Trade Up

Introduction

Trade Up is a community marketplace designed for growth. By letting users trade items instead of only buying or selling, every swap becomes a step toward something better. Each transaction feels like progress, turning the marketplace into an ongoing journey rather than a one-off exchange.

Problem

Marketplaces make it simple to buy or sell, but they rarely support long-term growth. Users face challenges with trust, clunky experiences, and one-off transactions that lack a sense of progress.

Motivations: Transactions feel like one-off's, offering no sense of growth

Experience: Interfaces are often over-crowded and unintuitive

Trust: Users don't always feel certain about who they're trading with

Research

Trade Behavior Insights
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Values matter: Eco-conscious ideals drive trading, though follow-through varies.

Convenience wins: Donations often beat trades when speed is a factor.

Motives vary: Users trade to save money, cut clutter, and reduce waste.

Barriers exist: Fear of scams and shipping headaches discourage participation.

Trust rules: Confidence between traders is the top factor for engagement.

Fairness counts: Shaped by how well users can research item values.

Meetups preferred: In-person exchanges remain the most trusted method.

Coordination helps: Timely messaging and notifications are essential for swaps.

What Users Say & Feel
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"I want a fair, straightforward way to trade items without worrying about scams."

"Is this trade worth it? Can I trust the other person and the item's quality?"

"I feel frustrated with how complicated trading can be, but I’m love when a deal is fair."

"I research values, donate items, or try to trade small things to see how it goes."

”It’s hard to trust people, and coordinating big trades takes a lot of time."

"I love the idea of trading safely and walking away with something valuable."

Personas

Trade Up serves people who want to get more from what they already own. These personas guided decisions on trust, trade flow, and visible progress.

Dan The Deal Man

27 Year Old

Business Owner

San Diego, CA

"I love bartering because it’s a fun way to get what I need and meet new people, but it’s hard to find trade opportunities in my area to make it worthwhile."

Ambitious

Creative

Efficient

Enthusiastic

Thrifty Thelma

48 Year Old

Office Manager

Phoenix, AZ

"Trading is a great way to save money and keep things out of the landfill. However, I find that larger trades can be tricky due to difficulties surrounding logistics."

Practical

Organized

Green

Honest

Needs and Challenges

Real problems from real people, centered on trust, trade flow, and item value when exchanging with strangers.

Point-of-View Statements

I’d like to help individuals feel more confident and secure when engaging in trade exchanges as they often lack trust in trade partners that they do not know personally.

I’d like to help individuals easily manage the logistics of trading goods and services, as they usually face challenges which lead to frustration inefficiencies throughout the trade process.

I’d like to help individuals feel confident in the value, condition, and authenticity of items they are trading for by providing tools and resources to reduce uncertainty when considering trades.

How Might We Statements

How might we build trust and create a sense of security for individuals when engaging in trade exchanges with strangers?
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How might we simplify and streamline the logistics of trading goods and services to reduce frustration and make exchanges more efficient?
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How might we help individuals determine the value, condition, and authenticity of items before trading to reduce uncertainty and build confidence in the process?

Key Features

The essentials that make trading up safe, simple, and rewarding.

Fast Listing

Post an item with clear photos, details, and trade preferences in minutes.

Messaging and Scheduling

Chat, negotiate, and pick a meetup time without leaving the app.

Progress Tracker

See your path from starter item to keeper, one trade at a time.

Side-by-side Compare

Propose or accept a swap, review details, and confirm in one clean step.

Trade Offer Flow

Propose or accept a swap, review details, and confirm in one clean step.

Verified profiles and reviews

Ratings, badges, and history build confidence before you meet.

Information Architecture

How Trade Up is organized so trading comes first.

User flows

How people move from interest to a confirmed swap, with trust, fairness, and speed built in.

Create a Listing

Browse, search, or open a saved listing
Select a listing and tap “Submit Offer”
Choose an item or service from your inventory (or create one)
Enter proposal details
Submit and confirm trade proposal

Submit Trade Proposal

Go to “Your Shop” and select “Create Listing”
Enter item/service details and upload photos or video
Set trade terms (items, services, or points)
Add logistics info (shipping or pickup)
Publish the listing

Low-Fidelity Wireframes

Rough frames, clear decisions — speed over polish.

Iteration Notes

Focused on structuring the marketplace flow so trades felt intuitive, easy to follow, and aligned with user expectations of familiar marketplaces.