Weer in Progress
From Zero to One, and Back Again: A Journey of Design Refinement
Weer is a B2B2C clothing rental platform designed for travelers who need flexibility without the burden of overpacking. Whether adjusting to unpredictable weather or packing light for multi-purpose trips, Weer connects users with over 10,000 rental companies worldwide, offering a seamless, sustainable way to rent clothing at their destination.
This case study explores how I revisited my initial startup vision, refined the problem definition, and iterated on the design to build a more focused and scalable solution.
ROLE
Product Designer
LOCATION
Remote
TEAM
Nomadlist.com users
Designing for Everyone Meant Designing for No One
When Weer first launched, we set out to be a "Booking.com for clothing rental", catering to all types of travelers. The dream was simple: help anyone pack lighter and travel with ease.
However, this broad approach diluted our impact. Users found it difficult to navigate and were not convinced they would find what they needed. At the same time, rental businesses were hesitant to onboard due to a lack of a clear target audience.
Despite positive feedback on the concept, our execution failed—we lacked focus.
A Breakthrough: Finding My Early Adopters
To create real traction, I needed to identify a niche audience—a group of travelers who:
✅ Travel frequently, making luggage space a major concern
✅ Value convenience over ownership and are willing to pay for it
✅ Move across diverse climates without a home base
The realization? I was designing for myself.
I’m a digital nomad—constantly on the move, balancing different climates and activities. And I’m not alone.
A quick online search led me to a digital nomad migration calendar, revealing over 300 nomads gathering in Fukuoka, Japan. I booked a flight and immersed myself in the community.
From there, I followed nomads across Japan, the Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria, Thailand, and even on a Nomad Cruise—observing how they lived, worked, and packed. Many would go from -15°C in Canada to Australian winters without ever "going home" to swap wardrobes.
This first-hand experience reshaped Weer’s entire strategy.
process
UnConference: Focus Group Insights & Design Thinking
I started with a focus group discussion:
"Tell me about your travel pain, a time your luggage or clothing limited your travel experience."
The responses were overwhelming. People were eager to share their frustrations, but also wished for solutions. These insights formed the foundation of Weer's new direction.
Through these discussions, I identified two primary personas:
Outdoor Adventurers → Need functional gear for extreme weather and outdoor activities.
City Culture Explorers → Want to rent traditional or event-based clothing for cultural immersion.
I used IDEO’s design thinking framework (Viability, Desirability, Feasibility) to refine the rental store selection criteria:
✅ Functional clothing → High necessity, critical pain point (Desirability)
✅ Cultural/event-based outfits → Enhances local experiences, strong upsell potential (Desirability)
✅ Manageable sizing diversity → Ensuring rental feasibility at scale (Feasibility)
With this clarity, we redefined the customer journey, simplified the user flow, and repositioned Weer’s value proposition.
impact
A Clearer Target, A Stronger Conversion Strategy
The new Weer platform introduced a more refined and user-centric experience, focusing on:
Destination-Based Search with Advanced Filters → Users can search by location and apply extensive filters based on clothing type, rental duration, weather conditions, and activity needs.
Inspiration for Travel Planning → Featuring "Trending Now" destinations, upcoming festivals, and major nomad conferences, helping travelers plan their wardrobe needs in advance.
Sign-Up Incentives for Rental Shop Perks → When users click through to a rental shop, they are prompted to sign up for exclusive Weer rental benefits, increasing conversions.
Trip Storytelling → Each destination page highlights why certain clothing matters—from cultural attire to essential gear—tying rental choices to unique travel experiences.
Strategic Partnerships for Exposure → Collaborating with travel agencies, bloggers, digital nomad platforms, and event organizers to drive engagement and expand visibility.
🚀 Success Metric: 5% conversion on nomadlist.com
By partnering with NomadList.com and other key platforms, Weer effectively reached a high-intent audience, strengthening its niche positioning within the travel rental market. We recorded 7,300 users in the first month, 2,070 new sign-ups → A 7.8% conversion rate increase with this new approach.
