META-SHOPPING: DESIGN FOR IMMERSIVE AND ENGAGING APPAREL SHOPPING EXPERIENCES THROUGH VR

Date

2025-1-8

Author

Kumbasar, Ecem

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Virtual reality aims to immerse its users into an alternate reality by making use of computer-generated stimuli. In so doing, it creates a controlled illusion of being present at an alternate place, possibly giving its user the feeling that they are performing a different activity than their current physical activity. In the context of apparel shopping, VR holds the potential to offer customers a more immersive, experiential and task-oriented shopping experience by blending the features offered by both online and physical stores. By eliminating issues related to physical shopping such as geographic location, time and transportation, VR enables customers to explore a virtual store anywhere and at any time. Further, it also bears the potential of making up for some of the disadvantages of online shopping such as the inability to “feel” the fabric of a garment, thus offering a possibility to construct a bridge between the physical and online shopping experiences. This thesis explores the possible design strategies to design immersive and engaging apparel shopping experiences through virtual reality. Through the user tests conducted with VR headsets and follow-up interviews, this thesis explores users’ reactions, interactions, behaviors and engagement with VR apparel stores in order to understand their main expectations, needs and hesitations while shopping for apparel through virtual reality. Thus, the research aims to discover possible design solutions for smoother and well- structured VR shopping experiences that will address the utilitarian and hedonic needs of apparel shoppers.

Subject Keywords

Virtual Reality, Apparel Shopping, Virtual Stores, Shopping Experience, Sanal Gerçeklik, Kıyafet Alışverişi, Sanal Mağazalar, Alışveriş Deneyimi

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/113534

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis