[ YOR SPATIUM ]

Decorative Arts Marketplace App
UX, UI, Branding

Sector: Marketplace / Decorative Arts / Consumer

Timeline: 2023

Tools: Figma, FigJam

Role: End-to-End UX/UI & Product Designer

[Overview]

Yor Spatium is a marketplace platform designed for buying and selling high-quality decorative arts, with a focus on improving trust, transparency, and presentation within the category.

Existing platforms often lack the curation, context, and visual quality required for decorative arts, making it difficult for users to confidently buy or sell items. Yor Spatium was designed to create a more considered and immersive experience - combining marketplace functionality with storytelling, curation, and community.

[The Problem]

Users buying and selling decorative arts face a fragmented and inconsistent experience across existing platforms.

Through early research, several key challenges emerged:

delivery processes are complex, expensive, and unclear
filtering systems are too broad and not tailored to decorative arts
product imagery is often inconsistent and low quality
users frequently leave platforms to research designers and products
there is limited transparency around pricing and value
marketplace experiences lack a sense of curation and trust

The challenge was to design a platform that could:

elevate the quality and presentation of listings
simplify the selling and buying process
provide greater transparency and trust
create a more engaging and visually considered experience

[Discovery & Research]

To better understand user behaviour and expectations,
I conducted:

user interviews and surveys
competitor analysis (e.g. Trade Me, Facebook Marketplace)
affinity mapping and empathy mapping
user journey mapping
user testing of early concepts

The goal was to identify gaps in current marketplace experiences and understand what users value when buying and selling decorative arts.

[Key Insights]

Research revealed several consistent patterns:

Trust is heavily influenced by presentation
Users associated high-quality imagery and curation with product value and credibility.
Platforms lack category-specific functionality
Generic filtering and browsing experiences made it difficult to find relevant decorative arts.
Users rely on external research
Buyers frequently left platforms to research designers, provenance, and pricing.
Selling is time-intensive and inconsistent
Creating listings - particularly styling and photographing items - was a barrier for many users.
Community adds value
Users enjoyed the interaction, storytelling, and sense of connection found in informal marketplaces.

These insights shaped both the product features and overall experience.

[Design Strategy]

The design approach focused on creating a marketplace that balanced functionality, trust, and aesthetic quality.

Key principles included:

elevating product presentation to reflect the value of decorative arts
reducing friction in the selling process
increasing transparency around pricing and delivery
integrating storytelling and contextual information into the experience
designing a platform that felt curated rather than transactional

This required combining traditional marketplace functionality with more editorial and community-driven elements.

[Product Design]

The platform was designed as a multi-layered marketplace experience, combining buying, selling, and discovery.

Key features included:

Enhanced filtering system
Category-specific filters tailored to decorative arts, improving search relevance.
AI-assisted image optimisation
Tools to crop backgrounds and standardise imagery, improving listing quality and consistency.
Transparent delivery system
Simplified and more predictable delivery options to reduce friction and uncertainty.
Sales history and pricing visibility
Access to historical pricing data to support more informed buying and selling decisions.
Designer index
Integrated reference system allowing users to research designers without leaving the platform.
Optional professional selling support
Users could engage professionals to assist with listing and selling higher-value items.
Community integration
Features designed to encourage interaction, storytelling, and shared interest in decorative arts.

Throughout the project I developed:

• user flows and information architecture
• low- and high-fidelity prototypes
• interaction patterns for marketplace behaviour
• visual interface and brand system

[Branding

Branding played a key role in shaping the overall experience.

The visual identity needed to reflect the timeless, considered nature of decorative arts while allowing the products themselves to remain the focal point.

The name Yor Spatium (derived from “Your Space”) was inspired by classical references, positioning the platform within a broader historical and cultural context.

The colour palette was designed to evoke:

trust and reliability (brown tones)
warmth and familiarity
elegance and sophistication (cream tones)

The interface balances clarity and usability with a subtle reference to the architectural qualities of the objects being presented.

[Outcome]

Yor Spatium reimagines the decorative arts marketplace by combining:

improved product presentation
clearer pricing and delivery systems
richer contextual information
a more curated and engaging user experience

The concept demonstrates how marketplace design can move beyond purely transactional interactions to create a more trusted, informed, and visually cohesive environment for both buyers and sellers.

[Reflection]

This project highlighted the importance of designing for both functional and emotional user needs. In marketplace environments, trust is shaped not only by system reliability but also by presentation, storytelling, and perceived quality. Balancing these elements was key to creating a more compelling and differentiated experience.