TradeUp Exchange
Redesigning peer-to-peer trades.
I was the sole UX/UI Designer for TradeUp - a marketplace website that allows users to trade items securely with one another online.
This case study focuses on the platform’s full redesign, aimed at optimizing the user journey across the funnel to increase sign-ups, boost engagement, and drive successful trades.
Product
TradeUp Exchange
Skills
Product design
User research & testing
Dev handoff
Stakeholder Management
Problem Overview
TradeUp faced three key challenges: low conversion rates, low market depth, and low trade completion. When users were joining the platform, many weren’t listing items, and even when they did, trades were rarely completed. This created friction across the user journey, ultimately impacting the platform’s overall performance. It was my job to address these issues.
Problem 1
Low Conversion Rates
TradeUp was losing potential users before they even got started. The onboarding process was creating friction, making it the first major barrier in the funnel. I focused on redesigning the sign-up flow, landing page, and help center to create a smoother, more inviting experience.
Sign-Up Flow
Our original sign-up flow aimed for personalization but ended up creating too much friction. Each input field was on its own screen, with multiple steps that led to high drop-off rates. We needed a quicker experience to better convert visitors.
What We Learned from the Data
After analyzing data on Clarity, it became clear where we needed to focus our attention. Here’s what we discovered:
High Drop-Off on Page 1. Most users abandoned the sign-up process before even entering any information. This led us to hypothesize that the initial page was too overwhelming, discouraging users from completing the first step.
No Error Messaging. Users frequently encountered errors with no real-time feedback, leaving them stuck without understanding how to proceed. This issue was a huge pain point throughout the entire flow, leading to lots of frustration.
Too Many Steps. Many visitors skipped optional steps, suggesting they weren’t necessary. While personalization adds value, our top priority was ensuring users completed the sign-up process.
Usability Issues. Dead clicks and JavaScript errors were extremely common. I worked with development and shared an excel sheet of relevant recordings with them to help figure out what caused bugs for so many users.
How We Fixed It
✅ Simplified First Screen. We removed unnecessary fields to streamline the sign-up process, reduce cognitive load, and make signing up seem like less of a hassle.
✅ Less Steps. For V2, we decided to only ask for essential information.
✅ Clear Error Messaging. I worked with development to add real-time, clear feedback for users to prevent them from getting stuck or confused.
✅ Updated Interface. We refined the design to feel more modern and approachable, reducing visual clutter and making the sign-up process feel simpler and more intuitive.
✅ Fixed Bugs. After sharing session recordings with developers, pointing out reccurring issues, they were able to go in and fix bugs that we were unaware of.
After
Before
Creating a Landing Page
TradeUp lacked a dedicated landing page for ad visitors, instead directing them to a homepage identical to the logged-in experience. This generic approach failed to address first-time visitor concerns, lacked a clear conversion path, and ultimately led to lower sign-ups.
Analyzing references
Research & Strategy
To create an effective landing page, I gathered references & conducted research on best practices for successful landing pages, identifying key characteristics:
Clear value statement: Immediately communicate why users should sign up.
Compelling CTA: A single, focused action guiding users to sign up.
Social proof: Testimonials, recent trades, and security info to build trust.
No distractions: Remove unnecessary navigation to keep visitors focused.
Engaging, Minimalist Design: A playful yet simple interface with a F-pattern layout, less than 350 words, and fun colors/illustrations.
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
The next step was defining the page’s information hierarchy and content. I created lo-fi wireframes to determine the best way to guide visitors from awareness → trust → action. Key considerations included:
✅ Ensure a clear, action oriented CTA above the fold to drive conversions.
✅ Balance visuals and text to prevent overload while still communicating value.
✅ Use a Z or F pattern layout to direct user attention naturally.
Digital Illustration
I ended up creating a custom digital illustration in Procreate for the hero section, ensuring it matched TradeUp’s colorful, playful style. The goal was instant clarity—new visitors should immediately understand that the platform is about trading. I focused on clear, recognizable, yet fun visuals to reinforce this.
High-Fidelity Design
For the high-fidelity design, I refined the layout, typography, and visuals to create a polished, engaging experience. I incorporated visuals and a strong CTA to guide users seamlessly while maintaining a simple, conversion-focused design.
Help Center
Trust was a major barrier preventing users from joining TradeUp. Many were unsure how the platform worked or feared getting scammed. Our existing Help Center was clunky and outdated, failing to communicate effectively. To fix this, we redesigned the page with a focus on clarity and ease of use. The improved Help Center not only educated new visitors but also built confidence in the platform, driving more sign-ups.
Before
After
Impact
87%
Increase in Sign-Ups
These projects contributed to an 87% YOY increase in user sign-ups, nearly doubling from 1,604 to 3,006.
28%
Reduction in Drop-off Rates
The streamlined sign-up flow led to a 28% reduction in drop-off rates, indicating improved user engagement during the sign-up process.
