GOAT
GOAT
:
UX research, UX/UI design, wireframing, prototyping + social
UX research, UX/UI design, wireframing, prototyping + social
Designing GOAT's exclusive website, app and social experiences as the sneaker marketplace grew into luxury, streetwear and accessories.
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Research and design for a marketplace stepping into luxury.
Research and design for a marketplace stepping into luxury.
As contract UX design lead, working alongside GOAT’s internal team, I led UX research, UX/UI design, wireframing and prototyping for the new .com site and the social experiences around it.
As contract UX design lead, working alongside GOAT’s internal team, I led UX research, UX/UI design, wireframing and prototyping for the new .com site and the social experiences around it.
That work took me from mapping the customer journey to the final interface. One insight ran through all of it: trust was GOAT’s biggest asset, and it was invisible exactly where people needed it most.
The context
Sneakers grew up, and GOAT wanted to grow with them.
Sneakers grew up, and GOAT wanted to grow with them.
Sneakers had become one of the fastest-growing categories in resale, and GOAT launched right in the middle of that wave, the same year as Yeezy. It started app-first, built around one big promise: every pair is authenticated, so you never end up with a fake.
Sneakers had become one of the fastest-growing categories in resale, and GOAT launched right in the middle of that wave, the same year as Yeezy. It started app-first, built around one big promise: every pair is authenticated, so you never end up with a fake.
As GOAT grew, the founders set their sights on luxury, streetwear and accessories. Growing into that world meant GOAT needed a real website, and a social presence that felt as exclusive as the things it sold.
As GOAT grew, the founders set their sights on luxury, streetwear and accessories. Growing into that world meant GOAT needed a real website, and a social presence that felt as exclusive as the things it sold.
The goals
Two audiences, one feeling: this is exclusive.
Two audiences, one feeling: this is exclusive.
For the business
Grow membership on both sides of the marketplace, buyers and sellers, through a new .com site and a social presence built around exclusivity. And strengthen GOAT’s ship-to-verify model, where machine learning and human experts check every item.
Grow membership on both sides of the marketplace, buyers and sellers, through a new .com site and a social presence built around exclusivity. And strengthen GOAT’s ship-to-verify model, where machine learning and human experts check every item.
For the people
Fashion collectors aged 18 to 45, mostly living in larger cities, who need to trust exactly what they’re buying.
Fashion collectors aged 18 to 45, mostly living in larger cities, who need to trust exactly what they’re buying.
What was getting in the way
Where the experience was falling short
Where the experience was falling short
01
Glitches when placing orders
Glitches when placing orders
02
A design that didn’t respond well across screens
A design that didn’t respond well across screens
03
Navigation that left people confused
Navigation that left people confused
04
Little brand visibility, and no sense of exclusivity on social
Little brand visibility, and no sense of exclusivity on social
The plan
A modern, information-rich, interactive site that puts transparency and exclusivity up front.
A modern, information-rich, interactive site that puts transparency and exclusivity up front.
The site needed to feel as premium as the products on it.
The site needed to feel as premium as the products on it, while staying completely clear about how buying, selling and verification work.
It also had to be completely clear about how buying, selling and verification work.
It also had to be completely clear about how buying, selling and verification work.
The process
How I got there
How I got there
01 · Experience mapping
I started by walking the full purchase journey, from first visit to delivery, and scoring how it felt at every step. Browsing was the lowest point: confusing navigation, slow loading and none of the exclusive feel people were promised. Waiting on verification wasn’t much better, with days of silence from the company.
I started by walking the full purchase journey, from first visit to delivery, and scoring how it felt at every step. Browsing was the lowest point: confusing navigation, slow loading and none of the exclusive feel people were promised. Waiting on verification wasn’t much better, with days of silence from the company.
Every low point became an opportunity, from clearer labels and new-drop reminders to check-ins during verification and order lookup for guests.
Every low point became an opportunity, from clearer labels and new-drop reminders to check-ins during verification and order lookup for guests.
