarged view of the garments is perfect for seeing the piece in more detail and having them set against a white background really brings out all of the fantastic colours. By scrolling horizontally, the viewer can see more. This can sometimes be slightly glitchy though, and the screen isn't sure if you're scrolling for more images or just scrolling down.

Below is the full product screen from top to bottom...

By moving down the screen, the user can view the imagery and find out a small amount of information about the product. However for most Black Milk consumers, they already know the thread count of these garments practically, so this information is usually overlooked as standard. The price is then shown in Australian Dollars, something that the website converts into GBP which is really handy. This could perhaps do with being changed just for added price assurance to the foreign user.

Below this are the available sizes. As I mentioned, here they reassure the consumer that although size Large is out of stock, they are sewing more, you can put down the knife. Of course Im exaggerating and it is never this extreme, but some of the melodrama you view on the facebook page is insane.

Further to this, the photo tags have been implemented on the mobile app concurrent with the website. The user can scroll through hundreds of tagged pictures of avid fans wearing the products in various weird and wonderful circumstances. In fact, the more weird the better in some cases. See below.

Exhibit A, as mentioned.

So, moving into payment and actually settling on the perfect pair, the user adds it to their bag. They then move into the cart area where they can see their product summary. Here it is displayed without packaging costs however, but you will be hit with that at the next page. If you are happy, you can proceed. However, I am not that happy with the page. It is so bland, I want to be super excited about this purchase, not just sent to a standard grey screen that looks like it has been built in two minutes using the default layout settings.

The user can login to view their account and add the garment to their list of previous purchases, or they can continue as a guest if this is a fleeting visit. It is all very straight forward and easy to use. Not much thought has gone into the design apart from offering ease of use and clarity. Note how the menu drop down tab is always displayed on the top of every page also, just in case you want to move around the app. This takes the place of the usual bottom toolbar, but as this is a web-app, it may not have been feasible. But at least there is a menu option there.

Finally, a small note on the museum area. Here they move any previous products that have sold out completely, so that consumers can ogle the products they have missed and therefore would kill for. On a few occasions, the odd piece is remade and the stocks fly out once again. But can you imagine Topshop doing this with their stock? First of all there would be too much stock and secondly I am pretty sure that there are a number of pieces that Topshop wish they could throw to the back of the cupboard and never mention again. This Museum section says how proud Black Milk is of every single piece they have ever made and just how fantastic they have always been. It's a brilliant idea and one that other brands just haven't managed to grasp yet.

Overall, it is hard for me to review this app without feeling slightly biased. I am a big fan of this brand and I hate to say anything derogatory about them. However, with my mobile head on, the app is a bit of a disappointment. I would rather see more white than grey to match their website and more focus placed on the garments, filling more of the drab grey space. I would also perhaps like to see a Lookbook area with the most recent promo shoots with their favourite model Julietta, just so I can view some professional shots and get excited also. They also bring out a video podcast every Friday, why not put this on here also so I can watch it on my way to work? James, if you're reading this, lets talk yes?

Overall, if I am reviewing this app and not the brand, I would rate it a mediocre 2 stars out of five, and it hurts me to say this. The 2 stars is derived from their implementation of the tagged photos areas and number of images with product information. With this said, I am so sure though that Black Milk are going to hit us soon with a mobile app to die for and I can review it with the big 5 shiny stars. Until that day, I will continue to browse the website daily.

All screenshots taken of the Black Milk Web app, September 2012. Logo taken from a generic google search.

The House of Fraser App

2012-08-30T07:15:00.001-07:00

The House of Fraser app is fairly new on the application scene. The brand is one that I often perceive as fairly mature, especially in the department store category. However, after viewing the app, my perceptions have definitely started to shift. A while before they released the app, they had designed a House of Fraser gift app, which I unfortunately never got round to reviewing. I was waiting for the day that they would release their entire store into mobile form, and finally that day came.

Along the bottom of the app is a tool bar. From here the user can go home, shop the store, find a store, view their account and checkout. By placing the bar at the bottom of the page at all times allows ease of use for the consumer and helps them to quickly access the most requested areas.

By choosing to 'Shop', the user is given the option of shopping by department, by brand name or within the sale area. By narrowing down the categories in such a way, it keeps the design clean and simple and not overly fussy. Yet, the consumer is still given a choice.

I opted to search by department. so I was given the choice of beauty, women, shoes etc., and obviously HOF's biggest selling categories. By moving into dresses, the products are spaced in rows of three as thumbnail images. There is no text to tell you prices or descriptions, therefore the user relies on their interest in the product to take them further. This does allow for quick product scanning though. However, by choosing the button third on the right, displaying four squares in a window pattern, the screen is customised to products in rows of two. This display allows the user to view the products larger and with accompanying text, prices and reviews. Customisation tools are a must have feature for retail apps, especially for department stores with such a vast assortment of product.

The user is also able to 'filter' the products by a number of options. Again another must have for such a wide variety. Lets just say, 1748 dresses! The 'sort by' function is also extremely useful for narrowing down the product search by brand, price or name. The handy drop down is also really aesthetically pleasing.

By moving into the product page, the user can view a larger image, a description, prices and multiple views by scrolling horizontally. The page is fairly clear and uncluttered with a number of simple options.

By tapping an image, the view is zoomed to full screen where the user can manually zoom into the feature and inspect the item in more detail. From here they can also look at the alternative views shown as small thumbnails along the bottom.

By scrolling down the product page, all of the product information is listed below. What I really liked was the amount of detail and description that each product had. When some retailers only offer one line of description to their consumer, this app came as a breath of fresh shopping air. Everything is clearly listed with quick usable buttons if they are needed. If I was truly interested in this product, I could look through this areas to add the item to my gift list or wish list, or even find a store that might sell it. I can then look at the description of the product and lower down (Right hand image) I could share it on Facebook, Twitter or via email. Furthermore if I am querying whether or not to buy it, House of Fraser have gone extra efforts to reassure me why I should buy the product with delivery, returns and sizing information at the tap of a button.

Reassuring the consumer is key to mobile success, and by providing the consumer with more confidence via such simple elements as extra information in the place it should be, I say hats off to HOF.

Here are examples of two of the areas. The delivery info page opens to a full screen scrollable page consisting of all of the relevant information. By opting to tweet the garment, a cute tweet box opens up to represent your own tweeting box. From here you can write what you want and tweet it straight from the app - of course with the garment URL attached. All very easy.

The third option on the toolbar is the store locator. The main purpose of apps at the beginning of their mobile reign was to direct the lost and wanting consumer in their direction. After a while, apps became far more interesting, yet have still remained to ensure traffic to store. I find it all very boring, but I do understand why it's on there. I suppose in the case of being in a new and unshopped city, this may be extremely handy; yet I often find myself fumbling for google in those cases.

The store locator is handy enough to give you addresses, directions, the address and even opening times. This is fairly useful actually and I haven't seen many stores that have in-putted such detailed information about their stores. But then again, there aren't as many HOF's as there are Topshops in the world, so this shouldn't be such a problem.

The 'My Profile' area if one of my favourites. Whereas other retailers would have made this a boring area of account information, your addresses and previous orders, the House of Fraser app mixes it up with cute little icons and broken up sections. The user can 'keep in touch' by viewing messages from the brand, read their blog or look at their Facebook page. They can also find their store again, scan products or manage their gift and wish lists. Here they are also able to sign in to their account and view their information that way.

The user can also 'Check in' to stores, just to integrate even more social media into the equation. There is also an area for customer services information and settings options.This is by far one of the best profile areas I have seen.

Here is an example of the House of Fraser blog that can you view via the profile area. I had to put this in just because it is that brilliant. Long have I moaned about retailers not utilising optimised blogs within their mobile apps. Finally it looks like someone has taken the time to listen and has really shown the others how its done. All it takes is an image, followed by some text and a scrollable page. Yet House of Fraser make it look fantastic. It looks like it has been designed with responsive design, allowing the page to fit within usable tabs such as women, men and beauty below a nice blog banner. Each post is separated by a large title header and a photograph of the author. It is neatly and professionally done. See, its really not that hard is it!?

Finally, the 'bag' area is a general checkout space. The items that the user has placed into their 'bag' are displayed as large thumbnails with a small description. Below this, just in case the user was unsure, the retailer has listed the possible ways to have the item delivered, including free collection in store. Again it works as a reassurance tactic and persuades the user to follow on with their checkout.

By choosing the checkout, the user can see their subtotal, and the items listed below again.

By moving down the page, the user comes to a discount code box (always nice to see) and the options to pay. Again, the checkout area is very well explained, laid out and contains all of the relevant information. It makes the process easy and swift.

So, overall what is the verdict? Excellent! The product viewing functions are ample and easy to use, allowing a thorough view of the garment. The checkout process is simple and intuitive with full explanation. The store locator is helpful and presented neatly. The profile area is filled with more areas than you can shake a stick at and answers any questions you have. Yet, I do have a few qualms with it. Where is the imagery or the inspiration? Where are the videos that show me the garments or the new collections? The blog however is fantastic, but I think it should be brought out and made more of a fuss of. Someone may overlook it in the area it is placed and the brand could make it a real asset if they spent time creating great content. For really surprising me and making me appreciate this brand a lot more now, I award the app a 4 star rating.

All screenshots taken of the House of Fraser App, August 2012.

Miss Selfridge - Setting the New Standard

2012-06-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, Miss Selfridge is one of the latest high street retailers to join, as I like to call it, 'the app club.' Many of the Arcadia brands have yet to join, such as Dorothy Perkins, but finally Miss Selfridge has been put on the mobile map, and I for one am extremely glad. Not because I am a loyal Miss Selfridge fan or anything, but because the apps design definitely raises the bar. Here is why...

So, the opening screen opens to a large promotional shot from a latest collection, beneath a list of alternative menu options. At the bottom is a toolbar with four different options which can be seen throughout the full apps usage. I would also like to note that upon opening the app, the brand logo appears in a short fade in sequence which again is a lovely touch. All very easy and simple so far.

The product viewing is also simple and easy to use. By moving through into 'New in', the clothes are laid out in thumbnail format, three to a row. There are no prices displayed nor descriptions, yet the thumbnails are of an ample size to get an overall impression. The user is able to view the latest garments in a quick view and can click onto any garments of interest if they wish.

