A Used Children's Clothing Marketplace App

We conducted qualitative user research through interviews, persona development, and the creation of user stories and user journey maps to understand how different users buy and sell used children’s clothing online. We began with the assumption that most users preferred mobile apps, valued social features, and primarily desired low-cost options. After research, we found significant variation: many users prioritized trust, clear information, and efficiency over price; some, like Jason, strongly preferred desktop; and others, like Chloe and Diego, valued aesthetics and sustainability more than we expected. The research revealed shared pain points, including inconsistent item details, poor filtering, tedious/difficult process to list items, and unclear seller communication, shifting our assumptions toward the need for a flexible, trustworthy, multi-platform experience rather than a one-size-fits-all mobile solution.

Using the findings from the user research, I drafted paper wireframes with the pain points revealed in research in mind. The best elements of the drafts were selected and then combined into a digital wireframe in Figma. All designs were created in low-fidelity and minimal colors; just enough to provide the basic idea of what the finished product will look like. The digital wireframe was then extrapolated into different screens that I could use when running a usability study.

I conducted a usability study to understand if the core user experience, browsing for items and ordering desired items, was easy for users to complete. The study was designed as an unmoderated user study in which users were asked to perform tasks with the low-fidelity prototype on Figma. The task list was comprised of 4 prompts of a basic user path in which the user would start from the Home screen, browse for an item, add it to their “Favorites”, add the item to their cart, and then complete the checkout process. For each prompt, participants would document their click path as well as list any behaviors, opinions, and attitudes along with any errors, issues, or areas of confusion experienced. The study yielded valuable data from the participants in which patterns and themes were identified and converted into insights for the project. These actionable insights were further classified into priority levels and then applied to the low-fidelity prototype to create an updated version for further testing.

The data yielded by the usability study was parlayed into actionable insights. I created a checklist of items to address for a smoother user experience and made the changes accordingly and eventually developed a high-fidelity prototype from the results. The initial checkout process proved somewhat confusing or cumbersome to most users and was adjusted to be more congruent with user expectations as well as typical e-commerce user flows. Additionally, more (and better) visual confirmation was added to the experience to improve intuitiveness.