The AI Style Experience: design and formative evaluation of a novel phygital technology for the retail environment

Abstract

In this paper, a novel phygital interactive technology for retail stores is presented. The design concept is conceived as a decoupled interactive and multi-sensorial system that leverages Artificial Intelligence and Internet-of-Things technologies to offer customers an engaging and helpful experience of fashion style consulting. A formative study aimed at understanding the technology’s acceptance demonstrated that while the design concept raised several issues, the design assumptions on which it has been founded might still be valid. The evaluation proved that AI-embedded tools may be recognized as useful while simultaneously being perceived as cumbersome and triggering fears of societal changes. Hence, this work aims to define a series of useful design principles that should be considered when designing a similar experience.