Problem
Fast fashion creates excessive waste, driving people toward sustainable solutions like clothes trading. Yet, existing trading platforms feel tedious and unreliable—bogged down by complex interactions, overwhelming listings, and trust concerns—hindering adoption and engagement.
Solution
Switcheroo is a mobile app that simplifies clothes trading with a swipe-to-trade mechanism, a reputation system, and a community-driven giveaway model—making sustainable fashion accessible and fun.
My Role
As one of the UX Generalists, I worked on research, ideation, interaction design, and usability testing to create a user-friendly and engaging experience.
My valuable contributions included designing the reputation system and micro-interactions of the prototype, and revamping the Request/Giveaway Hub.
📹 Watch the 3-min video for a quick overview OR ⬇️ Scroll down for the full case study
Understanding the Users
Sustainability-conscious Gen Z & Millennials who love fashion but seek eco-friendly, hassle-free ways to refresh their wardrobes without spending money.
Who Are We Designing For?
How I Gathered Insights?
With no time for user interviews, I turned to research papers, blogs, and fashion forums to understand user behaviours and frustrations.
Convenience matters: Users want sustainable fast fashion options, but want to put in minimal effort.
Trust is a Concern: Fear of scams, bad trades, and personal security, deters users from trading apps.
Discoverability is key: Users struggle to find relevant and preferred items.
Key Takeaways
Design & Key Solutions
Swipe-to-Trade
💡 Problem: Users needed a more engaging way to explore clothing trades. Traditional listings felt transactional, lacking the intuitive, playful interaction they were used to.
🚀 Solution: Designed a Tinder-like swipe experience, mirroring familiar interactions from dating apps. This made browsing effortless—like flipping through a fashion catalogue.
✅ Impact: Boosted engagement, quicker decision-making, and made trading feel fun and intuitive.
Building Trust with a Reputation System
💡 Problem: Users hesitated to trade due to reliability & security concerns.
🚀 Solution: Introduced ratings, reviews, and badges to validate trade partners.
✅ Impact: Enhanced trust, leading to more successful trades.
Designing a Fair & Inclusive System
💡 Problem: Some users struggled to find a match, while others simply wanted to donate or request items without trading.
🚀 I explored 2 potential solutions:
A 3-Way Trade System
Increased match potential by connecting three users, but added complexity to find more than two willing users.
A Giveaway/Request System
A dedicated way to donate or request items, ensuring flexibility.
➡️ We chose the Giveaway/Request System for its simplicity and accessibility.
🚀 Preventing Abuse with Request Credits: To maintain fairness, we introduced a Request Credit (RC) system — ensuring users gave before they received, discouraging hoarding and misuse.
✅ Impact: A balanced system where users could give, request, and trade seamlessly while preventing exploitation.
Streamlining Filters & Trade History
💡 Problem: Users struggled to find filters and past trades.
🚀 Solution: Refined navigation by adding an accessible filter menu & trade history.
✅ Impact: Faster browsing and improved usability.
User Testing & Iterations
How we Tested & What we Uncovered?
SUS Score Reveals Area for Improvement
69/100
Key Pain Points
Users struggled to locate giveaway requests due to a lack of visibility.
Filters felt buried and unintuitive, making it hard to refine searches.
Lack of onboarding left first-time users confused, impacting adoption.
Key Iterations
Revamped Request Marketplace → Seamlessly Integrated it with Rest of the App
Simplified Filters & Swiping UI → Improved Discoverability & Control
Enhanced onboarding & help screens → Increased clarity for new users
Final Impact & Takeaways
🌍 Increased adoption of sustainable fashion through an engaging, frictionless trading experience.
📈 Built a trusted community, boosting user retention & repeat trades via reputation-based interactions.
🔄 Improved conversion & usability by iterating based on user insights, ensuring long-term product success.
Lessons Learnt
Intuition ≠ usability; real-world testing is key.
Users' mental models shape product decisions.
Design is never finished - iteration drives excellence.
Thank You
This app design was adapted and extended to a real-life app called MatchTee, co-created by one of our team members Minseo (Matthew) Kwon.
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