Zeta's Thrift Shop App
Project Overview
Zeta’s Thrift Shop is a specialty thrift shop located in downtown Savannah. Zeta’s Thrift Shop strives to offer high-end secondhand clothing at competitive prices. The target audience is college students and working professionals who are looking for unique, trendy clothing for school or work.
My role
UX designer designing an app for Zeta's Thrift Shop using Figma and Photoshop CC.
Project duration
August 2022 to September 2022.
The Problem
Busy workers lack the time to browse for high-quality secondhand clothing at their local thrift shop. With so many choices available, it is hard to find the right size and style. Users also want to be able to donate unwanted clothing to the thrift shop.
The Goal
Design an app for Zeta’s Thrift Shop that conveniently allows users to find high-quality secondhand clothing in their size. They will also have the option to hold the selected item(s) and try it on at Zeta’s Thrift Shop for up to 3 business days.
My Responsibilities
- Design an app design for Zeta's Thrift Shop.
- Conduct usability studies to improve the mobile app users shopping experience.
- Create digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping; and iterate on designs using Figma.
User Research: Summary
I created a script for an unmoderated usability study and conducted interviews to a small focus group in August 2022. The goal was to receive feedback on an app design and to identify users pain points. I created a user journey map and empathy map to help understand the customer's experience. A primary user group identified through research was working adults and college students that don’t have time to shop for secondhand clothing at the thrift stop. They were interested in an app that would make their shopping experience as convenient and enjoyable as possible.
This user group confirmed initial assumptions about Zeta’s Thrift Shop customers, but research also revealed that time was not the only factor that kept users from shopping at the thrift shop. Other user problems included obligations, challenges in finding clothing in the right size, and finding good deals on high-end designer clothing.
User Story
"As a Fashion Collector and regular of the Thrift Shoppers Club, I want quick access to the latest clothing styles online, so that I won't spend too much time searching for clothes at the thrift shop."
-- Susan
Frustrations
- "It often takes a long time to find petite-size clothes that fit, and sometimes I walk away empty-handed."
- "Finding worn secondhand clothes with holes and stains make shopping a bad experience."
- "Returns are not allowed."
Goals
- To find unique and stylish clothing that will make everyone notice.
To find the best deals on clothing for work and school.
- To donate unwanted clothing for charity.
Digital Wireframes
As the initial design phase continued, I created digital wireframes based on feedback and findings from the usability study that was conducted in August 2022.
Goal: To easily donate clothing and quickly find stylish clothing items that fit.
High-fidelity Prototypes
The final high-fidelity prototype featured cleaner user flows and make it easier for users to make a purchase. Users are now able to sign in and/or log in before entering their payment information.
View the high-fidelity prototype here.
Key Takeaways
Impact
This app makes it more convenient for users to shop and find high quality second-hand clothing in their size without wasting time shopping at Zeta’s Thrift Shop.
What I Learned
Creating prototypes in Figma played a key role in the design of the app. By applying Gestalt principles, the app is more user-friendly and organized. The usability studies influenced each iteration of the app’s design.
Next Steps
Make the app more accessible to users who are vision impaired by adding ALT text to images for screen readers.