As many of the 'No Need for Mirrors' apps have, (the app designers responsible for the majority of high street apps), there is a sort tool and refine option integrated into the product listing pages. The user can refine their search by colour, price and sale items, allowing for a helpful and customised experience. The results of my own PhD research have started to come through recently, and looking at what consumers thought of these tools and how they behave towards them has come out as really interesting. Hopefully I can publish such results asap.

Anyway, moving on, so when you choose an item to look at in detail, I chose this beautiful embellished vest, you are given a number of options to help your evaluation. A large image is displayed on the right hand of the screen whilst additional views are displayed along the left side. By selecting another view, it slides into place as the large image, swapping places with the image chosen before. By selecting the large image, the screen moves to full screen and allows the user to manually enlarge the image, perfect for looking at the finer details. Furthermore, by choosing to open the description bar, signified by an upwards arrow, a pull out menu appears, displaying all of the products information. This includes the colour, item code, a description with fabric and wash guides. Additionally, a feature that I love, is that at this point, the user is offered advice as to the delivery service. So many consumer will come to this point and think, 'Yes Id like to buy it, but it depends how much. Now I will have to find out.' Instead, the consumer can get to this point and be automatically told such lucrative information for purchase. Very clever indeed.

Additionally, as if this area couldn't get any better, there is also an option to view the size guides. Likewise to the delivery information being placed in such a necessary place, the size guides can be just as important for some consumers. By selecting to view the size guides, the user is taken to a specific size guide menu with multiple options depending on the garment. Again, excellent!

I thought I would include this part just to show how simple and fairly persuasive this section is. The consumer can select their size from the options, and are prompted to 'add' it to their bag. Swift, simple and helpful.

Moving back to the main menu, using the small house logo in the top right corner, the user can also choose to 'Shop All.' The layout of this section is slightly different to the 'New In' category, allowing the user to move through category lists into a listed product view. Here the user can view each product by scrolling vertically, and are given both the price and description alongside a thumbnail.

The next menu item is the 'Lookbook,' and if you have read any of my other app reviews, you might have guessed that I particularly like these areas. As a fashion consumer, it is exciting to be shown inspirational new images of the latest collections and they can really help to influence certain consumers. So why exactly some retailers have dismissed to add such an area to their app, I am slightly baffled by. However, this app has done so, and in fact has offered a number of Lookbook options for the consumer to choose from. By moving into the lookbook, the images are displayed again as thumbnails and allow the user to select and enlarge the ones of interest...

The images are then displayed full screen, with or without the bars along the top or bottom. The images cannot be zoomed or enlarged however, so the finer details cannot be examined entirely. However, something they do have is a 'shop the collection' option at the foot of the page. By selecting this tab, another page opens to reveal a products list of the collection items. I adore options like this and make the browsing and buying process so simple. Good job!

The next section is 'Videos' and again I am a big fan of these areas. They come part and parcel with lookbooks and really offer inspiration and advice for the consumer. If they needed an incentive to purchase a product, then they certainly might find it here. The videos are listed as thin, horizontal bars and can be selected easily, opening up a large video page with handy play buttons.

The next menu, 'Features' is another excellent addition. At this stage, the consumer is offered exclusive pages for specific trends, garments or collections, displaying them in a blog and email format style (as below).

The user can scroll down the page to view a beautifully merchandised page of products with prices and descriptions. Each item is fully linked to its own unique product page or the user can alternatively 'shop now' to go to a list view of the products for browsing. This is so nicely done, it fills me with utter glee! These kinds of pages are usually sent via email or offered on the retailers web page, and it has perplexed me as to why they hadn't been integrated into the mobile site yet, therefore thank you Miss Selfridge for being the successful guinea-pig! I love it!

The next area is the blog. The majority of apps have placed their blog onto their apps unoptimised for mobile phones, and unfortunately Miss Selfridge is not excluded from this. A few apps however have utilised bite size blog feeds, with smaller tabs for mobile usage that lead to the blog post. They are so much easier to use and mobile friendly and I was disappointed when I realised that Miss Selfridge had not broken out of the webpage blog format yet. Therefore although this blog isn't as bad as some I have seen, it still isn't all that good either. You still have to zoom in and out to stand half a chance of hitting the right button with your giant finger. Note to all app developers, I hate this.

The next option is the 'scan' tool. The user can scan an items barcode in store in order to find the item on the app. It is useful for those customers who are searching for an item out of stock in their size. They can scan the item and be shown where else they can get it. I am yet to use this option as I generally prefer to just find the item online anyway without the need of the barcode. However, I think I might give this whirl and let you know how I get on.

Right, the 'Check In' option. This is for those consumers who really enjoy social media sharing. When visiting a Miss Selfridge store, the user can check in to the store in order to let their friends know they are shopping there. For some consumers, and especially the younger market who enjoy shopping with Miss Selfridge, this might be a really appealing option. It is also another way that the brand can be displayed across social media for some free advertisement, and of course that is never a bad thing.

The final option, 'My Miss Selfridge', is another area that I have never seen before on an application. This area allows the user to become an ambassador for the brand, offering them news and the chance to upload their own styled Miss Selfridge imagery to the site. Such an idea has been used before and extremely successful. You really need to check out Black Milk on Facebook if you would like an example of consumer led imagery and marketing done the right way. It helps the user to feel like a part of the brand and will increase their loyalty, plus the loyalty and aspiration of others. For that reason, I completely understand why Miss Selfridge have given this a whirl.

Now, moving onto the lower toolbar on the app, the store finder is pretty self explanatory, as always. Handy and helpful. There is also another option, the 'Messages' section, yet when viewing the app there were no messages to view at that time, therefore I left it out. It is just a general area where the brand can send the latest news, promotions and advice to consumers in a way that forms a mild consumer relationship. The scan option can also be viewed from the toolbar, allowing for quick access when the consumer needs to use the option in a rush.

The final option is 'Your Bag,' again very self explanatory. It displays a large image of the garment for final evaluation, the size, price and description. The user can then checkout.

Finally, the user can also view the companies information. On the home screen, a small 'i' logo can be noticed towards the bottom right, leading to the services area. Here the user can read FAQ's, terms and conditions and view the size guides again. However, because the brand has integrated these features into the app so well anyway, this area acts as a back up rather than an essential part of the app. The fact that some apps are yet to add relevant services information for the consumer is still something I find totally ridiculous. So another ten points for Miss Selfridge for being so ahead of the game.

Overall, I find this app extremely hard to fault. It integrates a number of helpful features for the user in terms of customisation, inspirational advice such as lookbooks and videos, informational areas separate and integrated into the product areas and additional features such as the merchandised collections. Furthermore, the interactive features such as the scan in store is a useful and exciting new technology and 'My Miss Selfridge' adds a real character and image to the brand. The blog area could be reformatted to be in a mobile friendly structure though perhaps. That and video catwalks alongside the products for further image technology would be perfection, yet I realise space is a big issue with this. Yet this does not taint how I feel towards this app, its absolutely brilliant.

For that reason, at this point in time, I really think the app deserves 5 stars out of 5.

Screenshots taken of the Miss Selfridge app, June 2012.

Esprit: The Retail Lookbook

2012-06-08T02:35:00.000-07:00

Esprit is a retailer I do not have much experience with. Yet I feel due to such, I will be able to make a fair review of their mobile app without positive or negative bias. In fact, the app is actually really good, and because of that, my feelings toward Esprit are now more positive. That is half the battle won I guess.

So the app opens onto a large main image of their celebrity model. The brand logo is emblazoned across the page for recognition and creates a modern and simple appearance. Four areas are listed along the lower toolbar including galleries, which I'm presuming is a lookbook; Clips, again I'm presuming are videos of the collection; News, and a storefinder.

Moving into the Galleries area, my first assumption is in fact proved slightly incorrect. Rather than a mere Lookbook of latest product imagery, the screen is split into blocks of collections. Scrolling down, the screen encompasses 6 alternate collections including kids, trend areas and mens. By selecting any of the collection images, the user moves through into a page of product imagery.

Unfortunately the app is currently non transactional. However, as far as Lookbooks go, this one tries to be as helpful as possible for the browsing consumer. The page opens up displaying thumbnails in rows of three, allowing a vertically scrolling page. The user can look through the imagery in this way or alternatively select the image of interest. Moving into the individual image, the user is offered a larger view which can also be manually enlarged, product codes for later purchasing and ways for them to share the image by email or Facebook. Furthermore, by selecting the flag icon, the app will locate your nearest store. As this option is also available on the home screen, I am slightly bemused as to why this option is offered twice, yet I guess the point of this app is to send consumers to store. By scrolling horizontally, the user can move efficiently from image to image, rather than returning to the previous screen.

The remaining areas are presented similarly concerning the collections they are advertising. The overall presentation is neat and simple and provides a clear view of the products. The logo is always kept in the top right hand corner.

The second area, 'Clips,' displays a short clip of the latest collection items. A number of retailers have failed to add video clips into their apps as a way of providing more visual product information, therefore it is great to see non transactional apps taking advantage of the video format.

The News area is slightly unusual. The user is firstly able to select their country from a range of six, in order to be given the most relevant news. Obviously this app is utilised in a number of countries, saving the company time and effort to release alternative versions. Due to such, different nationalities are able to discover the latest news about the brand from the same application and shows the diversity of the brand.

The news area itself though is slightly disappointing. There are no visuals or anything to really look at, relying only on the idea that you might click through the links offered and view more through your browser. Yet, I do not want to be moving from the app to my browser when the app is supposed to be for offline convenience. This is a shame, yet could be quickly improved with a little more colour and content.

The final area is the store finder and allows the user to locate their nearest store. As the app is non transactional, this will be the main objective of the app. It is easy to use and presented simply.

Overall, the app is useful in its non transactional form. It allows a brief overview of the brands latest products in image and video format, offering product codes and the ability to share. The News section is lacking slightly yet the fact that they have incorporated a news feed in 'bite size' format is something I would congratulate them for. They could have been lazy like the majority of retailers and offered an unoptimised blog, so for that my feelings are again heightened. I would like the app to be transactional, with clever ways of buying from the Lookbook areas, yet this may not be part of Esprit's strategy at the current time. Therefore, in its current Lookbook format, I award the app a 3 out of 5.

All screenshots taken of the Esprit app, June 2012.

