RELOVED

Designing a Trust-First Live Shopping Marketplace
for Students to Buy Second Hand Products

RELOVED

Designing a Live Shopping Marketplace for Students to Buy
Second Hand Products

RELOVED

TIMELINE

3 Months

ROLE

Product Designer

TEAM

3 Members

INDUSTRY

E-Commerce

Problem Space

Furnishing an apartment as a college student is hard.

It is a student's first major financial & logistical challenge.

Students consistently experience friction that makes second-hand platforms to buy furniture feel unreliable & exhausting.

View Solution

Through early exploration, we identified 4 recurring pain points:

01.

High costs of essentials when setting up an apartment on a student budget.

01.

High costs of essentials when setting up an apartment on a student budget.

02.

Low trust in sellers on platforms like Facebook Marketplace.

02.

Low trust in sellers on platforms like Facebook Marketplace.

03.

Poor transparency around product condition (unclear photos, missing details).

03.

Poor transparency around product condition (unclear photos, missing details).

04.

Bad communication when coordinating with roommates on shared purchases.

04.

Bad communication when coordinating with roommates on shared purchases.

Existingmarketplaceswerenotdesignedaroundhowstudentsactuallyshop,evaluaterisk,ormakecollectivedecisions.

Our Process

5 stages

From understanding users to designing with intention.

Context

Framing the challenge through the lens of student life & the realities of student second-hand shopping.

Discovery

Listening to students to uncover unmet needs, behaviours & pain points through qualitative research.

Design

Translating insights into a trust-first marketplace built around real student behaviors.

Refine

Iterating through testing to reduce friction & sharpen clarity by letting feedback guide smarter design decisions.

Impact

Creating a marketplace & a sense of community around second-hand buying that feels trustworthy & human.

The resulting AI-powered scheduling app offers a seamless user experience, allowing individuals and businesses to effortlessly manage their schedules.

Research Approach

Primary Research

Initial research with 8 participants to understand student needs, behaviors & mental models.

Affinity Diagram

Empathy Mapping

Interview Questions Post Pilot Testing

Key Insights

What drives second-hand purchasing?

From synthesis, 3 themes consistently surfaced & these became the backbone of our design strategy.

Feel free to click & drag the sticky note on the board 😄📌

Feel free to click & drag the sticky note on the board 😄📌

Secondary Research

Competitor Analysis

Summarizing key drawbacks across existing
competitors helped evaluate & identify clear market gaps.

Summarizing key drawbacks across existing competitors helped evaluate & identify clear market gaps.

Overstimulating interface: chat, video, & timers create chaos.

Weak filters: hard to search by price, location, or condition.

Search results may be inconsistent or limited.

No seller authenticity checks.

Karrot AI - “Ask AI” does not accurately answer questions.

Trade feature feature lacks clarity .

No live chat option for inquiries about products.

The platform lacks a filtering feature.

No seller verification or authenticity checks.

Feels like an add-on feature, not a dedicated shopping space.

Home page is cluttered & can feel overwhelming to navigate.

Advertisements appear inconsistently across pages and sections

Information Architecture Validation

Card Sorting & Tree Testing

Looking beyond features to uncover where current marketplaces fall short for student users.

Average tree test success rate

Agreement on core navigation

No. of tests from both studies

Card Sorting

Objective: Evaluate whether the proposed

navigation structure aligns with users’

mental models while grouping features.

Methodology: Open Card Sort

Participants: 17

Scope: Navigation, Product Detail Pages, Live

Shopping, Seller Profiles, Filters & Categories.

Goal: Identify natural groupings & priority signals

in a second-hand live-commerce experience.

Median completion time: 13m 29s

Card Sorting

Objective: Evaluate whether the proposed

navigation structure aligns with users’

mental models while grouping features.

Methodology: Open Card Sort

Participants: 17

Scope: Navigation, Product Detail Pages, Live

Shopping, Seller Profiles, Filters & Categories.

Goal: Identify natural groupings & priority

signals in a second-hand live-commerce

experience.

Median completion time: 13m 29s

Tree Testing

Objective: Validate whether users could

locate key features within the proposed

navigation structure, without visual UI cues.

Methodology: Unmoderated Tree Test

Participants: 8

Tasks: 8 scenarios spanning browsing,

trust & safety, account & collaboration.

Metrics analyzed: Success score, directness,

median completion time & error paths.

