Brand Experience Design for a Community Marketplace
Overview
Karrot Market reimagines a digital secondhand platform as a physical brand experience rooted in trust, community, and sustainable exchange.
The project explores how peer-to-peer trading can be translated into an open and welcoming retail environment through transparent materials, soft curves, and community-driven programming.
By transforming online transactions into in-person interactions, the space encourages connection, visibility, and everyday social engagement.
Academic Thesis Project
TYPE
Arts District, Los Angeles, CA
LOCATION
SIZE
3000 sq ft
Rhino3D, Unreal Engine, Photoshop, Illustrator
SOFTWARE
CONCEpt
Karrot is one of South Korea’s leading local community marketplaces, connecting neighbors through buying, selling, and sharing everyday goods.
This project reinterprets the platform as a physical environment where trust, exchange, and community interaction become spatial experiences.
The design translates Karrot’s values into a space that feels transparent, welcoming, and socially connected.
DESIGN Language
The design is inspired by the gesture of a handshake as a symbol of connection and mutual trust.
Transparent materials, natural light, and open circulation create a clear and approachable environment, while soft curves introduce warmth and ease into the spatial experience.
Together, these elements support a marketplace that feels safe, welcoming, and community-oriented.
Transparency
Visibility
Soft Curve
Inward Curve
Open
Spatial Strategy
The project is organized around three core goals: supporting community connection, encouraging sustainable exchange, and creating a trusted environment for in-person transactions.
These goals shape both the spatial layout and the overall atmosphere, allowing the marketplace to function not only as a retail setting, but also as a social and cultural hub.
Community Connection
Sustainable Exchange
Trusted Transactions
program
materials + Palette
A vibrant palette of blue and warm orange reflects both the energy and friendliness of the Karrot brand.
Natural and eco-conscious materials reinforce the project’s commitment to sustainability, while contemporary finishes and tactile surfaces create a youthful and engaging retail atmosphere.
Renderings
Trading area (Trade Safe Hub)
An open and visible trading area designed to support safe peer-to-peer exchange.
Clear sightlines, natural light, and minimal barriers create a welcoming and trustworthy environment.
Cafe (Communi'TEA' Lounge)
A casual social space where visitors can wait, meet, and interact before or after transactions. The lounge extends the marketplace into a more community-driven experience.
Indirect Trading Area
A curated retail zone that translates the digital marketplace into a tactile in-person browsing experience, encouraging discovery beyond direct transactions.
Event Room (Eco_Revive Studio)
A flexible community space designed for workshops, local events, and shared activities, reinforcing Karrot Market as more than a retail environment.
Offline Shopping Area (In-touch Bazaar)
Walkthrough
An immersive walkthrough created using Unreal Engine was developed to simulate user experience, circulation, and spatial atmosphere throughout the project.
Physical Model Study