Mango: More fruitful than ever

2012-05-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

I have reviewed the Mango app previously here, marking it highly as an app that included not only transactional capabilities, but special added extras. However, there were areas on the app that I noted warranted updating, such as the services information offered, and product information. I am now happy to say that these areas have been upgraded along with the rest of the app, and the results are excellent.

The Mango app menu screen is much more interesting and concurrent with the brands other channels. Rather than a large promotional shot adorning the menu screen with a few navigation icons, the menu now comprises of tabs, extra areas, catalogues, and links to the shopping collections. Every section on the menu is selectable.

The user can shop either Mango, H.E. By Mango - the male collection, or Touch, Mango's accessories sub-brand. Each of these tabs leads to a new menu page with a similar layout to the first. The Mango screen displayed above also comprises of four Mango areas, New, Collection, In-store and My Profile. Furthermore, the large image in the centre navigates to a Lookbook catalogue of the newest pieces for summer. Finally, the horizontal tabs below the central image additionally lead to extra areas, including the Mango magazine, blog and videos.

The brand has really tried to create a full channel extension with this updated application, and its a true asset to the brand.

The area labelled 'New' is as assumed. The newest garments are displayed as thumbnails that can be scrolled vertically. There is no text to display their price which may be of concern to some users, but to others, its simplicity of design and focus on the products is also appealing.

By clicking through into an individual product area, the user is shown the garment in a number of views. The main image is displayed large on the right whilst other views are listed as small thumbnails along its left side. By selecting another of the images, the large image is swapped for the new. By additionally tapping the main image, the garment is displayed in full screen, offering a large product viewing. The user can manually zoom this image to see further details. The image interactivity technology utilised within this app has been greatly upgraded and the users ability to view the products in full is now excellent. One of my favourite aspects of this app however is just beneath the product images...

By scrolling further down the product page, the user is given a product information area. Here the user can read a product description, share the item or save the image to their phone, view the additional products photographed to complete the look, and view the care instructions for each garment. Such thorough information is fantastic and its layout and design is superb. It is clear, simple and informative, and that is all it needs to be.

Moving into the 'Collection' button, the user can view the rest of the Mango apparel. Each category is listed, displaying the number of products within the category. After choosing a category, the garments are again listed as thumbnails, in the same layout as the 'New' area. The one problem I have to mention here however is that there is no option to refine or sort the garments. If the user wanted to view the 265 dresses, they do not have any option to refine them by price, colour or size, therefore making product searching long and laborious.

The 'In-store' area is again as assumed. The user can search for an area and be directed to the nearest stores, listed either in a map view or customised to a store list.

The 'My Profile' area is the area for all of the users questions and orders. They can access their account by logging in or registering, and additionally view FAQ's. The previous app version did not have an FAQ's area and was greatly lacking in extra information. However, the brand obviously noticed such a flaw and have managed to solve the problem.

The user can view how to purchase from the brands channels, how to use the app and how much the services cost. There are 18 questions for the user covering all aspects of the brands channels. It is again simple and straight forward.

The following images show some of the added extra areas available on the app. The April Issue tab takes the user to the Mango magazine - an inspirational collection of the latest Mango pieces and how they can be worn. The links within the magazine pages can not be selected however, but instead, the user can scroll down the page to view a list of all of the items displayed. The image can also be shared and saved onto the users phone. The magazine experience is therefore convenient and exciting, leading consumers to product purchases.

The Mango 'Keep the Beat' blog is a great collection of writing for the Mango consumer, yet it is not overly optimised for app usage. Don't get me wrong however, it is so much better than the majority of other retailers who integrate their internet blog into their app. The only links that the user may need to click through are listed down the right hand side, making the usability fairly easy. Yet, I still feel that bite-size chunks of information in a slightly larger font would improve this area for the mobile user.

An area labelled press kit is a Lookbook of items coming soon. The line above the images reads 'On sale from July' and informs users of new products to hit the stores. The images can again be shared on networks or saved for later.

An area named 'Click and Shop' again allows users to buy directly from product imagery and videos. By scrolling to the bottom of the page, the user can again shop the items shown in the video or images. In fact, a number of the areas incorporate product videos to show full views of the products, including runway videos and product shoots.

The video's move to full screen view when selected and utilise the usual iPhone play and pause keys.

The app also comprises of an archive of previous catalogues and issues of the Mango catalogue. The user can again shop the garments displayed by scrolling down the page. It adds further inspirational ideas for the user and a convenient shopping experience. The user can go straight to the product page and put each item into their bag.

The shopping basket is again neatly presented and clear. The items are listed with the size, price and description and allows the user to quickly modify or delete the garment. The bar at the top presents the final price of the items and prompts the user to buy.

The H.E area allows male Mango consumers to view the latest trend and spring shots, as well as the full product selection for purchasing. This section of the app works the same way as Mango, and again offers an easy and convenient way to shop. Mango Touch is the same, an easy and user-friendly way to buy the Mango Touch accessories. The colours used for each of the three sections is different, fitting in with the target consumer and brand image of the extensions.

Overall the app is filled with added extras for every consumer. The product pages are thorough, incorporating full product information, multiple product views and enlargement tools. As well as being able to buy both male and female clothing, the user can additionally view past and present Lookbooks, read the company blog, and watch recent runway and product videos. The only drawbacks of this app is firstly the lack of refining and customisation tools. The users experience with product searching would be highly improved if they were able to refine what colour or price they would like to find. Customisation tools such as image or list views for products would also be beneficial, allowing the user to switch between the thumbnail images of products, to a listed view with price and descriptions. Furthermore, more personalisation features such as 'You could also buy' would also be of benefit for those consumers looking to buy similar products and could influence Mango's sales. Additionally the blog, although very clear and simple, could be bettered with chunks of text and images in a size suitable for mobile phones.

Otherwise the app is fantastic and an asset to the Mango brand. For this reason, I award the app a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.

All screenshots taken of the Mango app, May 2012.

Debenhams: The Mobile Department Store

2012-04-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

Debenhams is the first department store to move their entire product range into mobile commerce. With such a vast assortment of products from clothing to homeware to beauty, it is a surprise they have managed to fit so many items onto one application. Yet somehow they have, allowing the Debenhams consumer to search and purchase through their app alike to their online store. Not only this, the app often sends out push promotions for mobile consumers, displaying pop-ups on the users phone for free delivery and voucher codes for use by app users only. The incentive for the consumer is therefore great and even I have been tempted to purchase something for the sake of utilising the discount.

The app is reasonably good. It doesn't shout fashion or excitement at you but it does offer a simple and easy way to browse the products. The menu screen displays a background image of a recent promotional shot. The image is probably supposed to be selling the clothes, but it is somewhat unexciting I feel. The menu options are listed above this for selection, but seem to get lost in the image somewhat, yet otherwise it is fairly straight forward.

Moving through into the 'shop all' category, the product floors are listed for quick selection. Here the user can navigate into clothing or view the homeware, lingerie or beauty areas. Simple.

Moving into women's, the categories of clothing types are then shown again simple categorised. I do feel though that some sort of colour or image at this stage, perhaps transparently placed beneath the categories would have brightened it up a bit and given the user some inspiration.

When the user has finally chosen their product category, the store lists the items in horizontal bars stacked vertically, alike to the other apps developed by NN4M. The products include a thumbnail image, a price, brand name and description and the user selects the bar to move into the product page. Alternative apps displays these areas slightly differently. Where some retailers opt to utilise a thumbnail only view, others tend to employ these horizontal bars, meaning that the user has to scroll through the products at a fairly slow speed. Yet some apps have integrated customisation features that allow users to switch from thumbnail to listed views. I can't help feeling that this app would have benefited from such a feature due to their abundance of products, but still the categorisation is clear and straight forward.

The product pages are the same as the other NN4M apps, utilising a large image and smaller thumbnails that can be selected to enlarge. However, additional to the other apps, this app employs additional features including viewing the other items in the range and viewing customer product views. The app also gives the user a star rating of the product based on such reviews.

The description is placed behind another button and offers only the very basic description of the product. I'm fairly surprised that this is all they offer for the consumer, especially when product information is so important for consumer purchases. The fabric would have been fairly useful at this point.

The enlarged view of the products is a nice feature, allowing the user to flick through the product images in full screen mode. The user can also manually zoom the images to view finer details. It is a necessary element of image interactivity and increases the apps professionalism.

The product reviews include the latest reviews from the consumer including a star rating and their recommendation. I haven't seen many apps integrate such a feature up to this point, as of course product reviews can either sway or deter consumers. However due to the Debenhams target audience, product reviews are more useful and helpful for purchase decisions, therefore their usage seems fairly useful here.

The app also integrates a gift list feature, whereby the user can add products to their wish list as well as a gift list area. This is perfect for those consumers planning birthday or weddings, allowing them to browse and gift list products on the move or even when shopping within the store. Very useful indeed.

The range items tab offers further products in the range of items. This is again another feature that is not often used, and is extremely handy for those users looking to buy matching items.

The refine and sort tools are again useful for the consumer, allowing then to sort the vast assortment of items according to their preference.

The 'My Debenhams' tab is the consumers area. They can view their gift list, wish list and add their own sizes for quick product searching.

The app also incorporates a bar code scanner, again perfect for the in store shopper looking to add to their gift list or to buy later at home. The user can either scan the item with their phone camera or enter the products code to find the item manually. It is again a feature not often utilised and builds the bridge between offline and mobile shopping.

The user is also able to manage their gift list, adding more products that the store seems as relevant or gift like. It creates an easy and usable experience for the consumer.

The Debenhams TV area is another insightful feature. Displaying recent videos of product ranges for inspiration, the user can view the videos on the move. It works as an added entertainment feature for the consumer and adds value to the brand.

The store finder is again sufficient for a consumer looking for the high street store.

The offers area, entered via the message icon on the menu screen displays the latest promotions from the brand. Some may be brand promotions such as the blue cross sale, but others as mentioned may be vouchers for the mobile users. This area makes it easy for the mobile user to find the latest promotions and will act as an incentive to purchase.

The information area entered via the menu screen is another great feature on the app. The user can view size guides for the products as well as information about the company, purchases and returns. Each category is listed simply for the user, allowing a quick and efficient method of information retrieval. Not many apps have integrated so much purchasing information for their consumers yet and it still baffles me to why this is.

