SHOP ALT
Scope
Competitor Analysis, Research, Design Systems, Visual Design, Wireframing, User Interface Design
Project timeline
Sepetmber 2022 - Dec 2023
Lead Designer for Weird Communications
Context
Shop Alt is a new online thrift shopping platform for Indian audiences. Since thrift shopping isn’t a common practice in India, the brief was to build an attractive platform that could encourage young Indians to join the movement of sustainable fashion. The founders wanted mild references to vintage aesthetics while maintaining a bright and youthful visual identity that could attract a Gen Z audience. I designed the identity and UI for Shop Alt.
Goal
Introducing a new way to shop and creating a brand that is attractive to a young Indian audience.
Opportunities
The core problem was to create an ecosystem in which buyers can become sellers. The team found that the best way to create a community was by making the selling component easy and the messaging consistent. We added a selling tier system to promote the idea.
Branding
Branding ideas were derived from the brand name and values. Shop Alt is an alternative to mainstream fashion and it would give many new ways to engage. It melds function and philosophy. The idea of the alternative was explored through a vibrant color palette, badges and stickers to add more personality and create a strong visual memory. We wanted to pay homage to the idea of vintage objects and the possibility of finding something unique because that’s what thrifting is about.
Designing the platform
The goal was to simplify the journeys for all types of users - sellers and buyers. The key difference was that Shop Alt encouraged and enabled buyers to sell. CTA’s and opportunities to sign up to be a seller were added to each buyer’s journey. Pops of color from the branding were used in banners and smaller UI elements.
Reflections and next steps
Weird Communications worked on the visual design and strategy but we did not work on marketing and execution. The early launch received positive reviews. I would have liked to work on marketing and design after the launch to make decisions backed by data. I learned that I enjoy design decisions derived from data and research.
Say hello!
Get in touch at sachi.mavinkurve@gmail.com
