User Interviews
Participant Identifiers
A, B, C, D & E.
Interview Sample
Five participants between the ages of 19 and 25 years old.
Interview Plan
Participants were interviewed in person. Participants were asked general, context, activity and explorative questions. Activity questions included a Show and Tell activity and a Preference Test.
User Interview Findings
Understanding the community
What is thrifting?
When asked “what do you think thrifting is?” all participants responded that thrifting means shopping second hand. Participant C added that thrifting is recycling because the clothes are “being given a second life”. Participant D recognised that thrifting is an experience, “it’s a bit of a hunt tryng to find clothes in your style”.
What is ethical consumption?
All participants portrayed a clear understanding of ethical consumption and how this is linked to shopping second hand. Participants noted that shopping ethically means not-supporting unethical brands and practices.
Motivations For Thrifting
Motivations to buy second-hand relate to sustainability, unique finds and affordability. Ethical considerations are present but vary in their importance to each participant.
Patterns & Preferences
Thrifting platforms
All participants are familiar with resale platforms such as Depop. However, their reasons for using resale platforms vary. Participant A, B and E reported that they predominantly use the platform for entertainment reasons. Participant C uses Depop to sell clothes. Participant D only uses Depop when looking for a specific item.
User Interview Actrivities
Show & Tell
Prompt: Show the elements and features that you interact with when using your preferred thrifting platform.
When mapping the users Show & Tell two common user flows emerged. Both user flows were seeking the same outcome, to view other profile’s Likes page. All participants reported that they interact with other people’s Likes, particularly when it is a profile with a distinct style aesthetic that they like.
Flow 1
Participants navigated to a profile’s Likes through the “suggested for you section”.
Interview Analysis
General observations:
The common user flows around clicking on another user's “Likes” highlights the importance of being able to explore and interact with other user’s styles.
Depop is a commonly used platform among all participants. However, users rarely buy clothes from resale platforms, instead, they use them to save outfits or clothes that they like so that they can use these photos as style inspiration.
All participants are motivated by unique finds and sustainability when buying second-hand.
Key Insights:
The importance of the social aspect on platforms like Depop, including interactions with sellers and exploring the likes of others, highlights the community-driven nature of the thrifting experience.
The varying degrees of emphasis on ethical considerations showcase the multi-faceted motivations behind second-hand shopping. The varying motivations of different demographics within the community must be taken into consideration when designing a platform for this community.
The emergence of distinct thrifting trends, such as Y2K and preppy aesthetics, points to the influence of popular fashion eras on the thrifting community.
The diversification of the thrifting community and its appeal to environmentally conscious individuals suggest a growing awareness of sustainable consumption practices. These insights provide valuable information for understanding the motivations, experiences, and behaviours of individuals within the thrifting community, which can be useful for improving platforms, tailoring marketing strategies and developing sustainable fashion and consumption initiatives.
These insights provide valuable information for understanding the motivations, experiences, and behaviours of individuals within the thrifting community, which can be useful for improving platforms, tailoring marketing strategies and developing sustainable fashion and consumption initiatives.
Frame The Problem
Using the user data, personas have been created to frame the problems that I am responding to within the community.