Shaping a multi-sided marketplace for purposeful living
Overview
This project focused on designing a multi-sided digital marketplace aimed at individuals entering their Silver years; a life stage where retirement is no longer an end point, but a transition into renewed purpose.
The goal was to help people re-career, re-skill, and re-engage, by connecting them with curated services, experts, and a like-minded community. Rather than framing this phase as slowing down, the platform positioned it as a continuation of growth, contribution, and learning.
Role:
UX & Visual Designer / Consultant
I was responsible for end-to-end experience design across the ecosystem, including:
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Defining the overall marketplace structure and user ecosystems
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Leading client working sessions and concept walkthroughs
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Designing from multiple perspectives: marketing, users, and service providers
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Research synthesis, user journeys, wireframes, and high-fidelity UI
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Rapid iteration based on feedback and evolving business priorities
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Designing a microsite to support early-stage launch and circulation
The Strategic Context
The client initially approached us to design one core user platform.
However, early discovery revealed that a single experience would limit reach, clarity, and long-term scalability.
Through collaborative workshops and working sessions, we reframed the problem and defined a marketplace ecosystem instead of a single product.
We proposed a 3-part system:
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Marketing Site (Unregistered Users)
A public-facing entry point to communicate the vision, build credibility, and start circulating the idea within relevant networks.
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Registered User Experience
A personalised space for individuals to explore services, events, recommendations, and build their Silver-years roadmap.
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Service Provider Experience (Registered & Unregistered)
A dedicated interface for experts and providers to onboard, create offerings, manage events, and reach a highly curated audience.
This shift helped the client:
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Bring their vision to life before the full product launch
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Start building awareness and trust early
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Validate the concept while laying the foundation for scale
Phased Approach:
To balance speed, visibility, and long-term product goals, the platform was rolled out in phases:
Phase 1 — Marketing Site
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Establish presence
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Communicate the philosophy and value proposition
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Start “catching eyeballs” and building conversations around the idea
Phase 2 — Marketplace Platform
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Registered users
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Service providers
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Events, recommendations, scheduling, and deeper engagement
This phased rollout allowed the client to network, pitch, and build momentum, while we continued shaping the core platform in parallel.
The problem statement
How might we design a trusted, intuitive marketplace that helps individuals in their Silver years find purpose, community, and meaningful engagement, while also enabling service providers to build sustainable offerings for this audience?
Key challenges:
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Designing for multiple user types with very different motivations
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Making the platform feel aspirational—not clinical or “retirement-focused”
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Building trust with a demographic that values credibility and quality
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Balancing business goals with emotional and lifestyle needs
The solution - key features
Clear “How It Works” -
Designed as a simple, step-by-step walkthrough to reduce cognitive load and build confidence—especially important for first-time users.
Streamlined Interest Registration -
A friction-light onboarding flow that allows users to express interest without committing upfront, helping build trust early.
Organised & Categorised Offerings -
Services and events are clearly grouped and structured, making exploration intuitive and purposeful rather than overwhelming.
Access to Expert Guidance -
Contextual nudges and guidance connect users with relevant experts at the right moments, supporting informed decision-making.
Smart & Global Search -
Powerful yet approachable search that surfaces relevant content quickly, without feeling overly technical.
Visual & UI Design
The visual language was intentionally vibrant, modern, and optimistic—a deliberate departure from how “retirement” platforms typically look.
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Bold, pigmented brand colours to reflect strong, lived personalities
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Fresh greens, yellows, and pastel blues to evoke growth, trust, and opportunity
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Distinct visual treatments for users and service providers to create clarity and focus
The result was a UI that felt aspirational, credible, and full of possibility.
What We Delivered & How
Rather than approaching this as a single-site build, the delivery evolved through close collaboration with stakeholders and continuous alignment on business priorities.
During early discussions, it became clear that launching the full marketplace first would limit early traction and learning. In response, we strategically pivoted the rollout plan, shifting focus toward a marketing-led microsite as the entry point to the ecosystem.
Phase 1 - Marketing Microsite & Brand Foundation
We designed and launched a focused marketing microsite that clearly articulated the platform’s vision, value proposition, and “how it works” narrative. This allowed the client to start circulating the concept within relevant networks while validating interest ahead of the full product build.
Key outputs included:
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A conversion-focused microsite explaining the marketplace concept and philosophy
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Interest capture and subscription forms to gauge demand and user intent
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Early user signals to inform feature prioritisation and future roadmap
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Logo design and foundational visual language to establish brand credibility from day one
This phase helped the client build visibility, credibility, and momentum, while grounding future design decisions in real signals rather than assumptions.
Phase 2 - Marketplace & Service Provider Foundations
With early traction in place, we moved into designing the core marketplace experiences—starting with the service provider journey, which was critical to seeding the platform with high-quality offerings.
This phase focused on:
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Designing the service provider intake and registration flows
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Structuring onboarding forms to support data capture and database creation
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Laying the UX foundation for event creation, service listings, and provider management
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Defining scalable patterns to support future marketplace growth
In parallel, we continued developing:
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User journeys and flows for registered users
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Wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes for key marketplace interactions
Key Learnings & Takeaways
This project reinforced the importance of thinking beyond the brief.
By reframing the problem and proposing a broader ecosystem, we helped the client:
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Clarify their vision
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Build early momentum
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Set up the product for long-term scalability
From a design perspective, the biggest challenge and growth came from balancing the needs of multiple user types while maintaining a cohesive experience.
It strengthened my ability to:
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Lead strategic conversations with clients
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Design for complex systems, not just screens
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Iterate quickly without losing sight of the bigger picture
"Ultimately, this project was a reminder that good design isn’t just about execution, it’s about shaping direction, asking the right questions, and creating clarity where there is ambiguity."