Mobile 3d body scan app
TrueToForm iOS Scan App
Background
Impact
Spearheaded a usability study for a new mobile app flow, improving scanning usability, which resulted in 25+ new business sign-ups, a 46% increase in body scan success rates, and a surge in app usage to over 27K.
Problem
TrueToForm’s companion scan app is the core software that powers all of TrueToForm's suite of products by utilizing it's proprietary measurement algorithm to capture highly body accurate measurements. The scan app approval rate prior to implementing this usability study was only 50%. As our company solutions and clientele expanded, it became imperative to make the scan process more intuitive and user-friendly, despite the complex requirements of our scanning algorithm.
Timeline
Developed a usability plan and testing script, conducted 16 usability tests, and performed bug testing—all within four weeks—while simultaneously managing multiple projects.
Project Goals
Increase scan approval rates.
Improve scan accuracy.
Team
CEO & Co-Founder
CTO & Co-Founder
Product Designer
Researcher
Impact
25+
New TrueToForm business sign ups
Various companies signed up for TrueToForm accounts, as they trusted the app’s scan precision and scalability.
96%
Scan Approval Rate (46% increase)
Ability to easily flow through the avatar creation process while supporting algorithm needs increased rates from 50%.
27K+
Submitted avatars since updated
Design updates helped surge app usage, as more businesses trusted their customer's abilities to use the app
The scan app is foundational for all other TrueToForm solutions
TrueToForm’s companion scan app is the core software that powers all of TrueToForm's suite of products by utilizing it's proprietary measurement algorithm to capture highly accurate body measurements. Those measurements are then generated into an avatar for use in garment design, manufacturing, and shopping. TrueToForm wanted to improve the scan accuracy by implementing a new full body scan flow with a robust usability study.
Usability study objectives
After speaking with the CEO, CTO, and engineer, I conducted a usability study that outlined success metrics, participant demographics, and a testing script. Our key success metric was the number of participants able to successfully complete both the torso and full-body scans and generate an avatar.
Beyond that, the larger question remained: are participants willing to learn how to use this new technology, and do they see the value in generating an avatar?
Testing Objectives:
Identify overall feelings and attitudes of participants on the scanning process
Assess usability and ease of the scanning process
Log errors made by participants in scan process
Note participants general interaction using the phone and orienting their space
Gain insights into user expectations about scan flow process and avatar generation
Note which tutorials/instructions are being skipped over (if any)
Round 1 testing: measuring scan success
During the initial testing phase, I collaborated with a UX researcher to recruit and test eight participants. The process of recruiting, testing, and reviewing the one-hour footage from each of the usability tests was demanding, as it required analyzing both visual details and verbal feedback from participants. To stay organized, I documented usability errors on a rainbow sheet, allowing me to identify any recurring issues more easily.
Based on our first round only 63% of participants were able to successfully complete both scans and generate an avatar.
25%
Failed the torso scan.
12%
Successfully completed the torso scan but failed the full body scan.
63%
Successfully completed both torso and full body scans generating an avatar
Round 1: measuring user satisfaction
While measuring scanning success was essential for assessing the app's usability, it didn’t fully capture users' sentiments toward the scanning process. To address this, I asked users to rate their overall satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 10 and provide qualitative feedback to explain their rating. As expected, participants who failed their scans gave lower satisfaction scores, while those who successfully generated their avatars rated their experience more positively.
Additionally, tracking the time taken to complete each scan provided insights into how quickly users learned the process. Both the torso and full-body scan rotations required a minimum of 10 seconds. While reviewing the video footage, I observed that all participants needed multiple attempts before successfully completing the scans.
6.9
Overall User Satisfaction
(scale 1-10)
1:20 Minutes
Successfully completed the torso scan but failed the full body scan.
1:40 Minutes
Time to Complete
Full Body Scan (Average)
Usability errors
During the usability tests, I reported live bugs and app crashes to the engineering team in real time. I also identified a recurring barrier to entry: participants struggled with properly orienting their phones and finding sufficient space for the scan. Many participants lived in big cities where limited space hindered optimal scanning conditions. Additionally, many usability errors I observed were related to how participants oriented their phones and positioned themselves during the body scan.
Participants struggled to tilt their phone at the right angle
Most participants found prompts to adjust phone angle helpful and were eventually able to find the correct angle.
Participants did not know they needed to spin for full 10 seconds
We noticed a lot of participants struggling with the timing of the 360 spin either not realizing they had to spin after the countdown or not spinning for the full 10 seconds.
Participants struggled to find right height for torso scan
Participants in small apartments struggled to find an appropriate place to position their phone.
Participants had all 4 green indicators but scan did not proceed
We noticed that some people had a piece of furniture in the scan that was preventing the scan from working.
Participants were too far away to read message on screen
Some participants struggled to read the module pop ups when they were attempting to conduct the scans.
Body positioning confusion
Participants manipulated their body into different positions trying to get the green indicators.
Round 2: measuring scan success
By the second round of testing, the engineering team had already addressed previous app crashes and bugs, while a product designer had implemented several design changes based on feedback from the first round. For this round, my design colleague and I recruited and tested another eight participants to evaluate the newly updated changes.
The changes implemented before the second round of testing were substantial, resulting in 100% of participants successfully completing their scans. I was thrilled to see that the hard work I had put in had paid off.
100%
Successfully completed both torso and full body scans generating an avatar
Round 2: measuring user satisfaction
An overall satisfaction rating of 8 represents an improvement from the previous round's rating of 6.9; however, TrueToForm still has room for growth. While all participants successfully generated an avatar, some expressed frustration in figuring out how to properly orient their phones and bodies for the scan.
8
Overall user satisfaction (scale 1-10)
58 Seconds
Time to Complete Toso Scan (Average)
2:17 Minutes
Time to complete full body scan (average)
Persisting Challenges
Although all eight participants successfully completed both scans and generated their avatars, we encountered challenges with some user frustration throughout the end-to-end scanning process. For many participants, this was their first experience with this type of body scanning technology.
Not enough indicators to spin
Several participants were unaware that they needed to begin spinning during the 10-second countdown, with many mistakenly believing they were supposed to spin after the countdown ended.
Participants still struggled to angle their phone at the correct angle
Most participants spent a lot of time adjusting their body to get all four green indicators
Participants struggled to find right height for torso scan
Participants in small apartments struggled to find an appropriate place to position their phone.
Reflection
I was surprised by how burnt out I felt after conducting this usability study. Since the scan app required physical movements from the user, a considerable amount of time was spent analyzing the recorded videos after running usability tests. Nonetheless, I felt genuinely proud of my colleague's and my ability to work under a tight deadline.