CosDown is a thrift store app designed for first-time cosplayers, veteran cosplayers, and their friends. Our mission is to provide a seamless platform where users can purchase high-quality second-hand cosplay items at affordable prices.
At Processed 5Loops, we aim to tap into an underrepresented segment of the thrift shopping community by focusing on the unique needs of cosplayers and their support networks. We’re dedicated to offering a space where the cosplay community can find great deals without compromising on quality.
My role in this project involved overseeing iconography and logo design while also contributing to the planning of the application's theme and color palette. Additionally, I conducted competitor research to better understand user needs and enhance the overall design strategy.
The goal of the app is to provide an accessible, user-friendly platform for the cosplay community, reviving old costumes for resale.
In the early stages, we gathered insights from cosplayers through surveys and analyzed existing thrift store apps to better understand their needs. From there, we developed a low-fidelity prototype and gathered feedback to refine the concept.
For the color palette, we aimed for a lively and vibrant look to breathe new life into second-hand costumes. Bold, bright colors infuse the app with energy and excitement, while highlighting key visuals. Accents of vibrant hues pop against a backdrop of clean whites, greys, and blacks, creating a perfect balance of dynamic and neutral tones.
Users will first be welcomed by an onboarding screen that introduces the app’s key features and overall purpose.
A "Next" button below the onboarding screens allows users to navigate smoothly through the introduction process and transition seamlessly to the home screen.
The home screen provides essential features along with categorized tabs for easier navigation to specific cosplay categories, including anime/manga, game characters, and comics.
Additionally, there is a recommendation section and a panel highlighting upcoming cosplay events.
Users can also access their profile, accumulated points, and collection dates from the home screen.
Navigating categories and filters is simple and intuitive. Users can sort listings by most liked, newest to oldest, oldest to newest, as well as by price in ascending or descending order.
For more precise searches, users can apply filters based on apparel type, including full cosplay sets, clothing, wigs, shoes, and accessories. Additional filters allow users to refine results by clothing condition—such as "Like New," "Lightly Used," or "Heavily Used"—as well as by clothing and shoe size.
These features were designed to help users quickly find the right fit and condition, ensuring confidence in product quality, especially for those concerned about second-hand items.
The size chart provides users with accurate measurements across multiple sizing standards, including China, US, UK, and Euro sizes. It includes detailed height, chest, waist, and hip measurements for both male and female users.
Additionally, a separate size chart for foot length is available, along with a dedicated tab offering guidance on how to take accurate measurements.
The foot length size chart provides detailed measurements for both shoe and boot sizes, clearly highlighting the key areas needed for accurate measurement. This ensures a smoother sizing process, especially for cosplayers and those new to cosplay who may be unfamiliar with proper footwear measurements.
A rewards system was introduced to incentivize users. Each time they donate or purchase second-hand costumes, they earn vouchers that can be used for future purchases, making cosplay more affordable and accessible.
When users select a voucher to use, they will be directed to the voucher details page before redemption. Once a voucher is redeemed, the details page will be greyed out, as illustrated in the example on the right.
The app includes a calendar feature that allows users to track important dates, such as costume collection, reservations, and pickup locations, ensuring a seamless and organized experience.
One of the biggest challenges in this project was selecting an effective color palette for the application. The initial prototype featured dull, uninspiring colors, with beige dominating every page. The lack of contrast not only made the interface unappealing but also created accessibility issues for users with color blindness. This undermined our goal of revitalizing second-hand costumes and giving them a fresh, vibrant feel.