The bespoke auction and retail space is fragmented. Platforms either serve a general audience with poor product curation or offer high-end experiences with outdated design and UX.

Key Issues Identified:

• • Lack of Differentiation: Bespoke, high-value items were often buried among mass-produced inventory.

  • Fragmented User Journeys: No platform clearly catered to buyers, various seller types, and donors simultaneously.

  • Poor Seller Experience: Sellers had no guidance choosing listing methods, leading to confusion and drop-off.

  • Outdated UIs: Competitor sites were often visually bland and lacked intuitive navigation or consistent branding.

  • Unsecure Communication & Payment: Many platforms either lacked mediation or had overly complex payment workflows.

Three distinct personas informed the design:

The Discerning Buyer

• Wants a refined, trustworthy browsing experience.

• Needs clear distinction between product types (Premier, Trader’s Auction, Marketplace).

• Values high-resolution imagery, intuitive filtering, and secure bidding/purchase flows.

The Diverse Seller

• One-time and high-volume sellers alike struggle with platform fit.

• Needs guidance in selecting listing types (One-off, Trader, Consignor).

• Requires a simple onboarding process with admin support.

The  Gifter

• • Wants a transparent way to donate and ensure impact.

  • Needs a reliable “Gift” flow that feels meaningful and trackable.

  • Looks for community-based features to connect with causes or recipients.

Competitor Analysis

• Reviewed platforms like Michael House (clear calls-to-action but weak aesthetics) and Bob Shop (strong payment tools, poor item curation).

• Identified opportunities to combine clean UI, strong listing guidance, and integrated donation features.

Journey Mapping & IA

• Mapped three core user journeys: Buy, Sell, and Gift.

• Designed a clear IA with the primary nav focused on action: “Buy,” “Sell,” and “Gift.”

• Integrated static search and dashboard access across all flows.

Prototyping & UI Design

• Built a high-fidelity, single-page application prototype simulating all key flows.

• Designed tiered seller onboarding, simplified gift paths, and visual merchandising styles.

UX Flows I’m Proud Of:

• Tiered Sell Journey: Upfront classification into One-Off, Trader, or Consignor made onboarding simpler and more accurate.

• Unified Buy Landing Page: Combined Premier, Trader, and Marketplace views into a single scrollable feed with visual tagging.

• Gift Flow: Clearly split into "Donate an Item" and "Explore Donated Items" to make the donation journey tangible and accessible.

Delivered a fully interactive prototype built in Figma to simulate real product behavior.

Key Features:

• Modern Responsive UI: Visually clean, mobile-first design with intuitive hierarchy and subtle animations.

• Auction + Marketplace Integration: One platform supporting multiple listing models.

• Visual Distinction: Premier and Live Auctions styled with badges and layout cues for clarity.

• Cross-Platform Search & Filtering: Always-available static search and sidebar filters enhance item discovery.

• System-Mediated Communication: No open messaging; instead, requests and offers are managed via buttons and forms.

• Notice Board: A curated area for donations, fulfilling both functional and emotional goals of givers.

Project status:

The design was delivered as a development-ready prototype and is currently being used to guide front-end and back-end implementation.

Feedback:

• The client was thrilled with the tiered seller experience and how intuitive the "Buy" and "Gift" journeys were.

• The Notice Board feature was praised for connecting brand values with user action.

• The prototype gave developers a single source of truth, improving implementation clarity and reducing future rework.