Reflection: Landing Page Conversion
While we did see an increase in sign-ups, the change in conversion rate from the landing page wasn’t as large as we had hoped for. This remains an area we plan to revisit and further optimize in the future.
Problem 2
Low listings
Although sign-ups were increasing, market depth was too low. Many new users browsed the platform passively, but getting them to actively list an item proved to be a difficult challenge.
Create Listing Redesign
We redesigned the listing flow to address pain points and simplify the process, making it easier for users to post items. By streamlining the steps and removing barriers, we transformed the process from a cumbersome task into a seamless experience. The result: a significant increase in listings.
Import Listings
Many users had hundreds of listings on other platforms but didn’t want to manually recreate them. To simplify cross-posting, we introduced the Import Listings feature. Initially, it required manual input, but after extensive iteration, we fully automated the process. This became one of our most successful features, driving a massive increase in listings.
Tutorial
New users often felt lost after signing up. We introduced a brief tutorial to guide them through key actions and encourage early engagement. By gently nudging them through the funnel, we set them up for success without overwhelming them with excessive information.
Impact
206%
Increase in # of listings
Listings skyrocketed from 7,607 in 2023 to 23,240 in 2024— a massive surge that underscores the success of these projects.
99.47%
Listing completion rate
Listing completion rose to 99.47%, a clear indicator of how we streamlined the process and drove users to finish what they started.
Problem 3
Low trade completion rates
This was our most critical KPI to improve, yet also the most challenging. To increase trade completion rates, we needed to address issues with community, discoverability, and trade matching. Users struggled to find what they needed, interests didn’t align, and the site lacked a sense of community.
Building Community
To foster a more engaged community, we introduced a social feed, personalized profiles, and an improved messaging system. These changes strengthened user connections and encouraged interaction, giving users a reason to stay on TradeUp instead of switching to other platforms.
Social feed
User profile
Messaging
Browsing & Discovery
Users struggled to find relevant items, limiting trading opportunities. To solve this, we introduced filtering and redesigned the Explore page with personalized recommendations based on user interests and activity. This was one of the most challenging features to design, requiring multiple iterations to get right.
Explore page
Filtering
In Search Of Feature
We introduced ISOs to help users clearly indicate what they’re looking for, eliminating a major barrier to trading—uncertainty about what the other person wants. ISO’s are prominently featured in the feed, Explore page, and user profiles, making them easy to find and increasing trade opportunities.
ISO’s
Expanding Trade Options
We broadened the marketplace by adding over 50 new categories and introducing a local trade option to enable in-person swaps. We also implemented a wallet feature for combined item-plus-money trades, enhancing the platform's flexibility. However, local trading saw limited adoption due to insufficient market depth in local areas.
Categories
Local trade option
TradeUp Wallet
Offer & Trade Flow
The original trade process was clunky. We improved the flow, made steps more intuitive, and introduced notifications for better prompting—ensuring a more seamless experience from start to finish. By reducing friction and streamlining steps, users could easily move from making offers to completing trades with less confusion.
Making an offer
Trade Process
Listing page
To increase interaction with listings, we focused on highlighting key item details while building trust through ratings, reviews, and security indicators. Many users hesitated to start trades, so we introduced prefilled messages and an Express Interest button—allowing them to initiate a trade with a single tap. This lowered the barrier to entry, making it easier for users to engage.
Impact
43%
Increase in completed trades
Completed trades saw a 43% YOY increase, growing from 417 to 595, reflecting the success of our design improvements.
13%
Increase in sent trade offers
Sent trade offers increased by 13% YOY, rising from 6,415 to 7,225, demonstrating higher user engagement and activity on the platform.
5,182
Number of non-pokemon items listed in 8 months
Our primary user base is Pokémon card traders. So, it was a success to see users listing items in new categories and engaging in cross-category trades.
1,191
Number of ISOs created in 5 months
The ISO feature proved to be highly successful, with a significant number of users utilizing it to find and request desired items, enhancing trade activity.
What I Learned
Design is not a linear process. The biggest thing I learned is that design isn’t about following a perfect path from brainstorming to launch. What seemed like the right solution in theory often needed refinement—or a complete rework—once it was actually live.
This experience taught me that great design isn’t about getting it right the first time—it’s about adapting, testing, and refining continuously, rather than following a fixed path. What worked on paper didn’t always translate in practice, as users often behave in unexpected ways.
Challenges
Balancing business goals with user needs. It was challenging finding the sweet spot between business objectives and user satisfaction. This constant push and pull between the two meant I had to make tough choices about what to prioritize, ensuring that user needs didn’t get lost in the pursuit of business KPIs.
Navigating constraints. Every design decision had to balance impact with available resources. I constantly had to evaluate whether a solution was worth the time and effort required to build it. This taught me how to simplify, prioritize, and focus on the highest-value improvements.
Thanks for reading!
