ALT-SWAP

Building Trust Through Content in Peer-to-Peer Bartering

Project Overview

Role: UX Writer & Content Strategist
Timeline: May 2024 - July 2024 (3 months)
Platform: Native mobile app (iOS/Android)
Team: Solo UX writer/designer (independent project)

The Challenge

In an increasingly cashless society, many people lack access to traditional financial tools or want alternatives to money-based transactions. Alt-Swap aimed to create a peer-to-peer bartering platform where users could trade goods and services directly—but faced a fundamental content challenge:

How do you build trust between strangers meeting to exchange items when there's no transaction history, no payment protection, and real safety concerns?

The Core Problems:

• Users need reassurance about personal safety when meeting strangers

• No built-in trust mechanisms (like payment escrow or ratings from other platforms)

• Wide age demographic (18-65+) with varying tech comfort levels

• Skepticism about "too good to be true" trades

• Balancing safety warnings without creating fear/abandonment

My Approach

1. Competitive Research & Content Audit

What I analyzed:

• Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Nextdoor trading features

• Couchsurfing and other trust-based community platforms

• Dating apps (for safety feature inspiration)

Key content insights:

• Most platforms either over-warn (creating anxiety) or under-warn (users feel unsafe)

• Best-performing platforms used progressive trust-building: small asks early, bigger commitments later

• Social proof (community endorsements, verification badges) mattered more than lengthy safety disclaimers

• Users wanted control over meeting terms, not platform-dictated rules

2. User Research

Methods:

• Interviewed 15 potential users across age groups (22-68 years old)

• Conducted competitive usability analysis with 8 participants

• Created user journey maps focusing on emotional states during trading process

Critical insight that shaped my content strategy:

"I'd feel safer if I could see they're a real person in my community, not just a profile picture and a username."

This led to my core content strategy: Transparency = Trust

3. Voice & Tone Framework

Voice (consistent across app):

• Neighborly but not naive

• Safety-conscious without being fear-mongering

• Empowering user autonomy vs. imposing rules

• Community-focused (we're in this together)

Tone (adaptive by context):

Context

Onboarding

Profile setup

Browsing items

Initiating trade

Safety features

Meeting coordination

Supportive, practical

Reduce pre-meeting anxiety

Key Content Solutions

Challenge: Users needed to understand the platform's value while being primed for safety-conscious behavior from day one.

My solution:

- Welcome to Alt-Swap!

- Your neighborhood trading community where skills, stuff, and 

services find new homes.

Trade your guitar lessons for fresh produce.

Swap your bike for a kayak.

Exchange babysitting hours for home repairs.

Here's how we keep it safe:

✓ Verified profiles with real community connections

✓ Public meeting spot suggestions

✓ Trade history transparency

✓ Community reporting tools

Ready to see what your neighbors are offering?

[Set up my profile]

Content decisions:

• Lead with possibility/value, not safety warnings

• Use concrete examples (not abstract "goods and services")

• Safety features presented as benefits, not obligations

• One clear CTA

Example 2: Profile Verification Flow

Challenge: Getting users to verify their identity without feeling invasive or dystopian.

The psychological hurdle: "Why do they need this info? Are they selling my data?"

My content solution:

- Let's verify you're you

- Trading works best when everyone knows they're dealing with real people in their community.

What we'll ask for:

• Phone number (for account security)

• Connect one social account OR upload a photo ID

• Add your neighborhood (stays private)

What we'll never do:

✗ Share your info without permission

✗ Sell your data

✗ Post on your behalf

Why this matters:

Verified members get 3x more trade responses and 

report feeling safer throughout the process.

[Verify my account] [Skip for now]

Why this works:

• Frames verification as a user benefit, not a platform requirement

• Transparent about what data is collected and how it's used

• Social proof (3x more responses)

• Allows skip option (progressive trust-building)

• Conversational tone reduces friction

Example 3: Trade Request Microcopy

Challenge: The moment someone requests a trade is high-anxiety for both parties. Content needs to facilitate clear communication while setting safety expectations.

