Recently Launched: BP Photobooth
About a year ago we started a project for Nordstrom’s juniors department, BP. At the time, the department was going through an evolution – tightening up its customer target and product mix – and was looking for new ways to express itself. As we normally do, we went through a strategic process that lead to a bunch of specific ideas, one of which was just launched as a prototype in Nordstrom’s spectacular Bellevue store.
One of the things that makes BP and it’s customers unique is their commitment to personal style. The vast majority of popular teen stores really focus on selling a “look”, a specific image. Customers either buy into the image, or they don’t, but they take a very prescriptive view of fashion.
With BP, personal expression is always a part of the equation – and our goal was to enable that in way that also drove business for the department.
Our research uncovered two behaviors among BP customers that we thought were interesting:
First, we found that girls would bring their camera phones into the dressing room with them and take snapshots of outfits they tried on – to help with later purchase decisions.
Second, groups of girls would get together, do each other’s hair and makeup and take photos for their MySpace / Facebook profile pics – obviously big platforms for self-expression.
Our goal with this project – which we called BP Photobooth – was to enable these kinds of actions in the store, but with much higher quality output. The result is a system that allows customers to try on clothes, take professional quality pics (in flattering lighting), add custom graphics and art and then print or email their images.
Here is a video walkthrough of the entire process, with further explanation below:
The process starts inside the dressing room. A “magic mirror” with a camera behind it is activated by a touchscreen which prompts the customer to pose for 3 pictures. The mirror, camera enclosure and touchscreen application were done by VaryWell – an amazing Seattle-based company that specializes in interactive installations.
The pictures are then sent to the Editing Table – a Microsoft Surface device – for cropping, editing, customizing, etc.
We designed the overall look and feel of the application (which was developed by Identity Mine) and created an extended graphic language of icons, logos and borders that customers could apply to their images.
Customers can then print the pictures on stickers and email them to themselves, or to friends/family for help with purchase decisions.
Some example output.
The prototype of the BP Photobooth is installed at Nordstrom’s Bellevue, WA store.
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Tags: bp, fashion, installation, juniors, microsoft surface, Nordstrom, retail, touchscreen
Chris Says:
October 13th, 2009 at 7:10 amInsightful engagement. Very cool.
I wonder if Nordstroms will ever embrace a Mocap suit booth so folks can get fitted to perfection and order online via AR type programs? Never need to step foot in a store again. Would lose out on some amazing in-person customer service though.
Talk:2, o Blog da Talk » O que as garotas fazem quando experimentam roupas? Says:
October 13th, 2009 at 11:34 am[...] post original você pode conhecer detalhes desta ação, mas o trabalho apresentado é resultado tangível de um [...]
Message Not Found » I really like this useful retail installation from @Zeusjones Says:
October 13th, 2009 at 11:52 am[...] There’s more from their blog here: http://www.zeusjones.com/blog/2009/recently-launched-bp-photobooth/ [...]
Josh Chambers Says:
October 13th, 2009 at 4:54 pmNice work! I particularly enjoyed reading about how you got to the idea.
Jordan Stradtman Says:
October 13th, 2009 at 6:04 pmVery tasty! From concept to inception you guys seemed to have your finger pointed directly at the new 'social' aspect that teen girls are so atuned to. Great job everyone!
Larry Johnson Says:
October 13th, 2009 at 9:35 pmI love how obvious and un-clever (in the best-possible, unmet-need sense) this is. Great thinking.
Mike Henderson Says:
October 14th, 2009 at 4:02 pmCool. Great idea. How has it been received?
-M
tytobrian Says:
October 14th, 2009 at 6:38 pmlove it – as it extends the rite of shopping itself into a self-actualizing moment. particularly dig the tool called “the mirror”. brill – from Narcissus through Jean Genet, the anxiety of “how do I look?” is truly the most vulnerable of all fashion shopping moments. sweet approach to not just crowdsourcing response, but to resetting confidence in a new me.
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