Instagram Meets Reselling: 30-Day Redesign Achieving 38% First-Session Engagement
How I transformed a cluttered fashion reselling app into an Instagram-like social commerce experience that exceeded engagement goals and achieved 4.4★ user rating
Product designer
4 months total (30 days for complete redesign)
1 PM, 1 Android developer, 1 backend developer, 1 QA engineer
Android native app
Project Overview
The Challenge: Fashion Party's existing app suffered from cluttered user experience and cognitive overload, similar to competitors like Meesho and Shop101, resulting in poor user engagement and collection creation rates.
My Solution: I redesigned the entire app in 30 days using Instagram-inspired social commerce principles, focusing on effortless collection creation and sharing through user story-driven design.
The Impact
Achieved 38% first-session collection creation (exceeding 30% goal), 45% increase in sharing behavior, and 4.4★ user rating in beta launch.
The Business Problem
Fashion Party needed to differentiate itself in the crowded reselling market where competitors were creating poor user experiences that frustrated young users.
User Experience Crisis: Competitors like Meesho and Shop101 either forced immediate signup or overwhelmed users with cluttered interfaces, creating high abandonment rates.
Collection Creation Barriers: Users couldn't easily create and share fashion collections, which was core to the reselling business model and user engagement.
Social Commerce Gap: The app lacked Instagram-like social features that young users (18-26) expected, making it feel outdated compared to platforms they used daily.
Why this mattered to the business: Poor user engagement meant lower reselling activity, reduced social sharing (critical for viral growth), and inability to compete with established players in the fashion reselling space.
Research & Discovery
I conducted focused research to understand user needs and competitive landscape within tight timeline constraints.
User Research
Method: 8 quick interviews with female users (18-26 years old)
Key Discoveries:
Users wanted Instagram-like experience for fashion discovery and collection creation
Login barriers frustrated users who wanted to browse before committing to signup
Sharing was essential but existing apps made it cumbersome or impossible
Visual-first approach needed - users thought in terms of style and aesthetics, not product categories
Created persona "Sanya": Social, trend-focused uni student wanting fast, simple, shareable shopping experiences.
Competitive Analysis
Method: Analyzed user journeys in Meesho, Shop101, and GlowRoad
Critical Findings:
Meesho: No collection creation until signup, redundant navigation elements
Shop101: Forced account creation before browsing, cramped visual design
GlowRoad: Feature overload created cognitive burden for users
Common issues: Poor user journeys, restrictive onboarding, lack of social features
Strategic Insight: Users wanted an app that felt like Instagram for fashion collections, easy to start and share.
Information Architecture Research
Method: Card sorting exercises to understand optimal navigation structure
Results: Users preferred simplified bottom navigation (Feed, Wishlist, Cart) over complex category systems used by competitors.
Key Design Decisions
Decision 1: Instagram-Inspired Home Feed
Problem: Users expected social media-like discovery but got traditional e-commerce category pages
Solution: Large, immersive visuals with swipeable collections as primary entry points
Reasoning: Matched user mental model from Instagram while encouraging immediate engagement
Decision 2: Floating Action Button for Collection Creation
Problem: Users couldn't figure out how to start creating collections in competitor apps
Solution: Central "+ Create Collection" button accessible from anywhere in the app
Reasoning: Follows Fitts's Law principles and makes core functionality immediately discoverable
Decision 3: No-Login Browsing Experience
Problem: Competitors forced signup before users could explore app value
Solution: Full browsing and collection creation without login requirement
Reasoning: User research showed immediate value demonstration increased signup likelihood
Decision 4: One-Tap Social Sharing
Problem: Sharing collections was either impossible or required multiple steps
Solution: Integrated share options at end of creation flow with major social platforms
Reasoning: Social sharing was critical for viral growth and matched user behavior patterns
Decision 5: Simplified Visual Language
Problem: Competitor apps felt cluttered and overwhelming
Solution: Clean design system with gradients, generous white space, and clear visual hierarchy
Reasoning: Reduced cognitive load while creating youthful, engaging aesthetic that differentiated from competitors
Testing & Validation
Usability Testing
Method: 5 participants tested interactive prototypes
Key Findings:
FAB icon needed clarity - users initially confused about collection creation function
Navigation language required simplification - merged confusing terminology around "Collections" vs "Wishlist"
Sharing flow worked intuitively - users immediately understood and used share functionality
Design Iterations: Adjusted floating action button icon and unified language across navigation based on feedback.
User Story Validation
Method: Tested each user story through prototype interactions
Validated Stories:
New users could start browsing immediately and felt engaged
Collection creation felt quick and expressive
Sharing collections to social platforms was seamless
Returning users could find saved items efficiently
Results & Business Impact
Exceeded engagement goals by 27% – User research and Instagram-like design achieved 38% first-session collections vs 30% target, proving social commerce approach.
Accelerated sharing behavior 45% – One-tap sharing and social-first architecture made collection sharing effortless, driving viral growth potential.
Delivered complete redesign in 30 days – Systematic competitive analysis and user story framework enabled rapid, validated iteration under tight timeline.
Achieved 4.4★ user satisfaction – 680+ beta reviews validated that Instagram-inspired approach resonated with target users seeking social shopping experience.