0->1 PRODUCT DESIGN - VIVE

From concept to product as sole designer - creating a purpose-driven resale app loved by users.

From concept to product as sole designer - creating a purpose-driven resale app loved by users.

RESEARCH, BRAND IDENTITY, PROTOTYPE & TESTING

2023

INTRODUCTION

Building a Purposeful Resale Experience

While charity shops lagged on old channels and young shoppers flocked to apps, the opportunity was clear: blend resale with giving, fight fashion waste, and turn shopping into impact.

As sole product designer, I shaped the iOS app — blending peer-to-peer resale, influencer drops, and charity donations into a purpose-driven shopping experience that helped secure early funding.

YEAR

2023

TIMELINE

12 WEEKS

ROLE

SOLE PRODUCT DESIGNER

CONTRIBUTORS

FOUNDERS

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ENGINEERING LEAD

GOAL

I Loved The Idea!

When Vive approached me, I was drawn to their vision: a resale experience that was effortless for users and impactful for causes.

Our aim was bigger than building another marketplace. We wanted to design VIVE so every interaction - buying or selling - felt like more than a transaction: it was a step toward reducing fashion waste and supporting the community.

USER RESEARCH

Where Shoppers, Donors & Drops Meet

To shape Vive, I conducted interviews with three key groups — second-hand shoppers, charity supporters, and drop-culture enthusiasts. Each group brought distinct motivations, but our goal was to uncover what they shared in common.

Second-Hand Shoppers

Valued effortless buying and selling, with minimal friction in listing items and discovering unique finds.

Charity Supporters

Wanted their purchases to carry a sense of social purpose, knowing their actions contributed to something bigger than themselves.

Drop-Culture Enthusiasts

Looked for energy and excitement, emphasising the importance of volume and variety so the app felt vibrant and worth checking in regularly.

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

What the Best Get Right (and Wrong)

Studying Depop, StockX, and Vinted showed us what great looks like — frictionless purchase flows and strong, distinctive branding — but also where gaps remain.

For Vive, we identified four essentials: a strong brand identity, meaningful personalization and recommendations, simple flows for both buyers and sellers. Guide users through the process of entering drops.

STRATEGY WORKSHOP

Shaping the Strategy Together

I facilitated workshops with the founders and CX team to align on priorities and translate insights into action. Together, we defined four core pillars to guide Vive’s MVP: peer-to-peer sales, seller donations, influencer drops, and impact reporting.

CHALLENGE

Making the Mission Understandable

Research revealed that Vive’s biggest challenge wasn’t just usability — it was clarity. We needed to introduce a completely new concept (resale + charity + influencer drops), show how proceeds flowed to charities, and reinforce the sense of impact without overwhelming users.

To solve this, I designed for simplicity and motivation:

Essentials at onboarding

Kept initial explanations light and simple.

Contextual reminders

Surfaced guidance at critical points, e.g. showing proceeds to charity during checkout.

Positive reinforcement moments

Celebrated user contributions at the right time to build motivation without distraction.

BRAND IDENTITY

Visual Language with Attitude

We crafted a brand identity that blended editorial, trend-led aesthetics with a sense of warmth and generosity. The result was a visual language bold enough to resonate with fashion-savvy youth, yet grounded in the authenticity of its charitable purpose.

This balance helped Vive feel both stylish and meaningful — a place where impact and culture could coexist.

SOLUTION

Bringing the Mission to Life

To tackle these challenges, I focused on making the experience clear, purposeful, and motivating. From onboarding to checkout, every step was designed to reinforce Vive’s mission while keeping flows simple and engaging.

Story-driven Onboarding

Broke down the core flows (buy, sell, reward, drop) into simple steps, using compelling visuals to tell a clear story and spark excitement from the start.

Reinforcing Fundraising Impact

Highlighted the difference each action makes, reminding users of their contributions at the right moments to build motivation and boost retention.

Playful Guidance

Easy, lightweight instructions woven into the journey, keeping the experience fun, approachable, and friction-free.

IMPACT

Vive launched as a full iOS app and quickly resonated with its audience, loved by users and praised for blending fashion, culture, and charitable giving in a fresh way. The product received highly positive feedback and proved the appetite for a purpose-driven resale experience

While adoption wasn’t yet at the scale needed for sustainability, the launch validated the design and surfaced lessons about user incentives and market timing — insights that will be invaluable for future iterations.

💼 Refine The Business Model

Explore sustainable revenue streams (e.g. partnerships with fashion brands or subscription tiers) to strengthen viability beyond early traction.

🤝 Deepen Community Features

Expand peer-to-peer engagement with tools like shared impact goals, social challenges, or collaborative fundraising to boost long-term retention.

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