02 · MVP and structure
Next, I mapped what the MVP needed and how it all fit together.
Next, I mapped what the MVP needed and how it all fit together: a Shop organized by categories, collections and featured brands, an Editorial space, a Timeline of upcoming and new releases, and Account tools, all tied together by a clear footer.
That meant a shop organized by categories, collections and featured brands, an editorial space, a timeline of upcoming and new releases, and account tools, all tied together by a clear footer.
That meant a shop organized by categories, collections and featured brands, an editorial space, a timeline of upcoming and new releases, and account tools, all tied together by a clear footer.
03 · Wireframing
With the structure set, I wireframed the key pages, including the homepage, editorial and product pages.
With the structure set, I wireframed the key pages, including the homepage, editorial and product pages, to work out layout and hierarchy before any visual design.
That let me work out layout and hierarchy before any visual design.
That let me work out layout and hierarchy before any visual design.
04 · Final UI + buying journey
The final design lets the product do the talking: a clean, gallery-like interface in light and dark instead of a busy, sale-driven marketplace, with clear navigation, rich filtering and room for drops, color spotlights and seasonal moments. Authentication stays visible at every step, so trust is part of the browse, not hidden behind the checkout.
The final design lets the product do the talking: a clean, gallery-like interface in light and dark, with clear navigation, rich filtering and room for drops, color spotlights and seasonal moments.
The final design lets the product do the talking: a clean, gallery-like interface in light and dark, with clear navigation, rich filtering and room for drops, color spotlights and seasonal moments. Accessibility was part of the build from the start.
The boldest call was removing the cart entirely. The internal team worried that carts could feel overwhelming and lead to accidental purchases, a real risk at these price points, so I strongly recommended dropping it. Every purchase is now a single item with its own secure checkout: condition, authentication and price confirmed before payment, with nothing else competing for attention. Buying became a deliberate, one-to-one, elite moment. Accessibility was part of the build from the start.
Accessibility was part of the build from the start.
Accessibility was part of the build from the start.
05 · Mobile
The site also had to hold up on a mobile interface, the screen most collectors reach for first.
The site also had to hold up on a mobile interface, the screen most collectors reach for first.
Browsing, filtering and the product page carry over to mobile, with buying new, buying used and making an offer side by side, and each used pair’s condition and Authenticity Assured shown up front.
Browsing, filtering and the product page carry over to mobile, with buying new, buying used and making an offer side by side, and each used pair’s condition and Authenticity Assured shown up front.
06 · Social
Social had to carry the same feeling as the site: exclusive, editorial and worth stopping for. I designed posts and campaigns that treat product like a gallery piece, including GOAT’s 2023 year-in-review series and drops with partners like Kaleidoscope Magazine.
The site also had to hold up on a mobile interface, the screen most collectors reach for first.
The site also had to hold up on a mobile interface, the screen most collectors reach for first.
Sculptural 3D figures, oversized product and spec-sheet details gave GOAT a recognisable voice on Instagram, extending the site’s look into motion through short-form reels.
Browsing, filtering and the product page carry over to mobile, with buying new, buying used and making an offer side by side, and each used pair’s condition and Authenticity Assured shown up front.
Browsing, filtering and the product page carry over to mobile, with buying new, buying used and making an offer side by side, and each used pair’s condition and Authenticity Assured shown up front.
The impact
What changed during my engagement
What changed
255%
255%
increase in monthly organic search traffic over six months
increase in monthly organic search traffic over six months
80x
80x
more users than in the app-only days
more users than in the app-only days
>70%
>70%
lift in newsletter sign-up conversion
lift in newsletter sign-up conversion
30M
30M
new members
new members
650K
650K
new sellers
new sellers
170+
170+
global locations
global locations
What I’d build next
Taking the app off the screen
Taking the app off the screen
Trust is a design problem. Once it was visible on screen, the next question was how it would feel in a room. Archive Room is a pop-up concept I designed on my own: GOAT’s bidding, verification and trade-in, rebuilt as a walk through the Air Jordan years.
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