Median completion time: 5m 18s

Tree Testing

Objective: Validate whether users could

locate key features within the proposed

navigation structure, without visual UI cues.

Methodology: Unmoderated Tree Test

Participants: 8

Tasks: 8 scenarios spanning browsing,

trust & safety, account & collaboration.

Metrics analyzed: Success score, directness,

median completion time & error paths.

Median completion time: 5m 18s

Key findings & metrics from the Card Sorting study

Navigation Structure Showed Strong Consensus

94–100%

of participants grouped core

destinations consistently.

Insight

Participants expected to treat Live

as primary destination rather than

a secondary feature.

Design Impact

Live shopping was elevated into

the primary navigation.

Product Detail Pages Centered on Trust & Recency

100%

of participants created a

Product Details group.

Insight

Recency & condition rival price

as decision-making signals.

Design Impact

"Listed X days ago” & condition

indicators were surfaced near price.

Seller Transparency Was a Primary Trust Driver

100%

of participants grouped core

destinations consistently.

Insight

Users value visible safety

mechanisms as much as

reputation indicators.

Design Impact

Verification badges made

persistently visible across seller

& product views.

Live Shopping Was Viewed as a Social Experience

17/17

of the participants interacted

with the live shopping elements.

Insight

Real-time feedback reinforces

trust & excitement.

Design Impact

Chat, likes & viewer count

prioritized visually over checkout

actions during live streams.

Browsing & Purchase Behavior Was Exploratory

17/17

of participants used the cart.

Insight

Participants preferred a

low-pressure exploration over

immediate purchasing.

Design Impact

Wishlist & favorites were

prioritized alongside checkout.

Location & Price Dominated Filtering Decisions

of the participants used

filters.

Insight

Local availability was nearly as

important as price.

Design Impact

Location filters were

promoted to primary controls

in the filters panel.

Task-level insights & key results from the Unmoderated Tree Test

Critical Failures

Partial Success

Performers

Insight: Core marketplace actions were not aligned with users’ mental models. Labels such as

Profile, Listing, or Product Details likely overlap in meaning, causing confident but incorrect choices.

0% success rate across all three tasks
100% direct navigation to incorrect locations for Tasks 2 and 3
Users consistently chose labels that felt semantically correct but did not map to the intended structure

Success Rate

Product Discovery

Seller Verification

Buyer Reviews

Opportunity

Applying our findings

How might we design an effective student marketplace experience?

Implement seller verification & authentication checks to build trust & reduce risk for student buyers.

Provide strong filtering options to search by price, location, & item condition, making discovery faster & more relevant.

Create a community space that encourages user connection & fosters a sense of belonging among students.

Use clean, aesthetic interaction patterns on the home & live pages to increase engagement, usability, & retention.

Enable live chat with sellers instead of chatbots, as buyers often have specific, context-driven questions.

Avoid bidding mechanisms, as they do not align with the purchasing behavior of a student-focused secondhand marketplace.

Iteration 1

What didn't work?

We started with the 1st iteration of our visual design & tested them with 6 participants to gather early feedback.

Icon Visibility

Product Context

Colour Palette

Search & Disovery

Icon Visibility

Icon buttons were difficult to notice due to low contrast, the light gray color lacked visual prominence & failed to draw attention.

Icon Visibility

Product Context

Colour Palette

Search & Disovery

Icon Visibility

Icon buttons were difficult to notice due to low contrast, the light gray color lacked visual prominence & failed to draw attention.

Feedback

Real Users, Real Feedback

These moments were critical because they revealed not just usability issues, but misalignments between intent and experience.

Participant 03
"Icon buttons are hard to notice due to low contrast."
Participant 02
"I wasn’t sure which item I was messaging about since there’s no product image or link in the message."
Participant 01
"The green kind of makes it look like a healthcare app."
Participant 04
"If I don’t have a specific product in mind, it’s hard to just browse and explore."
Participant 03
"Icon buttons are hard to notice due to low contrast."
Participant 02
"I wasn’t sure which item I was messaging about since there’s no product image or link in the message."
Participant 01
"The green kind of makes it look like a healthcare app."
Participant 04
"If I don’t have a specific product in mind, it’s hard to just browse and explore."
Participant 03
"Icon buttons are hard to notice due to low contrast."
Participant 02
"I wasn’t sure which item I was messaging about since there’s no product image or link in the message."
Participant 01
"The green kind of makes it look like a healthcare app."
Participant 04
"If I don’t have a specific product in mind, it’s hard to just browse and explore."
Participant 03
"Icon buttons are hard to notice due to low contrast."
Participant 02
"I wasn’t sure which item I was messaging about since there’s no product image or link in the message."
Participant 01
"The green kind of makes it look like a healthcare app."
Participant 04
"If I don’t have a specific product in mind, it’s hard to just browse and explore."

