Skipti. Brand identity, website, and product design for the Airbnb of personal goods—a platform where sharing feels like borrowing from a neighbor.
Challenge
Skipti is a two-sided marketplace where users can rent personal goods. A mix of Airbnb and Amazon. Like Airbnb, owners list their belongings for others to rent. Like Amazon, renters can choose items for overnight delivery to their door. All items are insured, rated, and reviewed, which builds trust. The idea came about when co-founder Rich Engstrom realized he had a lot of unused stuff just sitting in his basement, gathering dust. Rich looked into it and found that at any given moment in America, $1.6 trillion in goods are owned but not used.
Skipti taps into this unused potential without owning, storing, or maintaining a single item. The business runs lean, with no inventory or storage needs. If you want to try camping but don’t have gear, you can rent a full kit and head outdoors. If you have unused kayaks in your basement, you can rent them out and earn extra income. Renters get to enjoy more experiences without adding clutter or buying new things, which is also better for the environment. Sellers can make money from items they aren’t using.
Skipti’s founders asked Studio Piko to help design and build the Skipti platform. The founders had one goal in mind: to give people more freedom.
Solution
Studio Piko worked closely with Skipti’s executive team, starting with an informal two-week discovery session. During this time, we defined product offerings, mapped user flows, and created wireframes for the main product structure while... listening to a lot of EDM music.
After the discovery phase, Studio Piko focused on individual items and curated collections to enhance the experience. We updated the brand identity for digital use, designed a simpler logo for better readability at small sizes, and adjusted the typography for easier reading on mobile devices. We also added the Optimo Cargo typeface to make Skipti’s headlines stand out.
We created a frictionless digital experience that includes a secure, dynamic marketplace; a weekly magazine-blog spotlighting users and their Skipti stories; rich-media profile pages; a P&L section; an income calculator; and social media integration. Studio Piko also helped Skipti build a simple and reliable platform where users can schedule and order goods on demand, with round-trip service in under 24 hours.
Owners can list an item by taking a photo, which is categorized using Google’s image recognition software. Amazon’s API then adds descriptions, specs, photos, and more. Owners also have access to tools for generating P&L statements, setting blackout dates, and quickly checking their inventory.
Renters can choose individual items or curated bundles for experiences like camping, photography, or learning an instrument. Ratings, reviews, and FAQs help build trust and ensure quality. If you book in the morning, same-day delivery is often available. A professional courier will deliver the items to your door and pick them up when you’re finished, so you don’t have to meet strangers in strange places or deal with tedious shipping labels.
On the back end, flexible modules let site admins create unlimited pages and keep the website up to date. User and owner profile pages help manage inventory, support, and reviews. Dashboards give both sellers and renters a quick overview of key stats.
Skipti launched as a pilot in Boston in spring 2019. Since then, it has expanded to every major US city and now offers its fast, efficient platform as a featured enterprise product.
Client Skipti
Program From Startup to Scaling Up
Services Product Design Brand Strategy
Industry Technology Retail
Photography Skipti Lift Foils Cake Motorcycles
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