Portrait of Bluebell Craven smiling, in front of a green hedge

Bluebell Craven

Illustrator and designer
Bluebell Craven

I explore the intersection of art, design and human behaviour. Inspired by behavioural science and visual storytelling, I translate identity, perception and emotion into meaningful visual forms.

Learn about Bluebell

Product design · 2026

The Wardrobe Exchange

01The client

The Wardrobe Exchange (WEX) is a subscription-based clothing swap platform made exclusively for university students.

Built for students at the University of Birmingham, WEX makes it easy to get new outfits without spending much or adding to fashion waste.

02The problem

  1. (01)

    The constant desire for a new outfit

    Students always want a fresh look, and the wardrobe never feels new for long.

  2. (02)

    Environmental damage due to fast fashion

    Cheap, fast clothing piles up as waste long after it has gone out of style.

  3. (03)

    Limited financial resources

    On a student budget, buying something new every time is rarely an option.

03The brief

Make accessing new outfits affordable, convenient and sustainable for students.

For £7 per month, users can:

  1. 1Browse
  2. 2Connect
  3. 3Swap

Swaps happen locally with other verified students, with no item pricing or transaction fees.

04The approach

Key values

Sustainability

Keeping fashion sustainable, so clothes get worn again instead of wasted.

01

Affordability

£7 a month, with no item pricing or transaction fees.

02

Community

Swaps happen locally, with other students at the same university.

03

Convenience

Browse, connect and swap whenever you want, in a few taps.

04

Trust & safety

Reliable swaps, with verified students only.

05

WEX is the only platform offering reliable clothing swaps exclusively for students at a single university. My work covered its brand, website, web app and social media.

Classic yet trendy

Classic yet trendy, open-minded, creative and artistic, with fashion that protects the planet.

— Image

Made for students who care

Students who want to recycle their wardrobe on a low budget and care about the environment.

— Audience

Check WEX first

Sustainable, affordable, reliable and local, so students check WEX first.

— Values

Trustworthy, warm and fresh

Denim blue signals trust and nods to the wardrobe staple everyone swaps. Butter adds warmth and blush keeps it fresh, with brick red and powder blue for emphasis.

— Colour palette

Nothing new to learn

A photo-first swipe feed borrowed from apps people already know, so there is nothing new to learn.

— Interface

Community first

Short, upbeat lines like "Big social life, smaller fashion footprint" put community first.

— Tone of voice

Built to be reused

Canva for the logo, posts and slides. Figma for planning the app screens and swipe flow.

— Tools

Thrift rails and swap nights

Thrift rails and swap-night photography, plus a look at resale platforms like Depop and Vinted.

— Inspiration

Recognisable everywhere

A classic yet trendy, trustworthy look that stays consistent across logo, website, app and Instagram. 48% of website visits came from Instagram.

— Fit with the brief

Brand palette

Denim#5889AELogo ring, buttons, headers
Butter#FDEDB6Logo centre, highlights
Brick#B24E4DSocial post panels
Rose#F0D8D6Frames, backgrounds
Powder#C1D3DDWebsite sections
Ink#111111Type and outlines

05The product

Website

Landing page with a clear "Try it out" button.

WEX website hero over a rail of denim: The Wardrobe Exchange, Try it out

Web app

The swipe feed where students browse and swap.

WEX web app swipe feed, with the sidebar and base stock banner

Social media

Instagram posts introducing WEX and announcing each month's base stock.

WEX Instagram post: What is WEX? Swipe to find out WEX Instagram post: March base stock, swipe WEX Instagram post: April base stock, swipe

06The results

Overall, WEX was a success.

In its first month and a half, Instagram brought in thousands of views, and more than half of them came from people who did not follow WEX yet. The website did its job of sending people on to the app. The research also showed what to do next.

12,309

Instagram views in 1.5 months

✦ Instagram   ✦ First 1.5 months
52.6%

of those views came from people who did not follow WEX yet

✦ New audience   ✦ Reach
48%

of website visits arrived from Instagram

✦ Instagram to website   ✦ Traffic
89%

of web app visits came through the website's "Try it out" button

✦ Website to web app   ✦ Conversion

Key findings from the market research

01.

Instagram is more effective for reaching 18–24 year olds than our website.

02.

Reels expand our reach to non-followers the best, and sponsorships and events boost engagement (Wilder fight night).

03.

App engagement will improve once we have a real, useful app that we advertise directly on social media.

04.

Trialled app features show promise for expert-led, mobile app development.

Blossoms: an oil painting of pink apple blossom on dark branches against a pale green sky Floral observations in coloured pencil: yellow flowers, a pink bloom and a blue rose Oil study of a torso in warm yellows and oranges

The

Collections

Series of paintings, drawings and weaving, shaped by the way the human body and the natural world echo each other. Each body of work comes from careful observation.

Explore the series

Selected series

Fine art

Experience and education

The CV

  1. 2021 to now

    Personal creative work

    Freelance
    • Created and sold commissioned artwork.
    • Developed design and illustration projects independently, refining visual judgement and attention to detail.
    • Built structured sketchbooks exploring layout, visual hierarchy and cohesive storytelling.
  2. Aug to Sep 2026

    Fulfilment Department

    Alleycatz Uniform Shop, Surrey
    • Fulfilled online orders and worked behind the scenes on the company website.
    • Worked effectively in a fast-paced team.
  3. 2023 to 2026

    BSc (Hons) Human Sciences, 2:1

    University of Birmingham
  4. Jul 2025

    Graphic Design & Marketing Intern

    Juno House Club, Barcelona
    • Supported the marketing and design team during the rebranding of the company website.
    • Developed graphic design concepts aligned with brand storytelling.
    • Collaborated in an international creative team, contributing to a cohesive visual direction.
    • Learned how brand identity translates across digital platforms.
  5. Jun 2025

    Design Intern, Branding & Communication

    Pentagram, London
    • Assisted the design team on branding and identity projects within brand narrative work.
    • Contributed to early-stage ideation and visual development.
    • Took part in critique sessions, gaining exposure to senior-level creative evaluation and refinement.
    • Delivered to tight deadlines in a fast-paced studio.
  6. Aug to Sep 2025

    Retail Assistant

    Alleycatz Uniform Shop, Surrey
    • Strengthened customer interaction and teamwork skills.
  7. 2023 to 2024

    Front of House (seasonal)

    Gara Rock Hotel, Salcombe
    • Delivered service in a high-end hospitality environment.
    • Built communication, organisation and adaptability skills in a fast-paced team.
  8. 2021 to 2023

    A Levels: A*AA

    Esher College
    • Fine Art, Biology, Psychology.
  9. Jun 2022

    Neuroscience laboratory experience

    University of Bristol
    • Shadowed PhD researchers, gaining exposure to structured research environments and collaborative academic work.
  10. 2022

    Licensed powerboat driver

  11. 2018 to 2021

    GCSEs: 999887777

    Sir William Perkins's School
  12. 2018 to 2021

    Rowing at national level

  13. 2014 to 2016

    Sailed around the world

  14. Aged 16

    Completed a half marathon

  15. Award

    Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award

Tools

  • Figma
  • Canva
  • Content optimisation

Design

  • Visual identity and brand awareness
  • Creative concept development
  • Structured visual organisation
  • Attention to detail

Thinking and teamwork

  • Behaviourally informed thinking
  • Audience targeting
  • Collaboration and critique
  • Adaptability under pressure
Bluebell Craven smiling, in a garden Bluebell in a graduation gown on steps below the University of Birmingham clock tower

About

Hello

My work is driven by curiosity, blending behavioural insight with artistic expression to create pieces that invite reflection, emotion and connection.

With a background in Human Science, my practice explores the relationship between human behaviour, identity and visual communication. I am interested in how people perceive, connect with and find meaning through design, and I use research and creativity to shape thoughtful visual experiences.

Away from the desk I have rowed at national level, sailed around the world and run a half marathon.

Get in touch

Say hello

bluebellcraven2@gmail.com