Finders Keepers
Mobile UX case study designed in CSE 170 at UC San Diego. The project focused on improving the in-store discount shopping experience through a personalized, intuitive app inspired by retailers like Ross, Marshalls, and Nordstrom Rack
Academic Project
Role
UX Designer & Researcher
Project Length
10 weeks
Challenge
Discount stores often feel chaotic, with cluttered sales racks, unclear signage, and overwhelming inventory. Shoppers struggle to locate discounts or feel confident in their purchasing decisions. Our challenge was to create a mobile app that preserved the fun of treasure-hunting for deals while providing clarity, personalization, and efficiency. Through research and iterative design, we aimed to bridge that gap with smart filters, visual savings cues, and engaging interactions.
Results
We designed and tested a prototype that featured personalized recommendations, interactive flash sales, and a visual savings breakdown. During usability testing, 87% of users successfully completed key flows like adding sale items to their cart and identifying discounts. Visual clutter was reduced, navigation became clearer, and post-redesign testing showed a 70% increase in feature discoverability. Users described the experience as fun, clean, and easy to use especially praising the tailored deals and countdown elements.
70%
Increase in discoverability after design updates
87%
Task completion success in usability testing
90%
Positive feedback on personalized deals and flash sale notifications
Research & Needfinding:
I conducted in-store observations and user interviews at retailers like Ross and Marshalls to better understand shopper pain points. I also distributed surveys to validate common frustrations, like difficulty locating sale sections and feeling overwhelmed by cluttered layouts.
Information Architecture:
Based on my research, I restructured the app’s navigation and layout to highlight sales and simplify filtering by discount percentage, brand, and price. My goal was to reduce cognitive load and improve how users browse for deals.
Wireframing & Prototyping:
I created low-fidelity wireframes to visualize the user flow and iterated on them based on class critiques. Once refined, I built a high-fidelity interactive prototype in Figma, including features like flash sale cards and countdown timers to create urgency.
Usability Testing:
I conducted usability tests with peers to observe how users navigated the app. I noted areas of confusion such as unclear buttons and visual clutter and applied design fixes to improve discoverability and user flow.
Visual Design & Style Guide:
I developed a cohesive visual identity that emphasized bright colors for discount visibility, clear hierarchy, and consistent UI elements. I also created a simple style guide to ensure consistency across the app screens and support future design iterations.

"The app was super easy to use and honestly made me feel like I was winning every time I found a good deal. The flash sales and layout just made everything smoother. I’d totally use something like this when shopping in real life."

Karla A.
Participant, Usability Testing
Conclusion
Designing Finders Keepers helped me grow not just as a student, but as a UX designer focused on solving real user pain points. Drawing from my hands-on experience working in customer service at Nordstrom Rack, I witnessed firsthand how chaotic and confusing the discount shopping experience can be both for shoppers and employees. That insight became the foundation of this project.
By combining user research, iterative design, and usability testing, I was able to create an app that brought clarity, excitement, and ease to a typically overwhelming environment. It taught me how to translate everyday frustrations into user needs, and how to turn those needs into effective design solutions.
This project reinforced my passion for designing within the service experience space where digital products can enhance real-world interactions. It also strengthened my confidence in leading the full design process independently, from discovery through delivery.