Overall the app is a really useful and sufficient channel for the Debenhams consumer. They are able to shop all products, view item descriptions fairly detailed, view multiple views and utilise promotion codes. They can additionally utilise a wish list and create and manage a gift list. The TV area adds further value and creates a full shopping experience, and alongside the information area, creates an experience parallel to the service in store. Due to such detail and though being placed into the app, but the design being somewhat plain, I award the app a 4 out of 5 stars.

All screenshots taken of the Debenhams app, April 2012.

Figleaves

2012-04-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

The Figleaves app is again developed by NN4M, similar to my reviews of the Oasis and Warehouse apps. The app however manages to differentiate itself slightly, again congruent with its brand image. The app has created a brilliant new channel for the brand and offers a professional and stylish way to shop for lingerie.

The menu screen is simple and straight forward. It consists of five alternative product areas with three sub menus - settings, messages and shopping bag. The brand logo is displayed across the bottom unobtrusively above a recent promotional image. It is fine for the shopper, but I guess it could be a little more exciting.

By viewing the 'New In' area, the user is given a list of products in large horizontal bars. Whereas the majority of retailers opt to display their products in thin horizontal bars to allow a list of around 5 on one page, this app has decided to provide larger product images and therefore larger product bars. Each contains an image, brand name, description of the product and a price. By choosing one of the refine options along the top, the user is taken to the second image above, allowing the user to enter a number of refining options, such as what colours they would prefer to see. Due to the amount of products and brands on this app, this is an extremely useful tool for the Figleaves consumer. Additionally, the user can sort by price if they wish to.

By opting to shop by brand, the user is given a list of alphabetised brands that can be selected to browse the entire collection. The user can opt to jump efficiently to a particular letter down the right of the screen in the same way as an iPhone address list or scroll vertically though each name.

The Offers tab allows the user to view recent offers and promotions for either mens, womens or weekly promotions. In this section, the brand can offer the user promotions such as free delivery and bundle offers such as '3 Briefs for £20.' It works as an incentive for the mobile consumer to purchase and could possibly encourage consumer mobile loyalty.

The settings tab is the same as the other NN4M apps. The user can change the currency and turn on push notifications. However, this app integrates a size guide section for women, men and bras, essential for the lingerie consumer. I am unsure though why it would be placed inside the settings tab, as if I was a consumer, this isn't where I would look for it. Yet, it is still great that they have employed such an area.

The remainder of the app follows the exact same structure and features as the Oasis and Warehouse apps, the reviews of which can be selected above. Yet, this app does incorporate a few extra features, such as the size guides and offers. Unfortunately, it doesn't go much further than this. I would have liked to see some promotional shots for inspiration, maybe a Lookbook of new items or video features of collections. For this reason, the app scores an above average score of 3.5, but with a few added extras, could move into the 4 or 5 stars.

All screenshots taken of the Figleaves app, April 2012

Karen Millen: Following the generic

2012-04-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

Karen Millen is another app developed by NN4M, likewise to Oasis, Warehouse and any other brand in the Aurora Fashions group. It follows the same structure as the others yet with slight differentiation regarding the brand image.

By choosing to shop, the user is taken to the category listings. A Karen Millen product image is placed beneath the list in low transparency as further inspiration and allows a clear category view. Moving into a product category, the user is offered the products in horizontal bars listed vertically, consisting of a small thumbnail, a description and the price.

The product pages are alike to the other Aurora brands, with a large image and up to four smaller thumbnails. The large image can be tapped for a full screen view of all of the products, allowing for full product evaluation. From this page, the user can also share the garment and add it to their Wishlist. The description of the garment is placed beneath the images and includes fabric descriptions. Overall, the amount of information is ample and perfect for the mobile consumer. It could probably be improved by linked product videos or 360 views for a full interactive product experience, yet in its current state, the interactivity is adequate.

The 'Front row' tab displays recent promotional images of the garments in rows of three on a white background. Due to such, the garments stand out beautifully and create an aspirational image for the brand. By tapping the thumbnails, the images can be viewed full screen and scrolled horizontally. Unfortunately, the images do not display prices or information concerning the products which would have been useful, but otherwise they are nice to look at and create a brand personality.

The 'My KM' tab is a consumer area on the app. It allows the user to view their order history and reservations, and items in their wishlist. Having these elements placed into a prominent tab on the home screen is nice to see, as often this information is tucked away from view.

A unique element of this application within the 'My KM' tab is the 'My sizes' element - a personalisation tool for the user. By selecting 'My sizes' the user is able to enter their specific top, bottoms and shoe size into the app which is saved for later usage. When the user is shopping within a clothing category, as well as being able to refine or sort the results, they are able to shop via 'my sizes.' The search results are then filtered by the users size, only displaying those sizes available and creating a convenient service. It is a helpful and unique touch and creates a personal service for the Karen Millen consumer.

The store locator is the same as the rest, displaying the nearest KM stores and the nearest concessions, including store logos.

The Karen Millen Blog is the final tab, consisting of an unoptimised layout. It is simply the online blog, viewed through the app, meaning that the writing is too tiny to read comfortably. However, it is not the worst unoptimised blog I have ever seen, and is fitting with the brand design, yet, I would still love to see an optimised page or a blog feed for consumer ease of use.

Overall, the app is perfect for the Karen Millen shoppers mobile experience. It is adequate and suitable for shopping, consisting of the right amount of information and a few added extras. A few extra features could be added to create a full shopping experience, yet the designers may not feel it necessary for the Karen Millen consumer. With the app being similar to those of the other Aurora Fashions brands, I award this app with the same star rating as the rest; 3.5 out of 5.

All images screenshot from the Karen Millen app, April 2012

Coast

2012-03-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

Coast is another app developed by NN4M, alike to Oasis, Warehouse, and every other brand within the Aurora Fashions company. Changing only the colours, imagery and logos to be congruent with the specific brand image, each app is almost identical, and creates a recognisability amongst the Aurora brands. I have already reviewed the Oasis and Warehouse apps, so to find out more about the designs and structures of the Aurora apps, follow their links. However, I will instead review the pages on the Coast app that are alternative to the other brands; otherwise I will be repeating myself every time I write a review of an app by NN4M.

The coast app has a more elegant and sophisticated feel. Instead of having the image at a low transparency underneath the list of menu items, this app instead breaks the screen vertically in half, to offer a menu and a promotional image. The colours are concurrent with the branding and create quite a high fashion image. The menu buttons at the bottom of the screen are the same as the other apps, offering a settings tab, messages screen and a shopping bag. This app utilises a 'Lookbook' area to show off its latest campaign imagery, otherwise termed as 'Looks' on the Oasis app.

The product list screen demonstrates the products in horizontal bars, at a much higher width than others - I'm guessing in order to display a larger product image. It is simple and clear to read, yet perhaps a screen customisation tool such as viewing only images in rows might be quite useful also. The product imagery for this app is also really appealing. Professional, sophisticated and glossy, the images portray a feminine and classic brand. I always feel that getting your imagery right is half the battle of retail branding.

The Lookbook area is again elegant and chic. Recent promotional imagery is placed in rows of three and enlarged on selection. With so many on the screen, the colours and products can be seen as a true collection and add further interest for the user. Pretty is the word I would use to describe this and I'm inspired straight away.

Those are the only elements of differentiation that I was able to notice on reviewing the app. The other elements it utilises are all designed and structured the same as the Oasis and Warehouse apps, and therefore I would rather not repeat myself. All of the apps are brilliant, well designed, easy and convenient for the user but they all lack that little bit extra to get me excited about the brands. For that reason, concurrent with my review marks for the other Aurora brands, I award the apps overall design as a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Screenshots taken of the Coast app, March 2012

Next: Falling below expectations

2012-03-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

Next is one of the first, lets say, more mature members of the high street that has ventured into a mobile app. Its closest competitors for the adult market, namely Marks and Spencers, Dorothy Perkins or Wallis perhaps, have not yet adopted a mobile shopping channel, therefore Next certainly stands out as being a little different to the rest. To be honest, the app isnt completely awful, but it isn't all that good either. It lacks in information, multimedia and interactivity, and is definitely more of an extension of the catalogue and the website, than an entertainment channel all to itself.

The main category page, entered via the 'Shop' tab on the home screen, reveals a number of visual broad categories that can be vertically scrolled, including women's, mens, children's and homeware. By selecting the 'N' button on the top right of every screen, the user navigates back to the home screen.

The product categories are listed vertically in grey and black. Rather plain and boring to be honest. By selecting a product category, the products are listed in horizontal bars that the user can again vertically scroll. Each product bar consists of an image, product title and price on a plain grey background. Almost a tad below the standard. Along the bottom of the app is a toolbar consisting of the primary sections listed on the home screen, for easier access.

The user is also given the ability to narrow the search, allowing the items to be refined by fit, colour, length etc. It is the least the app should have and obviously means that the user doesn't have to scroll manually through 655 dresses.

Now, the individual product viewing pages are rather disappointing, really disappointing actually. The page consists of a small image, a zoom function, a product title, information and the option to view other related items. The information option does give just about enough information, consisting of the material only, yet it could also give lengths, care instructions or a full description for the consumer. For such a professional brand, I was quite stunned to see that this wasn't offered. Most shocking however is the lack of image interactivity technology on the page. The product is shown once, in one thumbnail that can be zoomed to full screen. You cannot however see the back, see the fabric close up, or any of the usual functions that retailers utilise in order to sell products online. Plus, the overall design of the page is so uninviting and unexciting, I'm just not inspired.

The ability to view the other items listed on the page is however a handy feature and hats off to the brand for implementing this. Although ASOS have an almost flawless website and app, this is one feature that they still haven't yet put into practice, so it's great to see other brands doing this.

The second feature on the app is the 'Quickshop' tool. It is one of the features on the app that truly shows how the app has been designed more for the catalogue consumer, allowing them a faster way to purchase direct from the catalogue pages. The user can enter the item number and size in order to add their products to their bag and buy without the need to phone or send off for their items. But again, the design leaves a lot to be desired. I'm really not a fan of this grey and white with green, but thats just my preference.

The third option is a store locator, again trying to aid the catalogue or store shopper in finding their nearest store.

The 'Offers' section doesn't quite do what it advertises on the tin. When I entered this area, I expected to see actual promotional offers, such as get 25% off this weekend, anything of that ilk, however it is merely a discounts area. Any products that are in sale, have been placed in this area in order to keep them separated from the other products. Or at least thats what I assume this is. Again however, the colours are dull and plain, this time with a generic sale red colour adorning the title bar. If I wasn't that excited to buy sale items before, I'm certainly not now.

