ALL CAPS: The Ultimate Hub for Fitted Cap Drops, Resale, and Community

ALL CAPS is the go-to platform for New Era fitted cap enthusiasts. This case study explores the headwear market, identifying gaps in accessibility, resale, and community engagement.

Overview

Fitted hat culture is bigger than ever, but keeping up with releases is a headache. Collectors have to follow multiple Instagram pages, dig through Discord servers, and constantly refresh store websites—only to still miss out on drops. ALL CAPS is a centralized platform that streamlines the process, providing news, release dates, a marketplace, and a forum—all in one place.

Role: UX Researcher, UI Designer
Tools: Figma, Google Forms, Maze, Illustrator

The Problem

Finding and buying fitted caps is frustrating. There’s no single place to track releases, connect with other collectors, or securely buy and sell hats. Key challenges include:

  • Fragmented information – Release dates and restocks are scattered across different social media accounts and store websites.

  • Limited resale options – Collectors rely on platforms like eBay and Facebook groups, where scams and overpriced listings are common.

  • Lack of community – There’s no dedicated space for discussions, style inspiration, and collection showcases.

Survey & Competitive Analysis

To validate the problem, I surveyed 45 hat collectors and analyzed existing platforms.

Survey insights:

  • 71% of users follow 5+ different sources to stay updated on releases.

  • 64% have missed out on a drop because they didn’t know about it in time.

  • 53% avoid reselling due to trust issues with existing marketplaces.

Competitor analysis:
I analyzed existing options like:

  • Hat Club & New Era – Provide official drops but don’t aggregate from multiple brands.

  • eBay, Grailed, Facebook Groups – Allow reselling but lack authenticity verification or community engagement.

  • Discord & Instagram pages – Share updates but are unorganized and require constant manual tracking.

💡 Gap in the market: No single platform combines release tracking, reselling, and community engagement in one place.

So, what’s the problem?

Fitted cap collectors struggle to keep up with new releases, relying on scattered social media posts and resellers. There’s no single platform that tracks drop dates, facilitates trades, and connects the community. Key problems include:

  • No centralized source for release dates and store availability.

  • Limited access to past releases without resorting to overpriced resale markets.

  • Lack of a dedicated space for collectors to discuss, buy, and sell hats.

Understanding Users & Business Needs

To address these issues, I surveyed 45 fitted cap collectors and uncovered the following:

  • 72% of surveyed users struggle to track release dates across multiple sources.

  • 61% said they missed out on hats they wanted due to lack of information on drop times and locations.

  • 44% rely on resale markets, but 83% feel prices are inflated and unfair.

  • 68% want a dedicated marketplace to buy, sell, and trade caps safely.

  • 79% expressed interest in a community forum to discuss releases, styling, and authenticity checks.

Understanding Users & Business Needs

I’ve overpaid for a hat just because I didn’t know it was releasing at another store for retail.

— Quote Source

Having to follow a 10+ accounts to be in the know of hat releases is too much.

— Quote Source

“It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”

— Quote Source

Understanding Users & Business Needs

To address these issues, I surveyed 45 fitted cap collectors and uncovered the following:

  • 72% of surveyed users struggle to track release dates across multiple sources.

  • 61% said they missed out on hats they wanted due to lack of information on drop times and locations.

  • 44% rely on resale markets, but 83% feel prices are inflated and unfair.

  • 68% want a dedicated marketplace to buy, sell, and trade caps safely.

  • 79% expressed interest in a community forum to discuss releases, styling, and authenticity checks.

I hate having to follow 10+ accounts just to keep up with hat drops. There’s no single place where everything is listed.

I want to talk about fitteds with other collectors—like, where’s the best spot for that? Facebook groups are messy and Reddit isn’t always active.

It would be dope to have an archive of past releases so I can track down old hats I missed.

I’ve overpaid for a hat just because I didn’t know it was dropping at another store for retail.

Buying secondhand is a gamble. A platform with buyer protection would make the hat game way easier.

Stores don’t always announce their drops the same way—some use Instagram, others use Twitter, and some don’t post at all.

Exploration & Wireframes

To validate ideas and ensure a smooth user experience, I created low-fidelity wireframes and sketches. These helped visualize navigation improvements and the new video feature before refining them into high-fidelity designs.

Design Solution: A Streamlined & Engaging UI

1. Introducing a Video Feature for Deeper Engagement

  • Developed an in-app onboarding experience to introduce users to the video feature.

  • Created interactive tutorials and tooltips for a frictionless learning process.

  • Optimized onboarding flow to encourage engagement without disrupting the user experience.

2. New Feature Onboarding for Seamless Adoption

  • Developed an in-app onboarding experience to introduce users to the video feature.

  • Created interactive tutorials and tooltips for a frictionless learning process.

  • Optimized onboarding flow to encourage engagement without disrupting the user experience.

3. Simplified Navigation for Better Discovery

  • Redesigned the bottom navigation bar for easier access to key features.

  • Improved search functionality to surface relevant content faster.

  • Created a more structured home feed to enhance content discovery.

Impact & Results

Testing the redesigned experience revealed measurable improvements:

  • 33% increase in subscription conversions!

  • Higher engagement from users interacting with video content.

  • More seamless navigation, reducing friction in content discovery.

Key Takeaways

  • User-centric design is crucial for improving engagement and retention.

  • Expanding content formats (like video) can create new monetization opportunities.

  • Clearer navigation and UI refinements directly impact business growth.

What’s Next?

Future improvements could include:

  • Refining the video feature based on user behavior and feedback.

  • Expanding personalization features to enhance music discovery.

  • Further A/B testing on subscription flows to maximize conversions.

  • Surveying active SoundCloud users to see if these features would result in more premium account signups.