User Interface
UI Designer
Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver
Swaggle
World’s First Mobile Peer-to-Peer Marketplace for Men’s Resale Fashion.
The Problem
The consignment market has long thrived for women, but there’s a big gap for men, especially online. My startup set out to create the first mobile marketplace focused on men’s consignment shopping.
Who I Worked With
Our core team included a product designer, UI/Ux designer, developer, and CEO. One co-founder led the early UX work before I took over the full design effort. Over the years, we onboarded additional designers, developers, and interns.
We also worked with an advisor, board members, local consignment store owners who supported our vision, and partners from startup accelerator and incubator.
Constraints
While women’s consignment was a proven market, we were exploring a relatively unknown space for men. We relied on user interviews, behavior studies, and informed assumptions to guide our design and product decisions.
DESIGN PROCESS
User Research
Through interviews, surveys, and clickable prototypes, we identified four key audience groups: male shoppers, male sellers, consignment store sellers, and spouses selling on behalf of partners. We chose to focus first on male shoppers and consignment sellers to quickly ramp up merchandise.
Key insights:
- Most men shown the wireframes were excited about the concept and the Tinder-like swipe interaction.
- Consignment stores liked the idea but hesitated due to the extra work of listing and managing inventory, especially since items might sell in-store.
- Inconsistent sizing across brands raised concerns about potential returns.
MVP
We moved quickly to launch and test our assumptions. After release, real user data guided our design decisions. Initially, the app required sign-in before showing merchandise, but we saw high drop-off at that point. We adjusted the flow to let unregistered users swipe through 10 items before prompting login. Despite improvements, we still saw drop-offs from mismatched product recommendations, so we added a product preference selector to improve relevance.
Key findings:
- Users bounce quickly if no value is offered upfront.
- Users have high expectations if we want them to stick.
- Asking users to download an app is a big ask; creative marketing is key before word-of-mouth takes off.
Marketing & Funding Push
We realized we needed more support to break into both the buyer and seller markets, expand the team across design, development, and operations, and secure funding for a real marketing push. We applied to ETC Baltimore’s startup accelerator and later the 1776 Incubator in Washington, DC. We were accepted to both, receiving valuable funding injections and a round of VC investment.
Key decisions:
- We were initially hesitant about early VC funding, but the VC gave us full control and trust.
- We worried we might be too far along for an incubator, but we fit well with the groups and gained valuable insights from the challenges our cohorts faced.
Pivots
While we had users, traction was moderate — not enough to sustain our burn rate. We began exploring new ways to serve our core audience: male sellers and consignment stores. From Swaggle, we spun off two market tests: a traditional web-based marketplace (assuming shoppers preferred browsing multiple items at once and reducing app download friction) and a subscription box service pitched to our existing app users.
The subscription box gained the most traction, but the operational effort outweighed the payoff. In the end, we chose to refocus on the Swaggle app, deciding it was stronger as a platform rather than trying to be both platform and seller.
Key decisions:
- Tested alternative business models (web marketplace, subscription box) to explore market fit and reduce app friction.
- Prioritized platform focus over managing both a marketplace and a subscription service.
Measuring Success
We launched Swaggle on Product Hunt as the first mobile peer-to-peer resale marketplace for men, earning early visibility. We gained press coverage in Thrive Global and Technical.ly, highlighting our swipe-based UX. We graduated from Accelerate Baltimore and joined the 1776 Incubator, drawing support from competitive startup programs. Across our seed round and accelerator funding, we raised $150,000, helping us expand product development and marketing. These wins show early product-market fit, brand validation, and network credibility.
“Swaggle helps fashion resellers expand their market reach, gain business insights, and increase their revenues.”
"Swaggle seeks to optimize the shopping experience for men."
Reflection
After three years of grinding through modest success, we decided to shut down Swaggle and focus on other priorities. While the app didn’t become a breakout hit, for a time we made waves in Washington, D.C.’s men’s fashion and startup scene.
As a Product Designer, I gained invaluable lessons from real-world challenges. I learned that users often behave differently in practice than they say in interviews. They will almost always choose the path of least resistance unless the upside is clear. I learned firsthand how difficult it is to build a two-sided marketplace, facing the classic chicken-and-egg problem. These hard-won insights continue to shape my design work today. It was a thrilling ride. If I could go back, my Sketch files might look a little different, but I would gladly jump in and do it all over again.
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