The fifth area is the account section where a user can log into their account and settings via their email address or customer number. Standard and easy.

The final area is the help option. Again I expected to see a full and thorough list of help tools including FAQ's perhaps, delivery information, returns, size guides etc. However there are none of these essential pieces of information on this app and it is shocking to see. Instead, the user can call Next in order to gain assistance with the app, at a cost of 5p per minute. Why not just put the most frequently asked queries on the app for the majority of consumers to read, and then offer extra assistance if needed? I have never seen anything like this before, and I think this is why. Its a bad idea.

The final areas are the checkout options. The bag area is standard, with the products listed in horizontal bars with a price and size reminder. The total price is calculated below with the option to checkout. On checking out, the user is again asked to log in to their account or create one and seems to be a fairly simple process... it just doesn't look at all inspiring.

Overall, this app does manage to include all of the products that Next sells, which is a very large amount, however due to such, the information provided for each is lacking heavily. Offering consumers only one image of a product is ridiculous, yet perhaps the brand is utilising their app as the catalogue consumer's way to purchase, and therefore they do not feel the need to offer more product imagery. Yet, there will be consumers who do not own the catalogue and would like to shop via the app imagery. The lack of added extras of the app is also abismal, that being none whatsoever. Furthermore, the fact that the consumer can not find the answers to any of their queries directly from the channel is extremely poor. Adding all of this up together, with the fact that the complete design is really uninspiring, I award this app with a 1.5 out of 5. It really needs a lot of work if this is going to be taken from a way to purchase items previously seen, to an inspirational channel for the new consumer to read, watch, listen and buy from.

All Screenshots taken of the Next app, March 2012.

Warehouse

2012-03-11T11:39:00.000-07:00

There is little I can say about the Warehouse app that I have not said before. The developers, NN4M (No Need For Mirrors), are also the developers behind Oasis, Coast, Karen Millen and Figleaves to name a few, hence why they all look practically the same. They are also the masterminds behind the River Island app, who have fortunately managed to break the mould and create something extra special. However, Warehouse did not manage to break away from the rest and instead has an app almost identical to that of its Aurora Fashions co-brand Oasis. For this reason I am not going to run through every feature on this app as you can read about the Warehouse app via my review of the Oasis app. I will however make a few pointers where there may be a slight differentiation.

Please don't get me wrong though, NN4M are absolutely fantastic at developing and designing retail apps and are hugely successful at doing so. At the end of the day, they are creating an app according to a brief the retailer has set, therefore if one retailer is not bothered about their app looking like another, then it is their prerogative, not the developers. I have just strongly picked up on the fact that many of the apps developed by NN4M follow a similar structure and layout. It is obviously a design that is tried and tested and successful and therefore they are rolling it out to further apps. Perhaps the brands within Aurora Fashions actually want their apps to look similar in order to form a company recognisability, alike to the congruency of the Zara and Pull and Bear Inditex apps. Yet, I guess I can only speculate. Now moving on ...

The main screens are of course different in brand imagery, with an image being laid behind the menu buttons listed vertically. The categorisation is also the same, and allows the user an easy product search experience.

The warehouse blog has again been integrated into the app in an unoptimised form. On this occasion, the blog page did not work (above left), which doesn't really bode well. Again, I'm really not a fan of utilising unoptimised blogs within apps. It's just lazy.

The main difference between the two apps is the removal of the Oasis 'Looks' tab for the Warehouse 'Style Studio TV' - a video area where the user can view the latest Warehouse videos for events, style advice and new collections information. I like the fact that the app has utilised videos for the consumers viewing, they add a further persuasion and encouragement for the user to purchase based on their retrieval of crucial product information, yet removing promotional imagery for such is a shame. Videos are almost promo images under another name, and for this, the two apps remain joint in their efforts.

For this reason, I award the Warehouse the same star rating as Oasis, as they are fairly indistinguishable. They are professional apps, with brilliant product viewing features and information, yet some things need to be tweaked and others added, in order to make the app a truly informational, inspirational and functional channel.

All screenshots taken of the Warehouse app, March 2012

Oasis

2012-03-11T11:24:00.005-07:00

Oasis was one of the first retailers to jump on the app bandwagon as I remember. They have always kept it simple and no frills, caring little about the added extras, but focusing more on the products they were trying to sell. In some cases, this is definitely the right approach, keeping things minimal to not detract from the primary goal, yet it is always something I have disliked about this app. There was something just lacking. However, with a few new additions in the past month, the app is starting to resemble a true fashion channel.

The opening screen is usually always colourful and adorned with a recent promotional image. The menu, unlike many other apps that place a menu toolbar across the bottom, is stacked down the right hand side, and only on navigating back to this home screen is the user able to access the additional areas. There are six areas listed in total, with an additional three at the bottom, a settings icon, a messages icon and a shopping bag.

The 'Shop' and 'New in' tabs take the user to similar product lists. 'Shop' takes the user initially to a category list screen, moving from broad categories such as 'clothing' into a secondary screen with narrower categorisation such as 'dresses.' After selecting the appropriate category, the user is shown a vertical list of horizontal product bars consisting of an image, title description and a price. At any point, the user is able to either revert back to the home screen, or view their shopping bag on the bottom toolbar.

A feature that has been recently added are the merchandise categorisation tools. The user is able to refine their product selection by type, colour, price etc. or alternatively they can 'sort' the merchandise by price - low to high or vice versa. This is an essential app tool, as without it product search becomes unbearably tedious.

After selection of a product, the user is taken to the product viewing screen. The layout of this screen is different to many I have viewed before, mainly due to the thumbnails being shown on the right and the addition of the jumping movement on choosing a new image - a newly selected image jumps into position as the focal image. The product information is this time displayed on the screen, and on the chance that the information is too long to fit within the space, the user can scroll down to view more by moving the text. However, this tool is fairly hidden and a consumer may not realise there is more information to view. Yet generally, the information amount is ample and not too overbearing on the product page.

By selecting the main image again, the screen moves to full screen and allows the user to view the garment in more detail. Here they can tap through the additional views or alternatively manually zoom into the image by using the pinching screen motion that us iPhone users love. It gives the user lots of options of how they want to evaluate the product and is essential for the majority of consumers.

The user is additionally able to share the item or save the photo to their album. The majority of apps now also link to Twitter, yet this retailer has opted to allow sharing on only the Facebook network, with the additional option to email the photo to friends.

The next area available on the menu screen is 'Looks.' This area is intended as a source of new product inspiration and outfit styling. The user is able to choose from a number of thumbnail images, to which the screen is zoomed to full screen for enhanced viewing. From here the user can then vertically scroll through the remaining full screen images. I am always a fan of these areas as I feel that all brands need to at least attempt to portray their vision to their loyal or new consumers, especially the latter. It does create inspiration for the consumer and in a lot of cases will lead to the consumer hunting through the products to find the ones they have seen. It is well laid out, and allows for either small screen or full screen viewing, which should suit a multitude of viewers.

The wish list area appears next and is seemingly concurrent with that of the shopping bag. On a product's individual buying page, there is a large option to add a product to your wish list. On this selection, the product is added to the wish list area from which the user can edit the product, view the page again, add it to their bag or email their wish list to others. It is a nice tool to have on an app, often titled as 'favourites' or 'saved bag' but the purpose is synonymous. If it wasn't there, I do believe it would be missed by many.

The blog space is fairly disappointing. Like so many other retailers who have dismissed to optimise their blog space for mobile, Oasis have merely added their website blog to a section titled 'Blog.' There is no incentive for the user to read it unless they can be truly bothered to, and will take twice as long for them to read due to having to locate small links or zoom in and out. It is an area that a retailer can use to promote their brand, their recent promotions and latest news. It should be seen as a priority for many retailers who are attempting to acquire and retain consumers.

The final menu item is the store locator. As always, the user can find their nearest store and the easiest directions. It is a standard feature on every retailer app, for those users who only use an app to find out how to get to the nearest store to shop.

The app also consists of three separate areas, found only be selection of the three small icons at the bottom of the menu screen.

The first is a settings tool allowing the user to edit how the app communicates with them. They are able to turn on (or off) app notifications and change the currency. It's fairly mediocre stuff, yet when I selected the button, I expected to find services information, brand information or even an FAQ's section. However, such an area does not exist on this app, and I always see this as something quite unforgivable. Information for the consumer should be first on their list of priorities.

The second icon opens a messages page. At the time I viewed the app, there were no message to view, making the section seem somewhat worthless. Sending the consumer 'messages' would be more efficiently done via either email or through a blog feed, yet of course for that to work, the retailer has to first integrate an optimised blog feed...

The third area is the shopping bag. Fairly standard practice with an edit and checkout button.

An excellent feature offered from this retailer is the ability to collect your items from a store, or to alternatively have them delivered. This may be a great incentive for some consumers, and will possibly encourage more purchases, yet I feel that this option should possibly be mentioned earlier on in the browsing process. If there was a services information section, this sort of valuable information could be placed in such to inform consumers who are thinking of purchasing. But of course, there is no services information area...

Overall, the app is not all that bad. It has certainly upgraded within the last 18 months to include more essential features, yet it is still missing some crucial components. It manages to integrate a blog yet it is unoptimsed, and for that reason it becomes fairly pointless. It also utilises a 'looks' area to inform users of the latest clothing collections whilst also inspiring their ideas and style. The wish list and general product pages are also useful, with zoom tools and alternative product images, allowing a thorough and informed product experience. For this, the app is deemed much more useful and satisfying. However, it does fail to integrate an unoptimised blog as mentioned, and it doesn't include many forms of style or trend advice other than the looks area, i.e. videos, catwalks or style areas. It most importantly has not integrated a services information area for the consumer, to inform them of the most crucial information - returns and delivery policies, size guides or contact information. This is such a disappointment after so much effort has been put into the apps design. Therefore, this leaves Oasis with a star rating of 3.5 out of 5.

Screenshots taken of the Oasis app February 2012

Superdry: A vision in unisex

2012-03-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

On my first look at the Superdry app, I was pleasantly surprised. I do not know why my expectations were primarily low, but I suppose the fact that my expectations were surpassed, made my first viewing experience all the better.

The opening screen displays a promo shot from the brand, comprising of both a female and male model in the retailers latest collection. It is an initial reminder that the brand caters for both males and females, and of course acts as inspiration for the latest products. From this page, the user can access either the male or female product areas or the menu screen.

