Role
Founder
Product Manager
Designer
Timeline
October 2020 - June 2024
Team
Sania Heydarfadai
Context
Despite overflowing closets, 61% of Americans struggle to find something to wear, contributing to 92 million tons of annual textile waste. With the fashion industry set to consume 26% of the world’s carbon budget by 2050, the demand for sustainable fashion is rising, especially among Gen Z and Millennials.
Objective
I started reselling in 2020 and saw the challenges in the market, which inspired me to create a platform that helps users shop for secondhand clothing based on aesthetics. My goal is to simplify outfit selection, reduce textile waste, and promote sustainable fashion, catering especially to Gen Z and Millennials seeking eco-friendly shopping solutions.
User research
Through surveys and interviews with over 150 resellers and resale platform users, I identified key challenges like inconsistent algorithms, complicated shipping, and poor customer service on resale platforms. Users also reported frustrations with pricing and filtering limitations, as well as issues with drop shipping and quality. These findings highlight the need for a more intuitive platform to enhance the reselling experience.
Resellers felt frustrated using Depop because of
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Shipping: Time-consuming and inconsistent policies.
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Algorithm & Pressure: Changing trends make sales harder.
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Customer Service: Slow responses and limited support.
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Price Negotiation: Lowball offers reduce reseller profits.
Buyers faced issues using Depop because of
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Pricing Issues: Buyers feel popular or trending items are frequently listed above their original retail value.
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Drop Shipping: Has caused reliability issues, with buyers frustrated by poor quality and misleading claims.
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Sizing & Filtering: - Buyers struggle with faulty filters, missing measurements, and inconsistent sizing, making it hard to find specific sizes.
Competitive Analysis
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Algorithm & Pressure: Changing trends make sales harder.
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Algorithm & Pressure: Changing trends make sales harder.
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Price Negotiation: Lowball offers reduce reseller profits.
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Customer Service: Slow responses and limited support.
Ideation and iteration
After performing some customer analysis Based off current resale platforms, I sketched up some potential interfaces that could be utilized.
I was able to create a website as an MVP check it out below
Web Design / Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Thanks to participating in the Plasma Program @UCDavis, I was able to gain the seed funding to create a website, that served as the mvp and sold +75 items to raise $500 dollars in revenue.
Startup Competitions
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Little Bang 2021: Pitched business proposal to 12 investors in a day, securing $500 in seed funding.
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Plasma Program 2020: Conceptualized and executed a user-centered strategy to create a business model, pitch deck, MVP, and x in collaboration with +35 investors, industry leaders, and 3 mentors
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Big Bang 2022: Ranked in the top 10 out of 250+ contestants in three rounds of investor pitch competitions.
Startup Site mapping
Prior to undergoing the redesign process, I created a detailed site map to prioritize essential features and ensure a seamless user journey. This groundwork informed my mid-fi wireframes, focusing on enhancing usability.
High-fi Designs
I started this journey before majoring in design, and while I've created three high-fidelity prototypes, my recent courses and club experiences have deepened my skills. I'm also updating our current website, which is still a work in progress.
Sign in User Journey
When users first sign onto the platform, and embark on the journey to find their own style, we offer a style quiz to help guide them.
Home and Aesthetic Categories
All selectable fields are searchable drop-downs, minimizing browse time. The graph no longer refreshes each time a field is changed - a
button allows for quick graph generation. Graphs are downloadable by image size.
Seller Journey
A user guide to all the different pages available on the navigation bar, and what they look like.
Personal Feed
These pages feature a personalized universal feed on the home page, curated for each user based on their previous interactions and likes. The design aims to create an engaging experience that keeps users updated on the latest products from those they follow.
About Me