The Design of Shopping Experiences

This text provides a scientific and in-depth perspective on the transformative power of XR technologies in the fashion field. The text gathers some of the outcomes of a doctoral dissertation entitled “Designing next-generation retail experiences via virtual reality and pseudo-haptics.” Due to the transdisciplinary nature of the subject, wherein the fields of Retail, Fashion, and Interaction Design merge, the text represents a first attempt to systematize the design of XR applications in such a broad domain.

In particular, the text focuses on the academic contributions that support the development of the shopping experience with the integration of VR, AR, and MR technologies, which not only have great potential for deployment but are also revolutionizing customer interactions, enhancing in-store experiences, and driving e-commerce innovation.

First, the book reports an extensive exploratory review of the scientific literature on the topic, fragmented into its own and case studies, drawing knowledge from a wide range of disciplines. Thus, the book will delve into the analysis of the latest XR applications, from VTO and virtual mirrors to IVR stores, augmented apps, and Metaverse experiences. Second, the text suggests the methodological approach to implementing XR systems and how it changes depending on the fashion product categories considered.

Later, the book will focus on hardware and software components, the design of the UI, and the development of virtual agents. Particular attention will be given to the design of embodied virtual agents—user-controlled avatars that support virtual embodiment—and autonomous virtual agents, which function as social actors within the environment. These virtual representations allow users to interact with products, spaces, and other agents, shaping the perceptual, cognitive, and emotional dynamics of immersive shopping.

The Design of Shopping Experiences: How eXtended Reality Shapes Fashion is an essential read for designers in various fields, such as Retail, Fashion and Interaction Design, both in their academic studies and professional careers. Although the primary target audience consists of design researchers, it could also be useful for those who wish to approach the topic from an applied perspective, such as creators and visual artists, educators and trainers, retail and e-commerce managers, and marketing and digital strategy professionals.