The women's section displays a horizontal list of every Superdry category in alphabetical order. This goes on for a few pages, and is perhaps a tad too much. For example, I'm sure that cargo pants and chinos could have been categorised into one, simple 'Bottoms' category, but yet again that would create a longer link trail. Swings and roundabouts I suppose. Nevertheless, its easy enough to use, just perhaps a bit dark for my liking. An app can look unisex and portray an outdoor, urban vibe without being designed in black, I'm sure.

When the user has moved into the category of their choice, they are then given product photography. The products are displayed in rows of three, displaying a price below. Fairly standard for product viewing lists. A feature that the brand has integrated though is a customisation tool in the top right hand corner. The user can customise the screen to view the products 3x3 or alternatively as a vertical list of horizontal product bars. In this way, the user can choose how they want to shop on the app. Nice. Yet, I really don't like how inconsistent the images are in terms of their backgrounds, shadows and colours. It looks messy and slightly unprofessional, but more on that in a second...

The individual product screens are again standard and useful enough. A large product image is displayed pride of place, with alternative views if the user scrolls horizontally. At this point only a brief description and price are on the page. I think my qualm with these pages is the photography. The product images are somewhat boring and standard. They don't seem bright and vibrant or even high quality. It is the image that sells the garments on a mobile or online store, so they really need to inspire the user and make them imagine they are wearing the item. For some reason, these images just don't do that for me. Think ASOS or Black Milk, or even something similar to their promotional shoots.

For more information, the user can select the information icon in the top right corner. It displays a longer product description, colour and material, yet why the materials are listed alongside 'UK size reference' I am unsure. Yet, it is an ample amount of information.

The product pages continue in the same way, yet also include a 'Whats hot' category compiled by the brand, I suppose for the latest trend advice. Otherwise there are no other pages within the women's area unrelating to products. If the user moves to the menu however, accessed via the upturned arrow in the bottom right corner, they can view a number of alternative areas.

My bag is pretty self explanatory. Horizontal bars of chosen products with a size reference and price. The user can checkout in a number of ways including using Paypal which is clearly advertised for consumers piece of mind.

The store finder. Generic; find your nearest store, view the map, give us a call.

One of the areas on the app that surprised me the most was the 'Vision' area. It was refreshing and interesting to see a brand refer to their campaign imagery as a vision, as of course, that is what they are intending to sell. The area consists of landscape and portrait images of the latest photo shoots, set in the usual Superdry style yet selling the vision of the brand. It adds inspiration and informs you visually about this brand, which I always love to see. This gained some brownie points.

The social area again is something slightly different. No other apps that I have seen have titled an area as a 'social' area, possibly due to the multitude of consumers who are backing away from social media marketing. Yet, there still are many who are interested in this side of a brand, and I did like the way that they had stored the different networks away.

The Superdry blog is fairly standard, yet unfortunately it is not optimised for mobile usage. Another of my pet hates. If other retailers (i.e. French Connection, H&M) can create a mini blog feed within their apps, then so can every one else. It will improve the social media influence so much more, not to mention the users experience. It seems so simple, yet so many retailers have failed to realise this.

The social network areas are merely links to the mobile versions supported inside the app. I'm not a fan of this approach really, where perhaps an automatically updating list of recent feeds within an optimised setting would be more relevant, similar to H&M. Yet, I guess that some people may 'Like' or 'Follow' the networks via this route, but just how many, I'm really not sure.

The account area allows the user to log in to their account or register for one. Pretty self explanatory.

And finally, the 'Info' area. Now this I appreciated a lot. The information sections here are very well categorised. Four categories are displayed relating to customer services, general information, brand information and an encouraging list of reasons why you should shop. Very simple and very appropriate.

Moving into each category, each subject is again clearly listed. The 'Why Shop' tab informs the user as to why buying from the retailer is a good idea, with free delivery and guaranteed returns. It's a simple way of reassuring those consumers whose main reason for not shopping is their lack of understanding of the delivery and returns procedures.

The customer services area is again succint. Each area is simple, clear and to the point.

Again, 'the brand' area allows further information as to the brands history, careers and their security policy. I haven't as of yet seen a retailer app go into such detail as to include recruitment and investor information, but it may be relevant to some. It does not hurt to have it there, so why not.

Overall, the app is an easy and consistent purchasing channel for the Superdry consumer. They are able to view and purchase products easily, view the latest brand imagery, read any information they would like and connect with the retailers social media. The only things that are really lacking are perhaps more product viewing aids, such as product videos, catwalk videos or advertisements. The blog should be optimised for mobile and the social networks integrated in a much more user-friendly fashion. Furthermore, as I have said previously, I believe this brands online efforts would be improved if they were to reconsider their approach to their product viewing imagery. The images of the products need to be more inspiring, brighter, vibrant, appealing. At the moment, there is something about them that makes me feel bored and uninterested, and I am a fan of this brand!. Especially with the overall design being so dark and masculine, vibrant product imagery would add an exciting touch and improve the overall experience.

Yet, due to some great effort being put into this app, I still award a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

All screenshots taken of the Superdry app, February 2012.

Net-A-Porter: Continuing to Inspire

2012-03-01T08:25:00.006-08:00

Net A Porter is brand I have a great admiration for. They always seem to remain a step ahead, leading the way in the pure-play designer market. Their website portrays elegance, sophistication and minimalistic style, creating an exciting and aspirational place to shop. Their new app format has managed to do just the same. Sleek, simple and superior, the design embodies the Net A Porter brand whilst delivering an easy and fashionable portal to purchase. Only recently have they updated the app to include all of the product lines and further brand information, and I am so glad they have taken the time to do so. The app is an asset to the company, alongside their iPad magazine app and of course their pure-play website, and the three combine to form an exceptional collection of channels. So here is why it is so excellent...

The opening screen is vibrant, colourful and individual. The brand has gone straight to the products, asking the consumer whether they would like to shop by shoes, clothing or bags etc, by not only asking, but displaying a product image of the same. They are also able to look at 'Whats new' in products and to view a 'Designer A-Z' category list so that every type of categorisation has been offered. It makes an interesting change from a generic list of product categories.

It is after choosing the type of products that you want to view, that the lists become available, yet the simple capitalised font and clear navigation is simple and easy to use. After selecting a category, the user is taken to the page, above right, displaying the garments in rows of three in a vertically scrolling page. The user is also given the ability to refine and sort the page according to price, designer, colour and size. Excellent.

The individual product pages are again simple and compact. The image is displayed centrally with the ability to scroll horizontally through further views. In this instance, there were five alternative images for the garment, allowing a more in depth evaluation of the garment. The only information on the page at this point is the price and designer name and takes no focus away from the garment.

Yet, if the consumer would like to view more information, they are able to tap the designer name and price to reveal an information section. It is in-depth, sophisticated and simple, the perfect amount of information for consumers who are deciding whether to part with a substantial amount of their hard earned pounds. The 'Editors Note' creates the impression that a specific fashion editor has evaluated this product for you, giving their interpretation of this garment. In addition to this are product details, sizing information and for those consumers who are interested in this collection, there is a handy link to the rest of the collection area. I have never seen a product information section so concise, it is bordering the lines of perfect at this point in time.

Further to this, the product pages also allow the user to add the product to their bag, or their wish list - which will move the item into the wish list area, accessed via the toolbar. For those users interested in social media, each product can also be shared via Facebook, Twitter and email, in another handy and compact drop down box. They really have covered all bases here.

Second on the toolbar is the 'News' area. Almost like a small news channel, this area is brimming with trend news, product and collection information, event news and videos and anything else the brand has to say. It looks chic, fashionable and interesting, and Im sure there is something for everyone to read. I am certainly inspired.

The 'Live' section is an area unlike any I have seen before. When I first saw this area, I thought it would be similar to H&M, in that it may consist of live social media feed updates. However, rather than a feed of what the retailer has been up to, it is a feed of what other consumers have been up to, or buying, in fact. The 'Live' area allows the user to discover what other shoppers around the globe have been viewing and adding to their bags and wish lists. Like I said, I haven't seen this feature before, and I truly understand why they have done it. Viewing what other people are loving and buying creates a sense of an urgent need. I am filled with jealousy, lust and inspiration, wondering how others will wear the piece, and if I could fit the garment with any other garment in my closet. I am struck down with envy and I need to have the item too. Very very clever.

The wish list fits the general standard. A pictorial list of garments that you have added to your wish list for later viewing, or as a hint to your boyfriend who of course will never see your app... but we can all dream. It allows you to add the item to your bag straight from this area or alternatively you can view the item again. Either way, it is simple and sufficient.

The shopping bag is again standard. Horizontal bars of each garment with the name, description and price, with a final total price at the end. The list can be edited, or the user can proceed.

The final area, 'More' is also more then expected. The user can log in to the retailer, log in to Facebook for easy sharing or view the help options. Neatly and simply presented, the user is offered every help topic from shipping information to their security risks. Covering every possible consumer question, help or service areas that are as in-depth as this reduce the consumer risks tenfold, and I'm sure the number of purchases is greatly increased on an app that utilises such an area, to one that does not. It is simple and necessary information and it baffles me how many app still do not offer such essential information. Luckily, Net-A-Porter have, and they have done it very very well.

Overall, this app includes simple and easy categorisation, an elegant and clear design, relationship and communication features such as the latest news and a live consumer buying feed. A wish list for later purchases, a services information area for every question under the sun and social media promotion tools. I cannot really fault this app. If I had to scrutinise, I would say that perhaps a defined video area would be useful, so that all videos were kept clear and separate. Another area that is lacking is promotional photography and shoots, the type of imagery that allows you to imagine how a product could be worn and styled in a particular setting. The kind that truly inspires. Yet, due to the professionalism of the rest of the app, these features are barely missed and perhaps would only clutter up such a sophisticated space. I award this app a 4.5 out of 5 with a hope that one day I might be part of the Net-A-Porter mobile team and I could take it to a 5.

All screenshots taken of the Net A Porter app, February 2012.

Oh Pull & Bear, what have you done?!

