As we mindlessly scroll through content, we pay less attention to the characteristics such as visual hierarchy, grids, and overall functionality with the apps we use. Do they actually contribute to the overall user experience? or does a users experience really depend on something like a color choice?
David Berlo’s Model of Communication helps apps like STOCKX and GOAT highlight important elements that need to be considered to ensure that the sender’s message is effectively understood over the medium it uses to reach its receiver and fulfill their users experience.
WHO'S WHO
STOCKX is a shoe, streetwear, and electronics resale service, allowing its users to buy and sell brand new hard to find items based on the way a stock market operates.
GOAT is also a shoe and streetwear resale service, which allows its users to buy and sell both brand new and used hard to find items in the same manner.
Visual Hierarchy establishes rank with design elements in the order that the user is meant to view them. Contrast, scale, balance and typography are all important considerations when trying to establish an effective hierarchy.
How do they work? sellers post shoes they want to sell, buyers can bid on the shoes or buy them for the sellers asking price. Once there is an agreement on the price, the transaction happens. The seller then ships the shoes to STOCKX or GOAT so they can authenticate that the shoes are not fake. After authentication, they ship the shoes to the buyer.
Even though STOCKX and GOAT both compete in the same ecommerce category, Berlo’s model helps decipher some of the unique differences in their overall user interface and experience.
APPETIZERS
It's the very first thing you see. Before you get into the capabilities and functions of the apps, we see the icons that have been chosen to represent an entire user experience. Lets compare and contrast these two app icons
The STOCKX app uses the green X from their name as a stand-alone logo with an off white background. It is easily identifiable because X marks the spot and with over 850 million users and a net worth of over $3.8 billion using green, the color of money for the X is a great visual strategy. The X is also a % sign, which is a nod to the stock market.
Some users didn't like the change from a solid white background to the updated off white color because it almost looks similar to a dimmed app that is not being used or updating which can bee seen in the screen shot images below.
The GOAT app uses typography in their app icon, which features a clean white sans serif modern font contrasted with a black background. The font on the app is very small and could be hard to read for some people even though it is a very clean design. The font below the app icon is bigger than the font on the actual app icon, which can be seen in the screen shot images below.
GOAT is a younger company than its competitor but already has approximately 30 million users and a net value around $1.75 billion.
Both app icons appear perfectly centered in the middle of their frame and feature well balanced spacing and scale to deliver successful visual elements even though their strategies differ.
Both companies have recently undergone rebranding, changing their logos and simplifying their visual system.
The GOAT logo which featured a goat came under fire because there were so many companies that already existed that used a goat as a logo. There were enough similarities with a few that GOAT decided to remove it completely from their visual system.
One of the most significant changes was STOCKX removing the arrow, which is commonly associated with the symbol for male in the X to make it more inclusive.
Left top, the original STOCKX logo. Left Bottom, the original STOCKX app icon. Right top, the original GOAT logo. Right bottom, the original GOAT app icon.
Grids are the foundation for clarity, order, consistency and harmony within the user interface, which contribute to the overall user experience. An effective grid sets the tone for what a user can expect across all associated platforms.
ON/OFF THE GRID
It is said that how you introduce yourself is crucial to create a feeling of comfort and to make a good first impression. Grids help brands like STOCKX and GOAT introduce themselves to the users. There is an obvious visual difference in their appearance, but they are both based off effective grids that provide users with a different experience. We opened both apps to see what their opening visual experience looked like.
STOCKX
GOAT
STOCKX uses a busier grid with less visual appeal. There are clear suggestions with much more information about actually buying a product. A changing banner at the top offers highlighted streetwear options as well. This strategy allows users to more quickly find what they are looking for and hopefully buy or sell.
GOAT uses a much more streamlined, clean, modern, user-friendly appearance. They utilize a simplified minimalist grid which invites the user to browse the app more in depth, but depending on how the user is looking to interact with the app or use its services, they might not want to have to search for desired information.
STOCKX has been around a little longer and caters to an older audience, it maintains its traction in the modern-day market, but an older audience is more in-tuned to buying or selling with a clear and easy process, nothing fancy. They use this understanding of culture to enhance business.
A younger audience doesn’t want to read, they want to see, but not necessarily buy or sell anything. Their overall user experience is driven primarily by images. The structure of this method does relay an effective message, but if the receiver is not buying or selling, then sales will decline.
The contrasting grid styles used by both STOCKX and GOAT have proven to be very successful. They both cater their grids to set a foundation for clarity, order, consistency and harmony with their users.
Functionality and design should work together. Too much of either could negatively effect the overall experience for the user. However functionality should be the top priority. If the experience the user has with the app doesn't fulfill their needs or expectations, it won’t matter how well it is designed or how it looks.
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED?
Berlo's SMRC Model of Communication encompasses navigation through a process. The Sender, Message, Channel and Receiver are all essential elements that determine how easily users will discover and interact with an app. This is the fun stuff. What really makes these apps different and how is the overall user experience navigating the functionality of these two apps different? They are both great apps with some really cool features and functions.
STOCKX definitely encourages a buying/selling behavior.
It takes less scrolls or taps to find the most salient information.
STOCKX is where users tend to go to when they are really in the market for something.
They have a cool 360° rotation feature so you can see the shoes from all angles.
GOAT is a much more modern streamlined experience, encourages a viewing behavior.
It is more fun just browsing products on the GOAT app.
Shoes can be view from 6 different angles using swipe-able sequence shots of the shoes.​
I looked up the same pair of Size 10.5 Nike Air Yeezy 2 Red October on both apps. These are one of the most sought after shoes in existence. This shoe in a size 7.5 at STOCKX has a $1,890,000 price tag. Yes, that is correct. See screen on the right
STOCKX is all about the sale, where GOAT has a WANT option as seen in the top right hand corner of the screen shot above.
When you search each app on the app store, the opposite one comes up as a second choice as seen in the screen shots below. This market has grown tremendously in the past few years, but these are the two giants. I don't know anyone in the shoe game that doesn't have both apps, even if they prefer one over the other.
What do the ratings on the app store say?
STOCKX
GOAT
Surprisingly GOAT has a higher rating and total ratings of 844,016 compared to STOCKX who has a slightly lower rating, but only 221,841 total ratings. Even though STOCKX has 850 million users compared to GOATS 30 million plus users.
FUNCTIONALITY
GOAT has implemented an Augmented Reality feature into their user experience which was really fun and pretty clever. However, as interesting as it was to see what a $15,000 pair of shoes looks like on my feet, I was not going to buy them. This feature also allows you to send a picture similar to the screen shots I took above to your social media platforms. This trends towards not buying or selling, just browsing and playing with features. This tactic might attract users and boost ratings for its cutting edge feature and as the way we interact with apps keeps changing, the interface, design, and hierarchy of the GOAT app might cater better to the future of user interaction and overall user experience. But will this translate to sales though?
The users overall experience with an app hinge on whether their desired experience was fulfilled. If they are able to get what they want through an easily navigated process, then they are happy. If it is buying and selling, then STOCKX might be a better platform, but for a more enjoyable viewing experience GOAT provides a modern cutting-edge more fun to browse platform.
No matter how you view it, visual hierarchy, grids, and overall functionality do contribute to the users overall experience, whether they realize it or not.
Knowledge Application A
Adam Kennedy
GDVX 701-01
Article published September 2, 2021