Feedback

Real Users, Real Feedback

These moments were critical because they revealed not just usability issues, but misalignments between intent and experience.

Participant 03
"Icon buttons are hard to notice due to low contrast."
Participant 02
"I wasn’t sure which item I was messaging about since there’s no product image or link in the message."
Participant 01
"The green kind of makes it look like a healthcare app."
Participant 04
"If I don’t have a specific product in mind, it’s hard to just browse and explore."
Participant 03
"Icon buttons are hard to notice due to low contrast."
Participant 02
"I wasn’t sure which item I was messaging about since there’s no product image or link in the message."
Participant 01
"The green kind of makes it look like a healthcare app."
Participant 04
"If I don’t have a specific product in mind, it’s hard to just browse and explore."
Participant 03
"Icon buttons are hard to notice due to low contrast."
Participant 02
"I wasn’t sure which item I was messaging about since there’s no product image or link in the message."
Participant 01
"The green kind of makes it look like a healthcare app."
Participant 04
"If I don’t have a specific product in mind, it’s hard to just browse and explore."
Participant 03
"Icon buttons are hard to notice due to low contrast."
Participant 02
"I wasn’t sure which item I was messaging about since there’s no product image or link in the message."
Participant 01
"The green kind of makes it look like a healthcare app."
Participant 04
"If I don’t have a specific product in mind, it’s hard to just browse and explore."

Colour Palette Switch

Drawing from one of the most important feedbacks we received,
we created a warmer, more human experience that feels like home.

We refined the color system to introduce

warmth without overwhelming the interface,

helping the product feel more approachable.

Users associated the initial green palette

with healthcare, which created an unintended sense of formality & distance.

Colour Palette Switch

Change in theme

Drawing from one of the most important feedbacks we received,
we created a warmer, more human experience that feels like home.

Users associated the initial green palette

with healthcare, which created an unintended

sense of formality & distance.

We refined the color system to introduce warmth without overwhelming the interface, helping the product feel more approachable.

Final Prototype

Presenting to you, ReLoved

The final design for a trust-first, student-centered second-hand marketplace.

Home & Categories

Browse curated categories on the home page & view detailed product pages with images, condition, price, & seller information.

SUBCATEGORIES

Narrow results by selecting a subcategory.

And compare by switching between subcategories under the same category to explore options.

Advanced search filters

Enables faster discovery & helps users find exactly what they’re looking for with minimal effort.

SEARCH CATEGORIES

Categorize search to streamline discovery.

Quickly discover new listings, sellers activity, people, products, and community content through categorized search.

Live Stream Shopping

Live stream shopping allows students to inspect items in real time, interact with sellers, & make informed purchase decisions.

Products showcased on live stream

See featured product details in real time.

Displays product details directly on the live stream card to help users understand items being showcased.

Separate chats for sellers & friends, all in one place

Dedicated chat threads for sellers & friends help users manage conversations without confusion.

GET NOTIFIED

Never miss a deal, alerts about new listings & price drops.

Smart notifications alert users to new listings from sellers they follow & price changes on items they are watching. helping them act at the right time.

View Seller Profile

Helps buyers assess seller reliability through profiles that highlight details, reviews & listings.

Follow a seller

Follow sellers to stay updated on new listings.

Allows users to follow sellers to receive notifications about new listings and stay informed about seller activity.

Build a Shared Wishlist

Enables multiple users to create and manage a shared wishlist, supporting group planning and purchasing.

Private wishlist

Save items just for you & keep track of what you love, privately.

Allows users to privately save and organize items they’re interested in for future consideration.

Filtering

Smart filters help students narrow down listings by price, condition, & availability, reducing search time & friction.

SUBCATEGORIES

Targeted searches for faster discovery.

Allows users to filter listings by locality, price, condition, listing date, free items, back-to-school sales, and rentals to quickly find relevant products.