Challenge
Wrangler aimed to update the design of its Fit Guide page to better meet customer needs. While the existing guide provided useful information, it was unclear how well it was answering key customer questions or supporting purchase decisions. The goal was to uncover insights into customer behaviours and needs to inform a design that delivered the right content, with the right level of detail, at the right point in the user journey.

RetroFuzz recognised an opportunity to leverage quantitative and qualitative research to guide design decisions, ensuring the updated Fit Guide would address gaps in the current experience and exceed customer expectations.

Discovery Phase Objectives
The research sought to answer critical questions:

• To what extent was the current Fit Guide meeting user needs?
• What specific questions and concerns were customers trying to address while using the guide?
• Where in the user journey would size and fit information be most impactful?

The insights gathered would challenge industry norms, shaping a data-backed Fit Guide design that stood apart from competitors.

Approach
To achieve a 360° understanding of the user experience, RetroFuzz combined quantitative and qualitative research methods across five key data points:

• Wrangler Customer Support Logs: Reviewed to identify recurring themes and questions.
• Hotjar Polls: Embedded on the Fit Guide page to gather user feedback at scale.
• Heatmaps and Session Recordings: Captured user interactions and scrolling behaviors.
• Remote Moderated Tests: Conducted task analysis with users in key markets.
• Survey Analysis: Explored motivations and behaviours related to fit decisions.

Research Activities

1. Support Log Review
   Analysis of Wrangler’s customer support logs uncovered common questions, including the need for:
   • Exact measurements.
   • Model height details.
   • Clearer fit comparisons.
     These insights informed the design of the Hotjar poll questions.
2. Hotjar Polls
   A poll embedded on the Fit Guide page collected over 400 responses to the question:
   “What else would you find useful when finding a fit?”
   Responses highlighted gaps in the current guide, such as the absence of detailed size information and a desire for more personalized fit tools.
3. Remote Moderated Tests
   Using PingPong to access audiences in the UK and Germany, RetroFuzz conducted 12 moderated tests to observe user behavior. Participants:
   • Used the Fit Guide to support a purchase decision.
   • Shared in-depth responses to the poll question, revealing motivations and frustrations.
4. Heatmaps and Session Recordings
   Heatmaps and hours of session recordings provided a larger dataset to correlate findings from the remote sessions, validating observed behaviors across a wider audience.

Key Insight: Challenging Industry Standards
The most surprising insight from the research challenged denim industry norms:

• Traditionally, Fit Guides are accessed via navigation links, while Size Guides are embedded only within product detail pages (PDPs).
• However, users expressed a strong need for size information directly on the Fit Guide page, considering it vital to determining if a particular fit was worth pursuing.

This need was summed up by one user:
"I need to work out now if these [jeans] fit my body." – Female, UK

Impact on Decision-Making
The combination of quantitative data and qualitative insights proved essential in persuading Wrangler to adopt recommendations that deviated from industry norms.

• Statistical data provided a broad understanding of user behaviour.
• Qualitative research added context and nuance, revealing the “why” behind preferences and needs.

With this rich, multi-layered data, Wrangler felt confident to move forward with bold recommendations, empowering the team to:

• Test prototypes of a redesigned Fit Guide page that integrates size information.
• Ensure the updated design reflects genuine customer needs, addressing pain points and improving the overall experience.

Conclusion
By combining rigorous quantitative and qualitative research, RetroFuzz provided Wrangler with actionable insights that challenged conventional wisdom in the denim industry. The result was a clear, data-backed strategy for updating the Fit Guide, ensuring it met customer expectations and supported their purchase decisions.

This project highlights the importance of balancing statistical evidence with user stories to drive bold, informed design decisions that align with both customer and business goals. Wrangler now stands ready to implement and test these innovative changes, setting a new standard for how denim brands approach fit and size guidance.

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