The Pose App redefined the intersection of social engagement and e-commerce by introducing the first direct-to-purchase, social-sharing experience for iPad. Tasked with transforming Pose’s mobile fashion platform into an immersive tablet application, our goal was to create a visually dynamic, magazine-like interface where users could browse curated fashion content, engage with interactive images, and seamlessly shop tagged items. This project not only bridged the gap between inspiration and purchase but also set a new standard for social commerce by integrating personalized collections and intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
The goal was to design an iPad experience that felt like an endlessly curated fashion magazine. Users needed the ability to interact with images, view information about tagged items, create personalized collections, and directly shop products through the app.
Background: Pose is a social fashion platform primarily accessed through mobile devices. It allowed users to upload and tag images of their outfits, creating a database of products. Pose’s user-generated content consisted of product shots and self-portraits, fostering a community where users could showcase fashion and discover trends.
To create a seamless, engaging experience, we studied editorial layouts in fashion magazines. By deconstructing patterns and compositions, we identified recurring design threads that could translate into an intuitive, organic mobile experience.
After brainstorming multiple approaches. We decided to explore the idea of pictures fanned out over a table with endless layering possibilities. While confining the content to the screen area allowing the screen size to dictate the algorithm's parameters. If the experience showed promise the plan was to continue refinement.
Insight: We tested the prototype at Santa Monica Promenade, gathering feedback on loading performance and scalability. The random scaling proved challenging, as it hindered the creation of a cohesive curated experience. This led us to pivot toward a more structured, design-led solution.
Instead of relying solely on algorithm-driven layouts, we adopted a design architecture technique inspired by the concept of a film strip. This approach allowed us to create a long, scrollable layout that mimicked the feel of endless discovery.
• We identified four primary image sizes that, when combined, generated diverse framed layouts.
• This layout appeared organic yet allowed uploaded images to scale down without compromising quality.
• Users’ personal treatments—such as cropping and filters—added a layer of controlled randomness to each layout.
To ensure seamless performance, we implemented progressive loading based on “directional tracking” – a method that follows the natural way users scroll and absorb content. Through internal tests and real-world user feedback, we optimized the balance between image load times and user expectations, ensuring smooth transitions and minimal delays.
Our UI approach focused on minimalism, keeping navigational elements unobtrusive to highlight the content.
• Navigation: Positioned on the left side.
• Collections and Actions: Located at the right and bottom for accessibility.
• We incorporated layering, textures, and subtle animations to create a vibrant yet seamless experience that felt premium and engaging.
The Pose app introduced personalized, curated collections through drag-and-drop functionality. Users could effortlessly drag entire images or individual tagged garments into custom collections, pioneering a new way to engage with fashion content.
The app allowed users to shop directly from images by tapping on tagged items. Tags featuring a “shop” modifier enabled quick and easy purchases, bridging the gap between social engagement and e-commerce.
The Pose App marked a significant milestone as the first direct-to-purchase social sharing platform on iPad. By blending inspiration from traditional editorial design with cutting-edge mobile interaction, we created a product that not only engaged users but also streamlined the path from discovery to purchase.