I began looking at the idea of using the camera of the iPhone to capture not just the sitting position as in the Test Rides app, but also the feet, hands, and to a lesser degree the head (even more areas of the body could be explored, but for now, I’ll focus on the hands and the feet).  An iPhone app, called the Body Fit, that is relatively easy to use, and helps people to purchase more efficiently over the internet, and actually encourages more purchases over the web in general, screams out for potential branding.  A company such as Nike could very easily put together an app that is geared towards only their apparel, and help their users to pick the ‘best fit’ based on the captured data from the Body Fit app.  This application could be updated as new apparel is released, thus maintaining it’s relevance in a very briskly paced environment.  The Body Fit App would not only garner help users to pick comfortable and proper fitting clothing, but would also reflect positively on a company such as Nike, as it shows that they are genuinely concerned about the customer getting the proper fit.  Furthermore, it would show that they, as a company, are embracing the technology that is here now, and putting it to good use.

A Potential UI for Body Fit App

When users access the Body Fit application, they would be asked which area they would like to virtually size, such as the head, feet, or hands and would be taken through a series of steps in order to gather the appropriate data.  At this point, they would be presented with the brand of choice’s ‘best fit’ selection that best matched the data gathered by the Body Fit app with the anthropometric information contained in it’s database.

Maybe this is just the beginning of a trend to bring innovative, high design, co-created, even luxury branded sex toys to the masses. What would this business look like if a brand like hyper luxury lingerie maker Agent Provocateur http://www.agentprovocateur.com/ , Eileen Fisher www.eileenfisher.com or even Louis Vuitton decided to get in the business (imagine the carrying cases). What if the retail environment for sex toys was as interesting as a Kiehl’s store? What about sampling rooms, an online channel with video based tutorials and user guides. What about creating a safe online space for women to connect and share their experience with the products. Could we even get to a place where an orgasm triggers a twitter post? Realistic or not, its interesting to think about the possibilities of this truly recession proof business. While the 3500 Chinese toy makers are suffering, the 400 sex toy manufacturers are booming.  This is a multi-billion dollar industry that. Do you want to play?

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