WORK

Essence of SNKRS:
Taming the Hypebeast

In the world of fashion and streetwear, a hypebeast is someone who is obsessed with the latest trends, especially those associated with high-end designer brands and limited-edition releases. They are often willing to pay exorbitant prices for these items and prioritize exclusivity and status over personal style. Hypebeasts are typically young adults, and their fashion choices are often characterized by bold colors, logos, and chunky silhouettes. Sounds fun but even within this community, there are a few annoyances:

• Limited availability: Many of the most coveted sneakers are released in very limited quantities, often as part of exclusive collaborations or drops. This means that they sell out almost instantly, leaving many hopeful buyers empty-handed.
• Resellers and bots: Unfortunately, the sneaker market is plagued by resellers and bots who snatch up limited-edition shoes and then resell them at inflated prices on the secondary market. This makes it even harder for genuine fans to get their hands on the shoes they want.
• Campouts and raffles: Some sneaker releases require fans to camp out overnight or enter online raffles for a chance to buy them. This can be a very time-consuming and stressful process, with no guarantee of success.
• High prices: Even if you manage to find the shoes you want, you can expect to pay a premium. Resellers often mark up prices by hundreds or even thousands of dollars, making it a very expensive hobby.

Despite all of these challenges, the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of owning a coveted pair of sneakers keeps many hypebeasts coming back for more. Recently, there has been more push back from the community to evolve from the current paradigm.

The Greatest Victory:
Requires No Battle

There are many methods to mitigate the work involved in attempting to attain some of these products. These are some of the common methods that are typically employed:

• Follow reputable retailers and brands on social media: This is the best way to stay up-to-date on upcoming releases and learn about how to purchase them.
• Join online communities: There are many online forums and groups where sneaker enthusiasts can share information and tips.
• Be patient and persistent: It may take some time and effort, but eventually, you'll be able to track down the shoes you're looking for.

The purpose of the SNKRS app is to combine parts of all three of these methods into one official app managed by the retailer themselves. It is not meant to complement what is already out there while being a more inclusive alternative that anybody can participate in.

Sneaker news websites are a part of the community and help drive the hype.

Being the company that presides over the product and manages all the releases is a strong reason for any person in the community to want to install the app. It reduces the need to have to research leads as everything the app publishes is verified. The usage patterns of the app reward those who can show the right amount of devotion and loyalty for the brand.

Fostering Engagement:
Form Follows Function

For the main feed, I leveraged design patterns that users would understand such as the main feed tab interface. At a glance, the audience understands the default view is to see everything in the feed and get caught up on the latest updates since they have last been on.

Interface and content details that enable exploration.

Within the feed, there is a tab interface for each post that users can press to get more of that content category. The tab then opens up with a directory of the content available. Switching the default view to In Stock or What's Next will help users quickly identify their next options quickly and easily. In the customer journey, they can make real-time decisions on the current status of a product, what similar products have launched and their status, and then finally make a comparison to any future announced products that they make better.

When making luxury purchases, users still want to feel like they are making carefully considered purchases to curate their collections with only the items they find special. Engaging the audience with a great user experience will help keep them using the app and making purchases over time.

Looking in the Mirror:
Seeing Yourself Within the Brand

For many people in the sneaker community, they can fall into segments of brand camps. Nike, Adidas, or mixed — it can often be a heated discussion or at least a quick tell to understand what type of enthusiast they are. Almost like a political affiliation, it's good to know who is what and proceed accordingly.

With the app bar, the opportunity to associate the user profile photo with a brand logo was a chance to allow them to show their allegiances visually. The app can function almost as if it was a piece of clothing. The reinforcement of the branding every time they use the app can be something they feel proud identifying with.

Users can collect brand badges as they purchase product.

To earn the brand badge, the users would have to make a purchase within that brand and continue to do so to keep the badge. The audience can buy sneakers anywhere, so this is an app specific feature that shows off their purchases and encourage using the app for future purchasing. It is also a reminder for them of what they purchased recently as the brand badges can change position over time.

Winning and Losing:
It's Part of the App

Sure, being a sneakerhead can be a wild ride of late nights, missed drops, and occasional heartbreak. But when that grail pair lands in your hands? Pure, unadulterated bliss. This app aims to smooth out those bumpy roads, delivering you official updates straight from the source and a few extra Ws along the way. Buckle up for a smoother, happier sneaker journey.