Seattle REconomy
Duration: 10 weeks
Role: User Researcher, Designer
Tools: Figma, Photoshop, Sketchup
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Project Description: Seattle REconomy, a non-profit Tool Library and Reuse store, approached us with the challenge of improving the in-store experience for customers and volunteers at their Reuse store. We began by observing daily store operations and identifying inefficiencies in layout, inventory flow, and overall volunteer processes. Our team proposed redesigned floor plans and shelving systems to enhance navigation and accessibility, alongside streamlined systems for donation intake and pricing. The result was a more intuitive, efficient, and community-centered retail experience.
Project Context: This project was completed during Spring 2025 as a part of my undergraduate capstone in Human Centered Design & Engineering.
Design Question
How might we use design thinking to create a way to sell used tool and materials?
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Process
Our partnership with Seattle REconomy spanned over the course of 10 weeks. Within those weeks, my team conducted a wide range of research, analyzed the research to extract insights, compiled the insights into target pain points, began ideating possible solutions, created low-fidelity prototypes, tested our prototypes, iterated, and created a finalized higher-fidelity prototype that my team presented at the 2025 HCDE Capstone Symposium to a panel of judges.
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Research
Our research encompassed a multitude of different methods. Since our design question didn't immediately provide us with a direction and narrow scope, my team employed a variety of research methods to help us uncover the major pain points. This process took roughly 3 weeks and by the end of it, we had used the following methods:
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Market Research
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Our goal with the market research was to help familiar our team with the problem space and better understand adjacent business models ​
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Industry Interviews
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Our goal with industry interviews was to better understand different business models and familiarize ourselves with how stores are organized and how products are strategically placed. Our interviews with a Direct of Sales and owner of a Tool store helped inform our further research practices. ​
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Observational Studies
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Our team chose to employ observational studies to better understand how customers and volunteers interact with the physical storefront at Seattle REconomy. ​
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Surveys
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Our goal with the survey was to gain a deeper understanding of shopper's likes, dislikes, thoughts, and feelings about shopping for used tools, materials, and household items.​
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Analysis
Because our research encompassed both qualitative and quantitative data, my team utilized a variety of analysis methods including coding, affinity mapping, and graphing.
Ideation
To identify opportunities for intervention, our team mapped the lifecycle of a donated tool, from drop-off to purchase. By visualizing this journey, we pinpointed customer and volunteer pain points and areas of friction. This helped us generate a range of solution ideas, which we then categorized into short term, medium term, and long term interventions based on feasibility. Short term solutions were immediately actionable, while medium term and long term ideas required more planning, resources, or organizational capacity than our timeline allowed.
We later learned that this approach closely follows the practice of Service Design: a practice of improving customer experience through focusing on the interactions, support, and delivery to maximize a business's potential.​
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Solution
To improve the selling and buying experience at Seattle REconomy, we developed a two-part solution that addresses both internal operations and the customer-facing environment.
1. System Improvements
 We focused on streamlining backend processes like donation intake, item sorting, and pricing. These tasks, often managed by volunteers with varying experience, contribute to inconsistencies in the shopping experience.
2. Physical Space Enhancements
 We proposed changes to the store’s layout and organization to make shopping more intuitive and enjoyable. While connected to backend systems, this pathway focuses on improving the customer experience on the sales floor.
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The Systems
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Donation Sorting: Our first intervention focuses on the beginning of the selling process: donation intake. While Seattle REconomy provides donation guidelines online, they are not widely known or easily accessible. Through observations, we found that staff typically enforce these criteria, but are often too busy to assist volunteers directly. To support volunteers in making informed decisions, we created a simplified flowchart outlining donation acceptance based on whether an item is a tool or a material. Designed to be clear and easy to follow, the flowchart can be printed at letter size and posted at the donation station for quick reference—empowering volunteers to take on more responsibility with confidence.
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Item Sorting: Once an item is accepted, it must be directed to the correct destination: the annual tool sale, rental library, or sales floor. Currently, Seattle REconomy lacks a formal process for this decision. Based on our research and conversations with staff, we created a sorting flowchart to guide this step. Designed at letter size, it can be easily posted near sorting shelves for quick reference, helping volunteers and staff make consistent, informed decisions.
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Pricing Protocol: To address inconsistent pricing and cluttered shelves, we developed two tools:
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Pricing Guide: Volunteers often rely on personal judgment when pricing, leading to wide variations. We created a letter-sized guide that standardizes pricing steps using existing practices like online price checks, making the process more consistent and easier to follow.​
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Pricing Rotation System: Inspired by Goodwill, this system uses color-coded tags based on the week an item is priced. Every week there is a new discount based on the colored tag.
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The Physical Space
To kick off our redesign, we mapped the current layout using Rayon and researched best practices in retail organization. We chose a grid layout to maximize efficiency in the small space, improve navigation, and support inventory management—all key pain points from our earlier research.
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Building on our final 2D layout, we created a 3D model in SketchUp to visualize improvements to shelving and layout. Our observations revealed that shelving was underutilized, with many tools laid flat and difficult to access. To address this, we proposed using the existing pegboard panels to hang items, increasing visibility and reducing clutter.
We also rotated the main pegboard shelf to open up more floor space and added new shelving types near the entrance: industrial shelving for large items, rotating shelves for medium items, and drawers for small tools. These changes aim to improve product accessibility and reduce crowding in the store.​
Our final physical space improvements focused on wayfinding and detailed shelf organization. The existing signage system was limited and hard to navigate, with small paper labels placed within aisles. To improve visibility, we proposed wooden overhanging signs placed at aisle entrances, making categories easier to spot from a distance. We also consolidated the store’s 18 item categories into 11 for consistency across signage and pricing.
Presentation Materials
All of work from the past 10 weeks culminated into a final presentation at our 2025 Capstone Symposium. Down below are all the materials we created for it. ​
Impact
Seattle REconomy implemented our design solutions in August 2025, transforming how their Reuse store operates. Customers can now navigate the space with greater clarity and ease, and volunteers have better systems to process donations efficiently. Seeing our designs come to life showed me the real impact thoughtful design can have on community-driven spaces. Through this project, I learned to work within real-world constraints, adapt to ambiguity, and value the difference that small, intentional changes can make. Our team’s work was later recognized with the HCDE Leadership Award for innovative social and technical leadership.​