2012-02-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

I have reviewed the Pull & Bear app previously here... and I awarded it a 4 out of 5 stars for design and functionality. Although it lacked in the fact that it did not enable transactions, it made up for it in imagination and excitement. However, I regret to report that after the app was pulled from the App store in late 2011, the newly released app is hugely dissatisfying. When I saw that the app had been removed I wondered whether the brand had decided not to continue with a mobile strategy, because perhaps it was not worthwhile to their brand. Yet when I saw that they had a new app for download in February 2012, I gasped with delight at the idea that they had designed an app that was even better than their first. However when I downloaded their recent effort, I couldn't help but frown in disbelief.

The main menu has three sections whereas their last had four. This time there is no choice to view campaign imagery, but instead to view videos. Fair enough, but the layout has left much to be desired. What is that ugly black gap below videos? Where has the beautiful image gone from the last opening screen?

The product category menu - why are all of the images pixelated and bad quality? The design looks cheaper and less thought out. Just a generic offering. The previous app was sleek, beautiful and elegant. This just doesn't do it for me.

Now, you may have noticed by now after reading my previous post about their Inditex counterpart Zara, that the design for this is exactly the same. I realise that you are part of the same company guys, but come on, lets have some sort of imagination now? The product viewing is laid out exactly the same with black borders and rows of three images. It is clear enough but again somewhat dull.

The individual products, again, where is the information? Do you expect consumers to buy fashion garments without information? This again is exactly the same as the Zara app so if you want to see more of an opinion, please do read my Zara review. Otherwise, lets move on.

This is the videos section. Or perhaps I should say Video section, due to the fact that there is one video to take my fancy, yet 'videos' is still for some reason pride of place on the main menu screen. Hmm.

The checkout area. Again just like Zara's. Generic, standard, easy.

Store guide. Standard.

And once again, just like Zara, the 'Profile' area to look at your orders, and the uninteresting login page that each link takes you to. I cannot help but yawn.

Overall, I am astounded. Pull and Bear used to have a fantastic app that would rival many others in the market. It was sleek, cool and interesting, representing a wild, free and exciting lifestyle that urged you to buy into it as soon as possible. It was filled with beautiful scenic imagery and inspirational photography at every turn and even the navigation keys were built to aid your experience. The only upside to their re-design is their transaction capabilities. Yet, by adding that, they have removed everything that made their previous app special. It is no longer about selling you a fabulous lifestyle, it is about making you purchase, and I'm sorry but I will certainly not be rushing to purchase on this app. If the previous app had been made transactional, it would have been superb.

Due to the fact that this app mirrors Zara's, I cannot give it any other mark than the one I awarded Zara. It gets a 1.5 out 5 stars, and thats pushing it. As a big fan of their previous app, I am sheerly disappointed and I would urge Pull and Bear to re-think their strategy.

All screenshots taken of the Pull and Bear app, February 2012.

Zara: Dull sophistication

2012-02-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

The Zara app. What can I say about this. Erm, standard, simple, sophisticated. Yet whilst trying to remain positive, I cant help but feel that it is really somewhat dull...

The home screen isn't really much of an inspiration. Unlike many retailers who opt to emblazon their first viewed screen with an aspirational image taken from their latest collection shoot, Zara has sort of skipped that step and headed straight into the products. I see why they may have done this, but a bit of colour wouldnt have gone a miss. On a positive note however, the screen is clear and simple and doesnt take much thought or skill. It helps you to find the products, and sometimes that's all the retailer cares about. But I can't help thinking that in this modern marketing age, it is the little marketing tricks that make all of the difference to the consumer, and that without them, it leaves them feeling a sense of alienation.

Moving into one of the product categories, this example being 'Woman,' the screen is filled with product imagery laid out in rows and columns of three. The user can vertically scroll downwards to uncover further products and the product is selected individually in order to uncover more details. Again it is clear and simple and allows the user to get a sense of the products and collection.

The individual product pages are again simple, yet this time a bit too much so. The user is offered a few alternative views of the garment hidden behind a 'Photos' tab. Each photo can be zoomed and then clicked to move it to full screen. The user is then able to manually zoom the image. Yet apart from this small amount of image interactivity technology, there is nothing else on the product pages that add to or aid me in my experience. There is no product information, size information, fabric specifications or even a description of the garment. It is merely a "Here you are, here's the product. Buy it if you want to, if you dont like the look of it, don't bother!' Or at least thats how I feel that the app would speak to me if it was able to. Where is the information that is supposed to persuade me to put this product in my bag? Where is the effort from the retailer to encourage me to buy? It is just disappointing.

The checkout screen is similarly simple. Each item listed horizontally and stacked one by one. Each contains an image, price, reference and reminder of the size you have chosen. The total price is displayed at the bottom of the page, and if the consumer is happy, they can hit 'Buy.' Standard.

Again, a store guide. Blah.

The profile area of the lower toolbar is fairly easy to navigate but again somewhat boring. The user can access their Zara account from this screen, including viewing their recent orders and the addresses they have sent them to, but there is again no real information. No information about the brand, the returns policy, the sizes that the retailer uses. Nothing of any relevance to myself as a purchasing consumer. If I havnt made an order already, this just won't be any use to me whatsoever.

Now this is where it gets a little more interesting. If you actually stay on this app longer than five minutes and decide to scroll down the category screen, you will reach some features of more interest. From this area, the user can view their recent campaign imagery, their latest lookbook, and view collection videos. It's not much, but it is certainly necessary at this point.

The campaign section is what it says on the tin. The user can horizontally scroll through full screen images of the latest campaign shots. The images can't be selected for more information or the option to buy the products shown, they are there I guess for inspiration of some sort, but yet some prices might not have gone a miss. However, at least its there.

The Lookbook is slightly better due to its ability to offer you the products to buy. By again moving from one full-screen lookbook image to the next, by selecting the image there is a possibility that the brand has linked the image with the products for you to purchase. Yet, after looking through a few, some of the images had no linked products whatsoever. Yet, by doing this the Lookbook area becomes more accessible and encouraging to those who may want to purchase; but its the only feature of its kind on this app.

The Videos section is slightly lacking. I expect to see a whole host of exciting, intriguing media clips for me to get inspired by, but I am merely given two videos. The womens and mens S/S12 video consists of a female and male model, standing in front of a camera and moving slowly and delicately from side to side whilst showing off the products. It is helpful, and I almost feel a tad inspired, but it's nothing to rave about. In fact, I clicked off after about 20 seconds due to its repetiveness.

Par exemple.

So overall, as you might be able to tell, I'm not too enthralled. Please dont get me wrong, Im a fan of Zara, their stores and their website in fact, just not of their mobile channel. It seems rushed, forced and lacking in any effort whatsoever. There is no attempt to make any kind of relationship with the consumers, there is barely anything to entice them to buy and it is so lacking in information it seems ludicrous of them to assume that the consumer does not expect more. It lacks any type of personalisation, customisation or social media influences, and yet these are the types of things that keeps people coming back to your brand. So why does Zara feel exempt from this? I would definitely not be encouraged to browse for products on this app, never mind actually purchase or even spend longer than 2 minutes on it. I understand that they have tried to match the design to suit their other channels and to portray this air of elegance and sophistication, but sometimes there are other ways to do so other than using black and white.

In conclusion, this app is awarded a 1.5 out of 5 and a hope for the future that this might meet the fashionable heights of their traditional and online strategies.

All screenshots taken of the Zara App, February 2012.

Hollister - A bit too California cool

2012-02-19T12:03:00.000-08:00

If you have already read my post on Abercrombie and Fitch, you may see a slight reiteration here. As Hollister is obviously a part of the same company, they follow a similar theme. Both are non-transactional within the app, both are built for the purpose of brand building rather than selling, and both are lacking in much thought.

The 'homepage' is indicative of the brands laid back persona. A textured denim blue backdrop with faintly separated sections. Each section is labelled in the signature Hollister font in a style that resembles paint printed on fabric. Tag lines such as 'Check Out Whats Hot!' and 'Check Us Out' personalise the offerings and add to the overly-friendly relationship that the brand often tries to create within the first second you walk into their brick and mortar store. Yet, I do love the brand for that and you can't fault them for their mission to create the ultimate brand experience.

However, I do find myself feeling disappointed every time I look at this app. It almost feels like the brand, similar to Abercrombie, have invested in mobile commerce technology only for the reason that they felt they needed to. They must have seen the band wagon rolling and ran to jump on board. It doesn't really add anything new to the app world or the brand whatsoever. By 'checking out whats hot' the user is entitled to look through about 25 new pieces from either the 'Dudes' or 'Betty's' section - yet another way that Hollister tries to differentiate itself from its (boring) English rivals.

Each piece is shown in full screen and requires the user to horizontally scroll to reach the next. By selecting a product, you can merely view the price and after 'flipping' the phone for more details, the user can read a small amount more about the product. I hoped that the 'Shop' symbol would allow me to add this jacket to my pretend basket, but alas, it was not to be. The shop symbol only leads the user to the Hollister website, integrated into the app. I always find this such a cop out when it comes to retailer apps. If you want to allow your consumers to shop, make sure you offer them the best possible way to. Please note: integrating your unoptimised web store into your app is not acceptable.

As you can see, trying to purchase on the web store within the app is too difficult and frustrating to even bother with. So we will move on.

Moving on to the second area on the app, 'Check us out on Facebook', of course the user is taken to the standard Facebook page, once again opened within the constraints of the app. It looks clumsy, the user has to sign in in order to do anything and it draws away from the actual brand. Im not a fan. Excuse the pun.

Then we come to the 'Gallery.' The word gallery is incorrectly used here. A 'gallery' presents the imaginary image of lots of wonderful pictures to look through; not four. Yes, four. By viewing 'The Gallery' for Spring 2012, the user can view four images that are supposed to represent Hollister's vision for Spring. Yet, is it me or is the image above left only representing the type of man than Hollister aims to appeal to? There aren't actually any products in the photograph?! Am I supposed to be inspired to buy? And then the second image, is the man supposed to look any different to the first? I'm really not too sure. In fact, Im baffled.

The fourth area allows you to view the rest of the Hollister family if you weren't already aware. Each link gives you a small brand briefing, a link to their website and a store locator. Handy if you were in America and needed to locate your nearest Abercrombie. Not so handy in England when the only Abercrombie and Fitch store resides in the capital. I don't thinking I'll be needing directions. Thanks though.

And in the last section, you can find your nearest Hollister's store. Once again a standard feature that never fails to bore me. The chances are that as a fan of the brand, demonstrated by the fact that you have downloaded the app, that you will know where your nearest store is. But in the argument that you don't, I guess that this might be useful. Maybe.

