Nuuly is a clothing rental subscription owned by URBN. It allows users to rent, wear and return clothing from various brands each month. Nuuly focuses on sustainable fashion, offering a wide range of styles including vintage designer and exclusive pieces, with the option of purchase items at a discount after renting.
Nuuly: Redefining Clothing Rental for a Sustainable Future
CLIENT
Nuuly, URBN Stakeholders
DURATION
September-November 2024
ROLE
Project Manager, Design Strategy, Research, Service Design, UI/UX
IMPACT AREA
Evaluating Sustainable Fashion Solutions and Accessibility
Nuuly, a clothing rental service by URBN, offers users a flexible way to rent, wear, and return clothing from various brands each month. By focusing on sustainability, affordability, and variety, Nuuly aims to make fashion more accessible while reducing waste.
This case study examines Nuuly’s service model, identifying ways to enhance rental flexibility, expand user inclusivity, and reinforce sustainability. Through user research, ideation, and prototyping, we developed solutions that improve the rental experience and drive long-term user satisfaction.
Through primary and secondary research, we uncovered major challenges affecting Nuuly’s service:
Environmental uncertainty – Users struggle with balancing sustainable choices with affordability.
Unavailable items – Popular styles sell out quickly, leading to frustration and limited selection.
High costs & limited flexibility – Subscription tiers lack options for different user needs, and there’s no way to swap or extend rentals.
Lack of inclusivity – The absence of men’s and gender-neutral clothing, along with an iOS-only app, restricts potential users.
To further explore these challenges, we conducted usability testing, stakeholder interviews, and ecosystem mapping, revealing gaps in inventory management, inclusivity, and customer retention.
Problem Statement
Nuuly users face rapid item sell-outs, inconsistent shipping and quality, and the absence of an exchange system, which negatively impact their rental experience. Additionally, high costs, limited subscription options, and a lack of gender representation restrict choices, while concerns about environmental impact deter users from committing to sustainable fashion.
Key Insight
How might we enhance Nuuly’s rental model to improve affordability, flexibility, and inclusivity while reinforcing sustainability?
Approach and Strategy
Ecosystem Map
We analyzed key stakeholders in Nuuly’s service, including third-party brands, Nuuly’s warehouse, logistics providers, the tech team, and customer service. Key insights highlighted the need for better sustainability practices, promotion of student discounts, and addressing the iOS exclusivity of the app. There is also a gap in men’s and gender-neutral clothing offerings, and third-party brands could improve inventory availability and sustainability.
Persona Development
User personas play a crucial role in service design by highlighting the diverse needs and pain points of customer segments. In our Nuuly project, three personas—focused on sustainability, convenience, and gender inclusivity—guided our design choices. The sustainability persona emphasized eco-friendly packaging and garment longevity, while the convenience persona identified issues with delivery speed and rental flexibility. The gender-inclusive persona highlighted gaps in sizing and options for nonbinary and gender-nonconforming users. These insights influenced our final proposal, ensuring the design improvements were both practical and inclusive.
Understanding User Pain Points
The customer journey map revealed pain points such as decision fatigue during browsing, concerns about availability and shipping when ordering, and frustration with returns due to complex processes. Users also experience disappointment if the quality or fit doesn’t meet expectations, and anxiety when navigating the return system.
Co-Creation Workshop
The co-creation workshop was essential in refining our service design for Nuuly. By involving key stakeholders, we collaborated to identify pain points and brainstorm solutions. This collaborative process helped us uncover inefficiencies in the current service model and align on the most impactful improvements. The workshop led to actionable insights, such as optimizing warehouse management, improving customer support for returns, and expanding rental options to be more inclusive. The input from stakeholders ensured that our proposed solutions were feasible and aligned with Nuuly’s business goals, ultimately shaping a more effective and user-centric service model.
Addressing Gaps in the Experience
Our service blueprint identified areas for improvement, including complicated returns, delivery delays, unclear subscription terms, and limited size/gender options. Proposed solutions include pop-up exchange locations, optimized warehouse management, customizable subscription plans, and expanding rental offerings to include more diverse clothing. These improvements aim to enhance the rental process, making it smoother, more inclusive, and user-friendly.
Prototyping and Ideation
After co-creation workshops with stakeholders, thorough research and mapping, we identified three key themes that address user needs and align with project goals, forming the foundation for the next phase of prototyping and development.
In the final phase, we brought top ideas to life through quick sketches and low-fidelity prototypes, including wireframes and service blueprints. These visuals helped us clarify how each concept would function and interact with users, providing a solid foundation for further refinement and testing.