A Marketplace for Secondhand Kids’ Clothing
Nomical
ROLE
UX/UI Designer
TIMELINE
2 Months
TECH
Figma
NOMICAL is a mobile app designed for parents to buy and sell secondhand children’s clothing. I created it to serve a niche that general marketplaces often ignore: parents who want an easier, more relevant way to shop sustainably. As a parent myself, I deeply empathized with the frustration of filtering through irrelevant listings on platforms like Depop and Facebook Marketplace.
Nomical removes the noise — creating a streamlined, purpose-built experience for families.
The Problem
General resale platforms are cluttered and inefficient for parents shopping specifically for children’s clothing. Parents want to:
Quickly find the right size, type, and condition of clothing
Avoid irrelevant listings (e.g., adult clothing, furniture)
Feel confident buying without being able to touch the product
The Goal
Design a focused and intuitive platform where parents can quickly buy/sell secondhand clothing for kids, easily search and compare listings & feel assured about the quality and details of items.
Research
I interviewed five parents in their 30's and two grandparents in their 60's. From this data I was able to construct several user personas. I also conducted secondary research and performed a competitive audit of platforms like thredUP and Poshmark. Based on all the information gathered, I was able to glean several key insights:
Parents often feel uncertain buying items they can’t touch.
Many wanted to compare listings — something I hadn’t anticipated.
Efficiency mattered, but clarity and trust were more important.
Competitive Audit of Leading Clothing Resale Apps/Websites
Design Process
I began with extensive paper wireframes to explore different layouts, then translated my favorites into digital wireframes in Figma. I also created user flows and journey maps to better understand the tasks and pain points involved.
Comparison tool to weigh multiple listings
Simplified search filters based on age, size, condition, and price
Emphasis on clean hierarchy and legibility
Wireframes Created in Figma
Rachel
"I don’t mind spending a little time finding great deals, but I don’t want to waste time on a platform that’s too complicated. I just want affordable, quality items for my daughter, and I want to be sure I’m doing my part for the planet too."
Attributes
Age: 28
Graphic Designer
Single, 1 kid (3)
Suburban, USA
High tech comfort
Goals
Find quality, low-cost kids’ clothes
Support sustainable fashion
Sell efficiently
Save Time
Pain Points
Poor app navigation
Hard to find good-condition, affordable items
Pricing and shipping are a hassle
Lacks seller/buyer trust
Motivation
Driven by financial stability and sustainability; seeks a streamlined, ethical shopping experience for her child.
"I just want to find good-quality, affordable clothes for my kids without spending hours searching. And when I sell, I want to make sure I’m pricing things fairly and getting a good return."
Sarah
Attributes
Age: 34
Marketing Manager
Married, 2 kids (5 & 2)
Suburban, USA
Average tech comfort
Goals
Save time while shopping
Easily buy & sell kids’ clothing
Stay within budget
Reduce waste
Pain Points
Inconsistent quality at thrift stores
Pricing second-hand items is confusing
Doesn't trust item conditions online
Overwhelmed by too many platforms
Motivation
Wants a reliable, efficient way to manage her kids’ wardrobe while being budget-conscious and eco-friendly.
James
"I don’t have time to mess around with complicated systems. I just want to find the right clothes for my kids quickly and sell their outgrown stuff without too much hassle."
Attributes
Age: 39
IT Project Manager
Married, 3 kids (8, 5 & 1)
Suburban, UK
Above-average tech comfort
Goals
Bulk buy/sell quickly
Keep kids well-dressed on a
budget
Use a platform that respects
his time
Pain Points
Cluttered marketplace apps
Time-consuming item listings
Hard to find specific sizes fast
Poor customer service
Motivation
Wants a no-fuss, time-saving solution to efficiently manage the inflow and outflow of his kids’ clothes.
Maya
"As a first-time mom, I don’t want to waste money on things my baby might only wear once. I just want smart, affordable choices from people who’ve been through this before."
Attributes
Age: 31
Elementary School Teacher
Married, expecting 1st child
Small Town, USA
Moderate tech comfort
Goals
Build a practical baby wardrobe affordably
Learn from other parents' buying/selling choices
Avoid overspending on short-use items
Pain Points
Uncertain about what baby clothes are truly necessary
Overwhelmed by retail prices and product choices
Concerned about waste and overconsumption
Struggles to assess quality in second-hand options
Motivation
Wants a supportive, informative space to shop second-hand confidently as she navigates parenthood for the first time.
User personas based on interviews & secondary data sources
Visual Design
Nomical’s visual identity breaks convention by following a minimalist approach. In any market involving kids, visuals tend to be bright, colorful, and busy. By embracing an economic aesthetic, Nomical further separates themselves as a truly unique platform. This directed my choice to utilize a calm, sustainable palette inspired by nature. After all, the core users of this platform are parents - not the children for whom they're shopping and/or selling. But for this neutral leaning palette to work, it was key to prioritize accessibility-focused details like strategic color choice (for maximum contrast) and text labels beneath icons. Additionally, rounded corners, clean typography, and ample white space made for a clean, stress-free shopping experience.
Usability Testing
I tested the prototype with 6 participants. A major issue surfaced - Text on top of images made it hard to focus, causing the UI to feel cluttered. I resolved this issue by removing text overlays, effectively changing the overall layout. This revision reinforced a core belief of mine - oftentimes, less is more.
Solution: I restructured the layout by removing unnecessary text overlays. Only featured listings retained supporting info beneath larger images, creating a cleaner, more scannable design.