Overall, like I mentioned earlier, this app is fairly dissapointing. For a brand that is prided for its experiential store design and innovative ideas, I felt that their app should follow suit. It would be amazing to see galleries of fantastic photography, shot in exotic and inspirational locations, just willing me to buy into the lifestyle. Possibly a competition to enter to win a trip to California. Maybe a video of the latest collection filled with gorgeous models and equally gorgeous products. And perhaps actual product pages where you can view the products in detail and add them to your bag. Until then I will remain disappointed and award the app a 2 out of 5.

All screenshots taken of the Hollister app, February 2012.

Topshop: Now that's more like it!

2012-02-18T12:12:00.002-08:00

In early 2012, Topshop re-released their mobile application, and this time it is something worth writing about. If you have read my earlier post reviewing the first version of the Topshop app, you will have noticed my distaste for its design and lack of capabilities. However, a year later, It looks like Topshop have listened...

The app begins with a long scrollable homepage, dissimilar to its other high street competitors who opt for a simple one-page layout. The page is labelled 'We love' and encompasses all of the latest news from the brand. Topshop have decided to create a page that excites the user, offering them cut out, colourful sections relating to blogs, social media, the latest shows and collections. From the home page, the user can not only shop but learn about the brand's recent endeavours. It looks fun and exciting and really portrays the brand as such.

As an example, one element on the Topshop app homepage in February 2012 was a video feature by Nick Knight, displayed boldly as the main element on the page, adding to the professionalism and fashionable lifestyle persona the brand strives to achieve.

Another feature, an edit of the latest essential items chosen by Topshop's creative editor is displayed on the home page, leading the consumer to a list of products that they can shop. Yes, I said shop... the Topshop app is now transactional!!

The app also integrates their blog, as a list of reports for the user; comprising of courier font and basic imagery. The design is left very plain and simple and concurrent with the Topshop black and white signature colours. Yet, although it does match the brand, I do find myself wishing for a splash of colour...

A drop down tab in the top right corner allows the reader to share, tweet and email each article to their friends, accompanied by cute, matching symbols. The drop down tab for sharing is something that I haven't seen before on a fashion app and is a clean way to hide away the sharing buttons. All good so far!

Alongside the blog, Topshop have also integrated their Tumblr site. Topshop, as far as I know, is the first high street retailer to move their social media teams towards Tumblr, the micro-blogging website.The Topshop tumblr is a collection of inspirational and aspirational images of the core Topshop customer wearing what I assume are Topshop products. It follows a similar ilk to websites such as Lookbook, whereby people are photographed in their street styles in their every day situations. It adds a new dimension to the brand, and emphasises their cool, fashionable edge. Allowing the app user to browse through such inspirational imagery definitely cant hurt the retailers sales.

So, moving from the fun stuff to the actual products, the app follows the generic standard. Black and white lists of categories, leading to the next category. Nice and simple.

Clicking through to the final category in your selection, the products are displayed one by one in horizontal bars. Each consists of a front product image, a small description and the product price and allows the user to vertically scroll down for more products. For a refined search, the developers have integrated a 'Refine' button, allowing the user to sort the products regarding their sizes, colours, and price. It creates an experience that mirrors that of the website, leaving no reason for the consumer to only shop online.

Furthermore, the app has integrated a customisation feature. By choosing the 'full screen' arrows, pictured in the top right corner of the images above, the user is able to customise the interface to suit how they want to shop. By choosing to shop in the full screen mode, the user views each product in full screen, scrolling horizontally to the next product. Each page also includes the description and price, in the same way as the list screen. The only app that I have seen integrate this feature so far has been ASOS, showing how customisation within mobile apps is becoming a crucial tool for building brand equity and purchase intentions.

Moving to the individual product pages, the user can view multiple views of the product, add it to their bag, check if the product is in their nearest store and share the product with friends in the same way that they are able to share the blog pages. The features are ample for purchasing and again mirror the style of the Topshop website's product viewing, creating channel consistency.

By choosing the information icon, the retailer has added information about the product including a description, price, colour and fabric description. The user can also utilise the size guide, conveniently located on the page. Again, it is enough information for purchasing, and by hiding it away, the product pages are left uncluttered, clean and simple.

The user chooses their size that rises from the relevant tab, and can then add the product to their shopping bag. An innovative feature at this stage is the ability to save your dress size, so that the app will remember your sizes on your next usage. Lovely.

So that is it for product purchasing, now for the extra features...

One feature that the app comprises of is a scan tool, whereby the user can utilise the app in store to scan the items bar code. This feature is helpful for those consumers who are shopping in store and find an item that they love but not in their size. The customer can scan the item as a quick route to finding the product online. It creates a connection between the traditional and mobile store and encourages online purchasing for those consumers who cant find an item in store.

The fourth tool on the lower toolbar on the app is the 'Notebook' area. This follows the same idea as a saved bag or favourites section, whereby the user is able to add products to a saved space for later searches. When the user finds a product that they like, they can utilise the drop down tab to find the 'Add to notebook' tool. It seems quite obvious to note, but by naming this section 'Notebook' it creates another friendly and personal connection with the user, making them feel like it is their notebook filled with all of their favourite items. Many of the tools on this app have been designed to create such a consumer relationship and they have definitely succeeded.

The bag section is again consistent with the rest of the app. Clear and simple, listing all of the items in the basket, allowing the user to add more or remove and displays a clear total price.

As with every other retail app, the user can search for their nearest store by choosing the pin icon on the 'We love' page. It includes a map, address and phone number for each store. Standard.

Finally, I was wondering where the service information was kept, until I stumbled upon it hidden away behind the cog icon on the 'We Love' page. Here the user can read any information regarding help topics, settings, sizes and contact information. It is clearly categorised and helpful in its labelling. Perfect.

When I downloaded the new version of this app, I was so delighted. Not only was the app finally transactional, but it was something that the brand could be proud of. It portrays an exciting, high fashion and unique fashion brand and create a simple product purchasing experience. It is everything that the Topshop customer desires and everything that they could ever need. A big congrats to Red Ant, the Topshop app developers who have done a brilliant job in bringing Topshops vision to life. The Topshop marketing team should be giving you a big pat on the back.

All screenshots taken from the Topshop App, February 2012

Trying out a New Look

2011-12-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

New Look is one of the latest retailers to present us with a native application and a new, consistent transactional channel. But I sort of get the impression that that is all they wanted to present...

The opening screen is quite self-explanatory. A large banner covers the top half of the screen on an automatic rotation between four alternative images, of which the user is also able to manually control. Below this are the 'Latest Features' - small articles put together primarily for consumer trend and style advice, teaming celebrity images with matching New Look products and offering hints and tips on how to wear the trend. Again, each article is on an automatic horizontal rotation of about 12 articles which can be manually managed by the user.

The example above offers New Look consumers advice on how to re-create Fearne Cotton's look. A small amount of textual copy is placed alongside the image of the celeb for advice, below which are New Look products available for purchase that would be similar to Fearne's style. The user is then offered tips, tricks and ideas on how to wear the style. Its a nice way to allow consumers to style themselves like their favourite celebrities and being able to purchase the suggested products via selection is a brilliant way to sell products. As always, the user can share the article with the usual social network suspects, or easily move to the following article by choosing the next arrow. Nice.

The app utilises 5 options along the lower toolbar. The user can move to the home-screen, the New Look store, search for nearby stores, view available offers and read any New Look information they would like to. The image above is the 'Shop' option, and takes the consumer almost to a mini store within the app. By selecting to 'Shop Now,' the user is taken to the screen below.

Straight away, the consumer is given options to how they may want to shop. Women's, shoe's, men's, teen's etc. in a simple category layout. Otherwise, the user can search for an item within the search bar, view their account or track their recent orders. The screen is very much a condensed version of their website and covers all bases.

One tool I was very impressed to see was the small customisation tool in the top right corner as in the images above. Not many apps have integrated experience features such as this into their apps yet aside from ASOS who have single-handedly laid the yellow-brick app road. The tool allows the user to customise how they view the product pages, either by three horizontal images, two or just one and enables a personal viewing experience. When the user has found an item they prefer, they easily tap the image to select.

The product page again is filled with information. Product information, alternative colours, service information and even styling ideas. It also allows the user to share the item and add it to their bag as above. It is easy to navigate and hasn't left anything out.

The imagery also comes with multiple views and a zoom tool which unfortunately doesn't allow manual enlargement and is exited by a pixelated 'x' making it look slightly cheap, yet still, the consumer does still manage to view their product reasonably. The rest of the app's product viewing works in the same way, and is perfectly ample for purchasing.

Moving back to the five main sections, the store locator again is simple and predictable. Use the geographic locator to find where you are situated and look up your nearest store. Nothing new there really.

The 'Offers' section again is fairly self-explanatory. The most recent promotional offers are displayed for the user, such as price deals and recent sales. I almost wished there were more voucher code offerings as a loyalty reward for app users, but that is just me being hopeful and expectant. Each offer can again be shared and clicked through to view the offer page. Again, nice.

The final of the five sections is the information screen. Nicely categorised for simple viewing, the user can read up on the company's service information in order to remove their risk perceptions before they order. It is clear and simple and everything it really needs to be.

The final tool, integrated into the home screen of the app is the scanner feature. Trying to bridge the gap between the traditional store and m-commerce, the retailer is giving the user the option to scan any products they find in-store to be taken directly to their product page on the app. In this way, they are able to view the item, alternative colours, more information and buy the size they might have originally wanted but that was out of stock in-store. I would be interested to learn if the tool is utilised as much as the retailer might hope, or whether barcode scanning might become just another mobile fad. But we shall see in time. Yet, hats off to them for trying.

Overall, that is the app in a nut-shell. Quite a simple, efficient channel to purchase. Yet, for some reason I felt somewhat underwhelmed on viewing it. Yes it offers everything I might need to purchase, an easy viewing experience, even some customisation and personalisation tools, but the design doesn't fill me with awe and excitement. There is no blog to read, although I feel they have created a similar feature via the 'latest features' tool. There are also no promotional imagery sections, designed to inspire my next party outfit. It is just missing that extra something.

For doing a great job with the transactional side, but not leaving me overwhelmed with excitement and experiential delight, I award this app a 3.5 out of 5. Nice, but not nice enough.

All screenshots taken from the New Look app, December 2011.