This project is for a private client who inquired about the potential of some new popular online marketplaces. The task is to analyze the overall UX of one of the popular platforms, and provide possible improvements.
User research, UX/UI design,
product thinking
Sketch App, Illustrator, Adobe Acrobat, pen and paper
Solo project
About 2 weeks
First I chose OfferUp as the app for my analysis, use engagement as my focal point. Through research, I found that OfferUp has built a relationship of trust and safety with its customers. Utilizing my UX skills in research and ideation I focused on consumer engagement primarily. Meanwhile, secondary considerations of monetization, trust, and safety are important as they are central to the business model.
I came up with two possible solutions that focus on different types of engagement. One is a video feature, the other one is a space for community sale event.
1. How to evaluate an application (OfferUp) and some of the other apps, and what angle to focus on.
2. Looking at the existing users, figure out what's done well and what can be improved.
3. Based on all the findings developing solutions to improve the current state.
Due to respect to time, I divided my research into two part.
Quantitative: Since OfferUp is an open platform, I gathered user reviews from the app store, online forum and a few notable review websites. In short, most of the users are happy with the how easy is to buy/sell item, however there are some users concerned about its safety.
Qualitative: Observer and interview some existing users’ behavior.
Through this step I divided most users into two groups:
Browsing focused: stay home mom enjoy buy/sell; people who enjoys a craftsmanship/craftswoman-ship, small local business, collector, or treasure hunting.
Purpose focused: this type of users mostly open use the app when there is a need (for instants: moving, try to clean up the house etc).
After looking at different way to represent a product, pictures, charts, video and possible AR/VR technology, I decided to choose video feature as compare to the rest method it’s easy to use, and possibly quick to implement.
As I look back to my interview notes and things I observed in my daily life. There is a need for people to have platform to promote their Garage sale event. The second idea is to have have a space for community sale event.
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Scenario: Michael found there’s a camera that under Claire’s account is something he has been looking for a while. But the pictures uploaded doesn’t give enough Michael enough information about the camera.
Here is a user flow how video feature could help Michael to decide:
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Claire or other sellers could also upload videos through the same process as uploading pictures (when they post an item they would like to sell).
Here are two versions while sketching up the design:
Pros: “Request Button” is predominant, easy for buyer to find and take an action.
Cons: My concern is the button is almost at the Call to Action spot. It might lead too much requests to the seller but without selling the product.
Pros: this is more balanced flow for seller and buyer than A. In this case, both parties have to make an effort in order to proceed with the next step.
Cons: Might take a bit of effect for the 1st time user to get grasp how to request a video
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This event is based on users’ feedback, the consideration of how to build a non-virtual community around this app. Also thinking about safety and possibly monetization.
Scenario: Rob and his wife is downsizing what they have as all their kids have moved out their house. Rob is planning a yard sale the next coming weekend.
Rob setting up event for yard sale:
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Here is a GIF for the video feature.
Through a few testings with some existing users:
How these new feature might affect the user and business?
Even though this is more of a planned strategy. A few things I’m hoping to achieve:
A while back I was reading the 2nd chapter of “Bottlenecks- Aligning UX Design With User Psychology”. It’s a chapter talking about Task Orientation. One of the interesting key point the author bought out is “when we are task positive, we revisit intrusions and find them distracting. When we are task negative, will resist effortful tasks and welcome intrusions.”
Not surprisingly this was more or less reflected from my research as well. A next step strategy could be work alongside with a researcher in the field on how should we provide the service based on the existing user behavior.