Context
Excess clothing discarded from thrift store (Rosenberg, 2019)
Problems
Design Requirements
Intuitive user flow — Develop a clean, easy-to-navigate interface that requires minimal effort from users, creating a seamless experience for sellers and employees alike.
Consistent — Design a uniform experience across mobile, tablet, and desktop with adaptive layouts and consistent visual design elements.
Data-driven — Provide real-time, actionable feedback based on store data to guide user decision-making.
Streamlined — Create efficient, minimal steps in key workflows, reducing friction and allowing users to achieve their tasks effortlessly.
Design Process
User Research
Collection of images from our user personas, user flows, storyboards, and lo-fi prototypes.
Competitive analysis — From analyzing current clothing disposal systems (thrift stores, online resale platforms, buy-sell-trade stores), we found an apparent lack of transparency regarding the value of sellers' unwanted items.
User interviews — We interviewed 15 participants, a mix of people who have shopped at or work at buy-sell-trade stores. Findings showed that convenience trumps sustainability for second-hand shoppers, while employees reported challenges with inefficient donation systems and large quantities of unsellable clothes.
Usability testing — Usability testing of our low-fi prototype showed that users found the interface intuitive but suggested improvements for clearer navigation and more efficient item listing.
Seller Perspective
GIF overview of seller completing a drop-off.
Start from home — Sellers can begin their drop-off process from the comfort of their homes. They can upload items, select a store location, and receive estimated values, giving them a clear idea of what to expect before arriving.
Know what to bring — A helpful search feature allows sellers to look up items stores are actively seeking or browse specific store inventories to find out which items are in demand.
Quick and accessible — Based on user feedback, we prioritized speed and ease of use by creating a mobile-friendly website instead of an app that sellers can use without needing to download or worry about storage limitations, ensuring a hassle-free experience.
Employee Perspective
GIF overview of employee drop-off.
Dashboard — Employees can easily switch between tabs to view specific inventory categories, including incoming items from scheduled drop-offs , current in-store stock, and wishlist items, ensuring all essential data is easily accessible.
Efficiency — The platform streamlined repetitive tasks, reducing time spent on manual updates and enabling employees to focus on providing better customer service and other store duties.
Clarity — Clear visual hierarchy and intuitive navigation ensured employees could quickly interpret data, eliminating confusion and minimizing errors.
Retrospective
Summary
Grid photo overview of seller mobile pages.
Lessons Learned
The power of communication — I learned how to balance differing perspectives on project direction and problem-solving approaches. Clear, consistent communication was key to staying aligned and productive as a team.
Iterating through feedback — Integrating feedback from user testing and team discussions taught me the importance of being flexible and open to change. Iteration was crucial for refining our solution and meeting user needs effectively.
Balancing strengths — Each team member brought unique skills to the table. Learning how to delegate tasks based on strengths while maintaining a cohesive vision was a vital lesson that will serve me well in future projects.