Tradeversity iOS Application

Role
UI/UX Design

Company
52inc

Client
Tradeversity

Timeframe
8 months

Overview

Designed iOS app for startup building college-only local marketplaces sponsored by University.
Initial product secured future rounds of funding and expansion at further schools.
Tradeversity closed years later when other large-scale competitors expanded.

Problem

  • The only real local marketplace platforms that existed at this time was Craigslist and your local bulletin board

  • In-person meetings had posed safety risk for younger individuals in news headlines

  • Bringing cash to a meeting identified security concern for focus groups

Challenges

  • Working with a red brand color was challenging as it reflected a negative semantic feeling. We leveraged teal and our action color, testing better in hallway moderated testing to identify actions at a glance

  • Limiting use to college-only marketplaces posed business challenges after students left the university environment.

  • Limiting to college-only email addresses caused a great deal of technical challenges and error states and validation

  • Onboarding motion graphics limited some concepts due to XCode limitations

  • Lots of consideration for moderation in the platform and how that’s communicated to administrators.

Outcome

  • Expanded to nearly dozen more Universities within 12 months of launch of native iOS and Android platform

  • Implemented location-based pay before ApplePay existed

  • Lead to securing further rounds of funding for business, featuring rental features.

  • Local Marketplace rival platforms (Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, OfferUp, AirBnB) eventually were created, speaking to wider potential audience (rather than limiting to college students) resulted in the business closing years later.