Making Secondhand Children’s Clothing Easier to Buy and Sell
This conceptual project was completed as part of the Google User Experience Design Certificate, chosen from a selection of design challenges.
Children outgrow clothing quickly, making it difficult for parents to keep wardrobes affordable and up to date. Secondhand marketplaces offer a way to reuse clothing, reduce waste, and extend the value of items families no longer need.
Problem
Parents often turn to secondhand platforms to keep up with children’s fast-changing wardrobes, but the experience isn’t always easy to rely on. When resale feels unclear or unpredictable, parents hesitate to follow through, even when motivated to participate.
Process
User Research
Chosen from a broader set of design challenges, six interviews were conducted with parents to understand how they buy and sell children’s clothing secondhand. The research focused on identifying friction points, parent priorities, and concerns related to resale.
Research Goals:
• Identify friction points across the secondhand buying and selling process.
• Understand what parents value when purchasing or reselling children’s clothing.
• Explore concerns related to trust, communication, and transaction security.
Research Findings
Interviews revealed recurring friction across the secondhand clothing resale experience. While parents were motivated to buy and sell, decisions were often delayed or abandoned when the effort required or outcome felt unclear.
Insight:
When buying or selling children’s clothing requires added effort or feels uncertain, parents disengage even when the need is present.
“Buying is usually quick, but selling feels like a project I have to plan for.”
“I’ll put it off if I know it’s going to take more than a few minutes.”
“I end up opening a lot of listings just to compare basic details.”
“If I’m unsure about the condition, I usually skip it completely.”
“If something feels off, I usually just back out of the whole thing.”
“I don’t want surprises once I’ve already committed.”
Persona
Sarah wants to keep up with her children’s wardrobes without adding complexity to her routine. She balances a demanding career and family life while buying and selling clothing. If the resale process feels time-consuming or difficult to predict, she is likely to disengage.
Insight:
Sarah represents a motivated parent whose participation in resale depends on how efficient and predictable the experience feels.
Problem and How Might We Statements
Parents want to use secondhand platforms to manage their children’s wardrobes, but participation often breaks down when the effort or outcome feels uncertain. When the resale process feels unpredictable, parents hesitate to follow through with transactions.
Competitor Analysis
Spurrty, Markid, and Poshmark were reviewed to understand how parents currently buy and sell children’s clothing secondhand. The analysis focused on how well each platform supports discovery, listing, and transaction clarity.
Insight:
While competitors enable browsing and search, listing and completing transactions often involve friction or unclear expectations, contributing to hesitation and drop-off.
Sketching
Early sketches explored how key details such as item condition, pricing, and transaction options could be surfaced quickly to support confident decisions. Concepts emphasized reducing perceived effort and clarifying what would happen next before a user committed.
Prototype
User Flows
Buyer and seller flows were mapped to make each step of the transaction explicit, from listing to completion. The focus was on removing unnecessary actions and reducing ambiguity so parents could move forward with confidence.
Wireframes
Wireframes refined structure and interactions to reinforce clarity at key decision points. Emphasis was placed on surfacing essential details early and minimizing the effort required to list, evaluate, and complete transactions.
Test
User Testing
Six moderated usability sessions evaluated how parents interacted with the prototype while completing core buying and selling tasks. Testing focused on identifying where confidence increased, where hesitation appeared, and how clearly users understood what would happen next.
Test Findings
Patterns in participant feedback revealed consistent themes around decision-making, flexibility, and transparency. These findings highlighted specific moments where added clarity or control helped participants feel more confident moving forward.
Design Improvements
Insights from usability testing guided targeted refinements aimed at reducing hesitation during key decision moments. Improvements focused on increasing clarity, flexibility, and transparency so parents could move through the resale process with greater confidence.
Item Interest
Flexible Transactions
Fee Breakdown
A clear fee summary is shown before listing, helping sellers price items accurately and understand expected earnings.
Solution
Streamline the Selling Process
Quick Listings: List items in seconds with photos, details, and a clear fee breakdown, so you can start selling right away.
Real-Time Insights: Track listing activity to gauge interest and adjust pricing for better sales.
Flexible Transactions: Choose your preferred deal method and negotiate on your terms using built-in chat options.
Personalized Discovery: Quickly find what you're looking for with a tailored feed, filters, and smart recommendations.
Clear Listings: Access detailed product descriptions, seller ratings, and upfront pricing to make informed decisions.
Secure Transactions: Negotiate in chat and complete purchases with automated, secure payments.
Product
Mobile
Welcome to LittleLooks
Log in or sign up with your preferred method to quickly start buying or selling items.
Home
View product cards with key details like name, price, condition, and images, tailored to your interests and activity.
Explore and Search
Product Pages
Seller Profiles
Browse trusted seller profiles, including ratings, reviews, and past listings, to shop confidently.
Offers and Messages
Notifications
Stay updated with real-time alerts on negotiations, payments, and shipment progress, ensuring you’re always informed.
Account
List Items
Sell items effortlessly by quickly listing them with key details and selecting the best deal method for your needs.
Transparent Fees
View a clear breakdown of fees before listing, so you can make informed decisions and get the most out of your sales.
Get Paid
View past transactions and securely withdraw funds at any time, making it easy to manage your balance and monitor your financial progress.