Trade request card:

[User photo + verification badge]

- Maria Santos wants to trade with you

Offering: Homemade sourdough starter

Interested in: Your vintage typewriter

Maria's message:

"Hi! I've been looking for a typewriter for my home 

office. Your listing is perfect! I have an active 

sourdough starter I've maintained for 2 years. 

Would you be interested in a swap?"

Maria's trade history: 12 completed swaps

Community member since: March 2024

Verification: ✓ Phone ✓ Facebook

Before you respond:

• Review Maria's full profile

• Suggest a public meeting spot

• Never share personal details until you're comfortable

[Accept trade request] [Decline] [Ask a question]

Content strategy:

• All trust signals visible at decision point (verification badges, trade history, tenure)

• Safety reminder embedded naturally (not a scary popup)

• Three clear action paths

• Personal message front and center (humanizes the request)

Example 4: Meeting Coordination - Safety Integration

Challenge: This is the highest-risk moment. Content needs to be directive about safety without killing the vibe.

My solution - Meeting Planning screen:

- Plan your meetup with Maria

Choose a safe public spot

Popular in your area:

📍 Tulsa Central Library (parking lot)

   Used by 45 Alt-Swap members

📍 Brookside Starbucks

   Used by 32 Alt-Swap members

📍 Suggest your own spot

[Select location]

-——————-

Safety checklist:

□ Meet during daylight hours

□ Tell a friend where you're going

□ Check the item before completing trade

□ Trust your instincts—you can cancel anytime

Set a time

[Calendar picker]

Add optional note to Maria:

[Text field: "Looking forward to meeting you!"]

[Send meeting details]

Why this works:

• Defaults to public locations with social proof (other users use them)

• Safety checklist feels helpful, not preachy

• "Trust your instincts" + "cancel anytime" = user empowerment

• Optimistic closer (optional friendly message)

Example 5: Post-Trade Flow - Building Community Trust

Challenge: After a trade, we need users to verify it happened AND provide feedback (this builds platform credibility).

My content solution:

How'd it go with Maria?

[Big friendly checkmark icon]

- Mark this trade complete. This helps build trust in our community.

Rate your experience:

😊 Great  😐 Okay  😞 Not good

[Optional] What went well?

[Text area: "Maria was friendly and on time..."]

Would you trade with Maria again?

○ Yes  ○ Maybe  ○ No

-——-

Your feedback stays private between you two unless you report a safety concern.

[Submit & complete trade]

-—-

Report a safety issue

If something felt unsafe, let us know immediately.

[Report issue]

——-
Content decisions:

• Positive framing ("How'd it go?" vs "Rate this trade")

• Clear privacy explanation (feedback isn't public shaming)

• Separates satisfaction rating from safety reporting

• Low friction (can skip written feedback)

• Safety reporting always accessible but not intrusive

Example 6: Error States & Edge Cases

Scenario: User tries to request a trade but hasn't verified their profile yet.

BEFORE (typical app error):

"Action not allowed. Please verify your account."

AFTER (my copy):

Hold up! 👋

- To request trades, please verify your account first. This helps keep everyone safe.

Why verification matters:

Verified users get 3x more trade acceptances because 

people feel more comfortable trading with real, 

confirmed community members.

Verification takes 2 minutes.

[Verify my account now] [Back to browsing]

Why this works:

• Friendly interruption (not a wall)

• Explains the "why" (builds buy-in)

• Social proof (3x more acceptances)

• Clear path forward with time estimate

• Alternative action (back to browsing = no dead end)

Information Architecture & Content Hierarchy

Example 1: Onboarding - Setting Expectations

I restructured the app's content flow based on user mental models:

My IA decisions:

1. Homepage = Discovery, not rules
   
   

• Lead with item feed (the fun part)

• Profile completion nudge in top banner (not blocking)

• Safety resources in menu, not forced reading

2. Profile page = Trust-building central
   
   

• Verification badges prominent

• Trade history front-and-center

• Community tenure displayed

• Interests/skills section (humanizes users)

3. Trade flow = Progressive commitment
   
   

• Stage 1: Browse (no commitment)

• Stage 2: Request trade (light commitment)

• Stage 3: Accept/Plan meeting (medium commitment)

• Stage 4: Complete trade (full commitment)

Each stage has escalating safety content, matched to the risk level.

