when maternity clothes meet street style
A REAL-WORLD PROJECT FOCUSING ON UX STRATEGY (2022)
#WebDesign
#Marketing
#B2C
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Mater is an emerging start-up focused on sustainable maternity wear, founded by Ana. At this early stage, the brand is still securing funding to move forward. Over this three-month collaboration, I was tasked with:
Branding – Defining the visual and identity of Mater
Designing the landing page – Creating a welcoming and informative online presence
“Where shall we start when there are no products, no pictures, no business model… almost nothing but a great idea?”
After a short period of clueless, I decided to look into the user, aiming to first understand this special user group of mom-to-be.
USER RESEARCH
After some online research and a user survey, I got to know that this stage of pregnancy is a very fragile period, with huge changes in body shape, hormones, mood, lifestyle, etc. To visualize all my findings, I mapped out the user journey and started to think about what opportunities Mater might have.
BUSINESS & COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Based on Mater’s value proposition, I began researching competitors who share similar values.
👈 This vertical comparison table was particularly insightful—it reveals the subtle nuances that set each brand apart, from their storytelling and imagery to the services they offer.
“The products didn't make a difference. The user experience does.”
“What can make Mater different from others? What user experience can we offer?”
MARKET POSITIONING
With these questions in mind, I revisited the brand and uncovered a unique niche for Mater—Ana’s dual expertise as a stylist and fashion designer, combined with her personal experience as a mother of two. Building on this, I identified key positioning indicators and mapped out Mater’s place in the market.
BUSINESS STRATEGY
I soon realized that leading brands like H&M weren’t the right competitors for Mater. Instead, a realistic, step-by-step approach was needed. With that in mind, I proposed a two-stage business strategy.
Next, I explored the Berlin market and identified three local brands that closely align with Mater’s values, concept, and style. By analyzing their business practices, I aimed to assess the feasibility of my own model.
To deepen my understanding, I also interviewed a local Berlin mom who matched Mater’s user persona. In the end, my assumptions and ideas were successfully validated!
BRANDING
I started learning from successful related brands like Lululemon Athletica and NIKE. This horizontal comparison across different industries was very helpful, as it gave me a "jump-out-of-the-box perspective".
This new perspective inspired my idea for Mater:
Brand Message: “Being a mom, can still be cool.”
Core Value: support and empower the women who are becoming moms
Brand Attributes: progressive, outspoken, casual, stylish
Brand Mood: street style
STYLE TILE
To match the brand language I defined above, I chose outspoken neon color and magazine typography.
“Why is pregnancy just a bunch of flowers and an earthy tone? I want to feel like a cool mom.”
— interviewee, a Berlin mom
LANDING PAGE
As the stakeholder do not yet have real products or images, all images in this prototype are from online sources. This landing page will serve as a template and style guide for future use by the stakeholder.
GOAL
Advocate the "cool mom" attitude
Provide styling services and content
CALL TO ACTION
Book a Styling Consultation
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Thanks for reading this far!
If you want to see the complete case study in details, please check my Medium.
ROLE
UX Strategy & Design
Team of Two: Eli & Me
TIMELINE
Three Months
TOOLS
Figma
Premiere