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Use ReLoop.

Join a community of forward-thinking people who share, swap, and make sustainability part of everyday life.

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Community sharing shelf with books and items for exchange

Introduction

I created ReLoop to solve a personal frustration: giving things away or selling secondhand often feels like a hassle — and rarely feels rewarding.

Selling is time-consuming, frustrating, and often not worth the small return. Giving things away for free often feels daunting and unrewarding.

The result? Perfectly good items end up forgotten in the cellar or thrown away.

The discovery phase started by analyzing my own thesis research on circular economy and secondhand platforms — using ChatGPT to extract key patterns, gaps, and user pain points. Those insights shaped the foundation of this project.

AI Tools used

ChatGPT 4.0: Content generation and user research insights
Replit: Rapid prototyping and development environment
Notebook LM: Research organization and synthesis
Unsplash: High-quality imagery and visual assets
Google AI Studio: AI model testing and integration
Notion AI: Project planning and documentation

The problem

Switzerland is among the most sustainability-conscious countries, yet only 7% of its economy is circular. There's a clear disconnect between intention and action.

Traditional secondhand platforms like Ricardo and Tutti are built around cash, negotiation, and outdated interfaces. For low- to mid-value items, the process feels tedious and rarely worth the effort. Giving things away for free often feels daunting and unrewarding.

The result? Cluttered homes, wasted resources, and underused goods. What's missing is a smarter, trust-driven, and emotionally rewarding way to give, get, and circulate everyday items.

The solution: ReLoop is..

User personas

Lina - University Student

Lina, 23 — University Student

Just moved from Spain to start her studies at UZH. She's living in a shared flat and needs to furnish her room on a tight budget.

Selling: Extra summer clothes she brought but won't use
Buying: Student room essentials, software engineering books
Micha - New Parent

Micha, 31 — New Parent

He is overwhelmed by the growing pile of baby items his child has outgrown. Tired of overpriced listings and time-consuming negotiations.

Selling: Baby gear up to 9 months
Buying: Montessori toys for a 1-year-old

Shared user insights

Pain points

  • Selling and giving away items is time-consuming and unrewarding
  • Traditional platforms feel outdated, cluttered, and untrustworthy
  • Letting go of items feels emotionally difficult or not worth the hassle

Needs

  • A simple, modern way to pass things on
  • A fair system that feels instantly rewarding
  • Trust, transparency, and low-effort participation

Opportunities

  • Use AI to reduce effort and suggest fair value
  • Reward generosity with points instead of cash
  • Make secondhand feel smart, social, and satisfying

Use cases

Lina, 23 — University Student

Lina browses ReLoop to quickly find affordable items nearby without the stress of negotiating. She uploads her unused clothes, gets instant point value, and uses those points to furnish her room — all within a day.

Micha, 31 — New Parent

Micha uploads baby items in bulk. ReLoop instantly values them in points. She uses her credits to find age-appropriate toys — no haggling, no wasted time, just smart, circular parenting.

Anton, 27, Ex university student

He uploads all his stuff in one go. ReLoop assigns fair point values, and within days, his items start circulating. He uses the earned points to get a quality backpack and travel gear from other users.

Competitors (limited to Switzerland)

Platform Model Strengths Weaknesses Target Market
Ricardo Auction/Fixed Price Large user base, established trust Cash-focused, complex interface General marketplace
Tutti Classified Ads Local focus, simple posting No integrated payment, outdated UX Local communities
Facebook Marketplace Social Commerce Social integration, large reach Privacy concerns, not circular-focused General social users
Freecycle Free Giving Pure giving model, environmental focus No reward system, limited engagement Environmental enthusiasts

Key Insights

  • Gap in Credit-Based Systems: No platform offers a credit-based economy for fair exchanges
  • Trust Issues: Current platforms lack robust trust-building mechanisms
  • User Experience: Most platforms prioritize functionality over user experience
  • Community Aspect: Limited focus on building genuine community connections
  • Sustainability Messaging: Environmental impact is rarely quantified or celebrated

Functional requirements

Feature Description POC MVP Priority
Assign points based on item condition Yes Yes P1
All published items will be visualised in marketplace Yes Yes P1
Buy item using points Yes Yes P1
Sell and mark items as sold Yes Yes P1
View personal shop (My Items: New, Selling, Sold) Yes Yes P1
Personal points are updating automatically upon selling/buying items Yes Yes P1

Prototype

Development Process

1

AI-Powered Development Strategy

Before starting vibe coding, I fed ChatGPT with all findings from the Design and Research phase and asked it to generate a prompt for Replit to accelerate development.

2

Realistic Content Database

To create a better IRL experience, I created a database of images of objects taken from my cellar, providing authentic product data for testing.

3

Simulated AI Analysis

The AI analyzer was simulated for the initial POC to demonstrate the core functionality while focusing on user experience validation.

4

User Scenario Coverage

Three users were created to cover the three Use Cases we prepared for the USP, ensuring comprehensive testing of different user journeys.

Prototype: Proof Of Concept (POC)

Experience the core ReLoop features in action.

✅
Add New Item – AI Evaluation
Upload an item and let AI classify, describe, and value it instantly.
✅
Check Seller Credibility
Transparent profiles and activity history build trust.
✅
Earn Points (Loopz) Through Transactions
Every exchange grows your wallet balance.
✅
Boost Points with Challenges
Complete community challenges and level up faster.
ReLoop Mobile App Demo
Test the Demo