Design System Contribution

I created a content component library for scalable growth:

Reusable Components:

1. Trust Indicators (content + icons)
   
   

• Verification badges with tooltips

• Trade history counters

• Community tenure stamps

• Safety feature callouts

2. CTAs by Context (30+ button variations)
   
   

• Primary actions (request trade, accept trade)

• Secondary actions (ask question, suggest different item)

• Destructive actions (report user, cancel trade)

• Navigation (back, skip, save for later)

3. Safety Messaging Templates
   
   

• Pre-meeting safety tips

• In-meeting confirmation prompts

• Post-trade feedback requests

• Incident reporting flows

4. Empty States (8 variations)
   
   

• No trades yet (encouraging)

• No search results (helpful)

• No messages (suggestive)

• No items in area (community-building)

5. System Notifications
   
   

• Trade request received

• Meeting reminder

• Trade completed confirmation

• Safety alerts

Documentation I created:

• Voice/tone guide with 20+ examples

• Content decision tree (when to warn vs. when to encourage)

• Microcopy library (buttons, labels, helper text)

• Localization notes (for future Spanish version)

Usability Testing Results

Conducted: Moderated usability study with 8 participants (ages 24-67)

Tasks tested:

1. Create profile and verify account

2. Browse items and request a trade

3. Coordinate a meeting

4. Complete trade and leave feedback

Key findings:

✅ What worked:

• 100% of users understood verification benefits without prompting

• 7/8 users said safety features felt "reassuring, not scary"

• Average time to complete first trade request: 3.5 minutes (target: <5 min)

• 8/8 users successfully located safety resources when prompted

⚠️ What needed iteration:

• 4/8 users skipped reading safety checklist (too much text)

• My fix: Converted to checklist format with progressive disclosure

• 3/8 users confused about what "public meeting spot" meant

• My fix: Added photo examples + map integration

• 2/8 users wanted to negotiate terms before accepting trade

• My fix: Added "Ask a question" option before accept/decline

Measurable Impact (Projected)

Since this was an independent project without full launch, metrics are based on:

• Usability testing performance

• Competitive benchmarking

• Industry standards for trust-based platforms

Projected outcomes:

• 85%+ profile completion rate (vs. industry avg of 60%)

• Clear value prop for verification drove this

• 70% meeting follow-through rate (vs. Craigslist's ~40%)

• Safety features + public location suggestions reduce no-shows

• <5% safety incident reports (target for year one)

• Proactive safety content + community reporting tools

Accessibility achievements:

• WCAG 2.1 AA compliant across all flows

• Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 7th-8th grade

• All safety-critical content tested with 65+ age group

• High-contrast mode designs created

What I Learned

Trust is built through transparency, not just features. Explaining why we collect data mattered more than what features we offered.

1. Safety content is a tightrope walk. Too much = users feel scared. Too little = users feel unsafe. The sweet spot is empowerment + clear guidance.
   
   

2. Social proof is the most underrated content tool. "45 members use this meeting spot" beat "This is a safe location" every time.
   
   

3. Content systems scale; one-off copy doesn't. Building a component library meant any future designer could maintain voice consistency.
   
   

4. Progressive commitment reduces abandonment. Don't ask for everything upfront—build trust in stages.
   
   

If I Had More Time...

A/B test safety checklist variations (short vs. detailed)

• Build reputation system content (badges, endorsements, community awards)

• Create dispute resolution flow (what happens when trades go wrong?)

• Develop in-app messaging guidelines (prevent harassment, scams)

• Test with non-English speakers for localization strategy
  
  

Tools Used

• Figma - Lo-fi/hi-fi wireframes, component library, prototyping

• JustInMind - Early-stage interactive prototypes

• Webflow - Landing page mockup for pitch deck

• Google Docs - Voice/tone guide, content strategy doc

• Miro - User journey mapping, content flow diagrams

• Google Slides

• Optimal Workshop - Card sorting for IA decisions

•  This case study demonstrates my ability to solve trust and safety challenges through strategic content design.