assignment one - design201
DEPOP
Students will research, identify and analyse cases where groups of people have successfully self-organised to solve a problem or create new possibilities within their communities. These case studies must come from a local bottom-up initiative and should relate to a cause that the student wants to support.
ABOUT
​Depop is a mobile social marketplace founded in 2011 that allows individuals to buy, sell and discover unique items on IOS and Android platforms (Lorenz, 2019). Depop is especially desired with the millennial and Generation Z audience as it provides a platform where they are able to recycle their unwanted items for money. This service allows individuals to feel more environmentally friendly and conscious about what and how they spend their money. Using Depop gives users access to potential customers looking for something specific and beyond what they are looking for in a mall. As a collective effort, users of Depop can challenge the fast fashion industry by not supporting big brands such as H&M, Zara, Forever21 and Princess Polly. Depop has grown to become the platform of connection through culture, design, creative communities around the world (Depop, 2021).
MAIN STAKEHOLDERS
1. Simon Berkerman - Founder
Simon Berkerman founded Depop in 2011, the co-founder of PIG magazine, where PIG readers could purchase items in the magazine. Simon wanted to create a social network where buyers could buy items not only from magazines (Depop, 2021).
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2. Emily Huang - User​
I am a user of Depop through selling and buying clothes on the social networking app on my Iphone. I am able to become more sustainable with fashion by not supporting big fast fashion brands such as H&M, Zara and Princess Polly.
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3. Pay Pal - Partnership
When a user sells an item on Depop, the money is sent to the seller’s Pay Pal account. Once the payment has been received, you can transfer directly into a bank account. Depop automatically takes 10% of the sale, which is done through Pay pal (Depop, 2021).
SYSTEMS MAP
CONTEXT
Previously to when Depop was created, Simon Bekerman was the co-founder of a social network PIG magazine, where PIG readers could purchase items featured in the magazine (Depop, 2021). Simon realized that the social networking app was missing a selling function, thus creating a global marketplace called Depop. Depop is a mobile space where users are able to buy, sell and like items they are interested and inspired by.
GOALS
Depop wants to provide a platform for individuals worldwide where they can buy, sell, but mainly resell their unwanted items. Depop was created for people to make small or significant funds and make it fun for the user.
INNOVATION
Depop provides an innovative solution to the fashion industry through a peer-to-peer shopping app for vintage and unique items, globally and domestically, in Auckland, New Zealand, to support local. The app allows individuals to buy and sell simultaneously. The resulting app provided a perfect marketplace for sellers to be the managers of their bought and sold items and have a side hustle’s creative directory. The app has skyrocketed in popularity, with over 140,000 new items being added daily on average to over 15 million users (Quinn, 2020).
IMPACT
Social/Cultural
Depop allows individuals from all over the world to connect to one another through a common interest in fashion and unique groovy pieces. This interaction often sparks further conversations about themselves, where they come from, what they do and who they are as a person. As a result, Depop consists of a culturally diverse group of people who stay connected through other social media such as Instagram and Facebook.
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Environmental
The environmental impact of Depop provides a significant positive change towards the fast fashion industry through challenging big retailers and individuals to buy second-hand with the convenience at their home through an app. Second-hand shopping/ thrifting has become very popular and trendy with youth and therefore, Depop is a simple solution for eco-friendly fashion.
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Economic
Depop allows a creative way for young people to make money either as a “side hustle” or a full-time job. Depop functions as a ‘social stock market’ - an alternative micro-economy that sits alongside but apart from the financial economy of mainstream fashion retail and the purely social-like-economy of Instagram.
MOODBOARD
WORKS CITED
Depop. (2021). About. Retrieved from Depop: https://www.depop.com/about/
Depop. (2021). Depop help. Retrieved from Depop: https://depophelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360001791147-How-do-I-get-paid-
Lorenz, T. (2019). Why teens are selling clothes out of their closets. Retrieved from The Alantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/06/depop-live-selling-clothes-influencers/591595/
Quinn, C. (2020). A VINTAGE VISION: HOW DEPOP IS CHANGING THE FASHION INDUSTRY- CIARÁN QUINN. Retrieved from Trinity Business Review: https://tbr.ie/2020/10/12/a-vintage-vision-how-depop-is-changing-the-fashion-industry-ciaran-quinn/