A mobile app reimagining fashion for cultural inclusivity using AI
Designing for modesty, a market that often gets ignored
Making fashion more personal than just business
Team
Solo project
(end-to-end)
Role
UX Research
UX/UI Design
Product Thinking
Responsibilities
Prototyping
User Research
Interaction Design
Visual Design
Pretotyping
Product Strategy
Tools
Figma
Procreate
After Effects
Timeline
Aug 24-
May 25
Most fashion apps ignore modest clothing needs, using rigid filters that limit choice.
Women often end up compromising, struggling to find outfits that are stylish and respectful of modesty.
During my capstone project, I designed Patchd: a mobile app that makes online fashion inclusive and confidence-building, guided by the outcomes of intensive user research.
Overview
women in the world
when
900 M
Have clothing choices shaped by their cultural aspects, family and modesty needs
Why wasn’t there any easier way to shop for modest clothing?
Challenge was clear
Modern modest women were lacking an easy and enjoyable shopping experience: one that didn’t compromise on fashion style, budget and modesty standards.
But here’s the twist
My capstone project initially set out to explore ways to eradicate body dissatisfaction among women, but user interviews revealed a deeper challenge: cultural invisibility in fashion apps.
Drawn in-house (literally, my house)
Where the research led me
Pivot! Pivoooot!
These insights through interviews shifted the project instead of solving for body dissatisfaction, I pivoted to address the unmet needs of modern women with cultural needs, who were forced to compromise between style, budget, and values.
Listening to these voices, I began to question whether body dissatisfaction wasn’t the problem at all, but a symptom of deeper unmet needs.
Quotes from the participants
Hijab-friendly outfits never show up in feeds, ads. It’s like people like me don’t exist in fashion.
Western brands don’t think about modest fashion, I’m forced to compromise every time I shop.
Even when I select two filters, it only shows one of them.
I still have to scroll endlessly to find the right outfit.
I wear a turban, but I never see people like me in fashion apps; it makes me feel out of place.
Reimagining Fashion Apps
For designing the app, I chose to begin with India and the UAE because they are the toughest test cases: regions where modesty means many things like sleeves, headscarves, cultural codes and the apparel industry is worth over $100B. If Patchd can work here, it can scale anywhere.
Personalized Onboarding
Feature 1
Unlike generic sign-ups, Patchd’s onboarding process digs deeper into style mix, modesty rules, and body type, building a profile that fashion apps often overlook.
Style Preference
Modesty Level
Head Cover
Body Type
Home!
10 out of 12 women said apps ignore their modesty needs
Why this matters
Body-Fit Confidence Score
Feature 2
Instead of endless product dumps, Patchd shows fewer outfits each with a body-fit score that explains why it works for your style, values, and body.
For High Score
Needs adjustment
Try new look
12 of 12 women were tired of endless scroll and trial-and-error; the fit score guides them toward confidence
Why this matters
Barcode Scan
Feature 3
Offline or online, the struggle is the same; Patchd bridges the gap with a barcode scan that tells you if an item works for your body and values.
Interviews showed every woman asks someone’s opinion before buying — Patchd becomes that fashion companion, even offline, with a barcode scan.
Introduction: 1st time user
Scanning View
Result
women don’t shop alone; Patchd can be their trusted companion offline too.
Why this matters
Feedback
Representation-First Feed
Feature 4
Instead of invisibility, Patchd’s feed reflects real women diverse styles, cultures, and modesty needs finally in one place. You can switch to General feed too.
Feed options
Scanning View
women were tired of feeds showing only skinny girls.
Why this matters
Outcome
Measuring the success
90%
Onboarding Success
“unique & valuable”
15/20
loved barcode
“valuable feature”
85%
trusted AI
recommendations
Scaling the business
To scale Patchd beyond design, I applied the Dual Transformation framework, strengthening the core product while incubating future growth engines through cultural expansion and ethical fashion innovation.
Adapted from Harvard Business School
Dual Transformation framework
Transformation A – Strengthen the Core (Years 1–3)
Focus: Activation, Monetization, Brand Trust
Transformation B – Build the Future (Years 3–10)
Focus: Expansion, Sustainability, Scale
Activation- 60% onboarding completion
Monetization- Ad revenue + 15% brand commissions
Brand Trust- Unique onboarding + AI transparency
Expansion- Localize for 10+ cultures
Partnerships- Launch resale & rental collabs
Growth- $2.5M projected revenue + 50% MAU lift