Visual Search for an Unknown Product
Design a mobile shopping flow that identifies a photographed item and helps someone compare credible purchase options.
The brief
Understand the problem
Background
Shoppers often notice a product without knowing its name, model, or seller. A photo can begin the search, but uncertain matches and inconsistent listings make the result difficult to trust.
User context
Nadia sees a desk lamp in a cafe and wants to find the same model or a close alternative within her budget. She can take one photo, but cannot inspect a label or ask the owner for details.
Product problem
Image matches may be visually similar while differing in size, material, compatibility, or authenticity. The experience must communicate confidence and let Nadia refine the search without pretending the first result is exact.
Objective
Create the capture, match review, refinement, and merchant comparison experience for a visual product search.
What to design
Define the experience
Required experience
- Camera guidance for a useful photo
- Ranked matches with confidence cues
- A comparison path from match to seller
Screens and states
- Camera and photo review
- Visual match results
- Product and merchant comparison
Core user flow
Follow the critical path
- 01
Nadia photographs the lamp
- 02
The service identifies several possible matches
- 03
She narrows results by material and price
- 04
She compares delivery, returns, and seller trust before leaving for a store
Product rules
Requirements and constraints
Requirements
- Allow crop, retake, and gallery upload
- Separate exact-looking matches from alternatives
- Show price, stock, seller, delivery, and return information
- Preserve the source photo while filters change
Constraints
- Recognition can take up to five seconds
- Some listings lack dimensions or reliable images
- The interface must work one handed on a small phone
Reality check
States worth considering
Ready-to-use content
Mock data
Use this content to test hierarchy and realistic data states. You can expand it when the concept needs more depth.
Possible matches
- Luma Arc Lamp, 82 percent match, $89
- Kanso Task Light, 74 percent match, $64
- Northline Desk Lamp, 68 percent match, $112
Finish line
What to deliver
- Four polished mobile screens covering capture through comparison
- A short note explaining how match confidence is communicated
If you want more
Optional extensions
Optional direction
Visual resources
Use these as a starting constraint if you want one. They are not part of the required solution.
Dancing Script & Josefin Sans
Clear interface writing gives people the confidence to understand what changed and decide what to do next.
Dancing Script & Josefin Sans
Clear interface writing gives people the confidence to understand what changed and decide what to do next.
Theory to review
UX principles for this brief
Use these as decision lenses, then validate the design with the people and context in the brief.
