b. resale is a web-based marketplace for second hand apparel.
Project Brief
b. resale is an online collaborative inspired by the physical retail store in south Minneapolis. The application sets itself apart from competitors by helping users find products in their desired size and style (through onboarding), a virtual "try-on" feature, and guides sellers through upload options (one of which is a 3D scan). Buyers can then really get a sense of what they're purchasing and sellers can easily upload full 3D models of their products.
Project Timeline: 4 weeks
Market Research
Looking at competitors in the market, I was surprised to see so many options for online resale so I created an abbreviated list of the top 5 competitors that offered concepts most similar to my vision for b. resale.
poshmark ui
Through market research I identified Poshmark as my number one competitor. As a first-time user, I downloaded the app and shopped, taking note of good user experience and any pain points through my journey.
Here's what I liked:
Easy to search - The search bar remains visible at all times.
Navigation bar - Makes it easy to access seller-mode and personal preferences.
A messy/chaotic feed - What if the main screen and feed were cleaner and more pleasing to look at? How would that affect purchasing?
User settings are really lengthy. What if there was a way to better organize all of the elements in the settings tab?
Limited selling features - Small frame when taking a picture for upload. Not very many upload options. In fact, I think that a part of why the feed looked so messy was that there was a lot of blurry photos. I want to invest in a good "seller journey" in order to create a beautiful buying experience.
What we know about the market:
Peer-to-peer markets are preferred for now, but there’s room for brands to move the needle.
(Tassin, 2022)
‘Pre-loved’ luxury good sales have been dramatically increased due to online platforms among younger consumers.
(Bianchi et al., 2020)
Our new forecast suggests massive divergence between ecommerce (↑) and brick-and-mortar(↓).
(Lipsman, 2020)
How Might We: better engage resale shoppers by designing physical experiences, digitally?
Market analysis inspired me to focus on features that are not yet available in P2P experiences: A) allow buyers to "try-on" clothes virtually and B) allow sellers to easily upload 3D models of their products. The latter would need be as seamless as uploading a picture or video (something that users are already familiar with).
This was the initial plan for design:
Sketches
Home Screen Options
First iteration mock ups:
PROTOTYPE: ONBOARDING
PROTOTYPE: SELLER JOURNEY
PROTOTYPE: BUYER JOURNEY
AR PROTOTYPE
I decided to prototype this AR experience in Lens Studio because I had heard that it was possible to create a full-body mesh with full-body tracking. This would allow the 3D asset to adhere to the users body, making the filter more realistic. However, I still have a lot to learn when it comes to sculpting in 3D and preparing a mesh for an AR experience. For the interim, I decided to create a simple filter of the yellow American Apparel jacket and attach it to a face tracker.
