Tailor

Overview

Tailor conceptually addresses the needs of Turkey's small textile producers by proposing a digital platform that facilitates streamlined communication and order management, reducing reliance on traditional, costly methods like phone calls. The platform's design integrates user insights, featuring real-time messaging, order tracking, and demand aggregation to assist producers in meeting minimum quantity requirements.

Research

In the exploration of Tailor's potential, I delved into the core challenges facing small Turkish textile producers. By conducting need-finding interviews with industry stakeholders — including small fashion brands, suppliers, and a textile export VP — I gathered crucial user insights into the operational inefficiencies and communication barriers prevalent in the sector. My role also included analyzing the competitive landscape, assessing integration challenges with legacy tech systems, and exploring cybersecurity concerns. Personal roots in Istanbul were a research asset: cultural nuance informed question framing and enabled conversations that no secondary source could replicate.

Key Themes

• —Relationship-driven culture — trust built over years, not platforms. WhatsApp as de facto business tool.
• —Minimum quantity problem — small brands can't meet MOQs alone; demand aggregation is the key lever.
• —Non-technical users — interface must be frictionless to replace phone calls for a generation that negotiates by voice note.
• —Legacy system friction — any digital layer must integrate with existing WhatsApp workflows, not replace them.

What I Did

I designed a mockup of what the platform could look like (in English for presentation). Once I knew what features I wanted to integrate, the interface was designed to surface real-time messaging, order tracking, and demand aggregation as primary actions — reducing the phone-call surface area without removing the relationship layer that the industry runs on.

What I Learned

• —Navigating Cultural Nuances — Leveraged my personal connection to Turkey to navigate a completely new industry, effectively bridging an 11-hour time difference and academic commitments to engage with local professionals.
• —Building New Relationships — Cultivated a network from the ground up, initiating conversations with industry insiders and leveraging introductory meetings to expand my understanding of the textile market's dynamics.
• —Synthesizing Local Knowledge — Developed a keen sense for blending familiar cultural knowledge with newly acquired industry-specific insights, crucial for conducting meaningful interviews and fostering trust with Turkish textile professionals.

Personal background as a research asset — Istanbul roots enabled cultural navigation that no secondary source could provide.