Challenge.

How might we redesign Craigslist to solve for pain-points associated with the current product.

Skills.

User research, Competitive Analysis, Journey mapping, User-flows, wire-framing, Prototyping, Visual Design

Solution.

Heavy furniture doesn't have to be your burden to carry. DeliverHome is a second hand furniture buying and selling app with an optional local delivery service.

Duration.

4 month solo project for Digital Product Design class at Parsons School of Design.

Key Features :

Feature 1.

CATEGORIES & FILTERING

Select from a range of categories to find exactly what you’re looking for

Feature 2.

SELLER RATINGS & REVIEWS

Build more trust in the buying process.

Feature 3.

SCHEDULE PICK-UP/DELIVERY

The seller can confirm one of 3 time slots for a DeliverHome pick-up offered by the buyer that's convenient for them.

- The Challenge : Re-Imagined -

The initial challenge was to re-design the existing Craigslist “for sale” vertical. I decided to further narrow down the vertical to only furniture because finding inexpensive furniture when moving to a new apartment on a budget was a major problem people around me were facing. I wanted to consider what did and didn’t work in the existing Craigslist app as well as other second-hand furniture apps so I could make it more valuable to my users.

- Process -

- User Interviews -

GOAL: To determine gain a deeper understanding of people's furniture shopping process - their goals, behaviors, motivations, and frustrations when furnishing their apartments and using marketplace apps.
TARGET AUDIENCE: People who have recently moved cities/ apartments for college or to start a new job. People between the ages 18-25 as they are more likely to look for budget friendly options.
PROCESS: I interviewed 5 people remotely. I made sure to keep the questions open and unbiased.

- De-coding Qualitative Data -

GOAL: To organize and decode qualitative data gathered from user interviews.
METHOD: I compiled an affinity map for the 5 users by categorizing them by the above categories (Habits/ behaviors- furnishing, Habits/ behaviors- apps, pain-points- furnishing, pain-points- apps, goals/ motivations- furnishing, goals/ motivations- apps)

- Info to Insights -

After organizing all the data into an affinity map I was able to:

1) Identify thematic clusters

2) Draw parallels between user pain-points & goals

- Key Insights -

Said they prefer furniture stores/ platforms with delivery services.

Said that security risks and unreliable sellers are major frustrations with second-hand apps.

Said that sustainability is a major motivator for second-hand shopping.

- User Persona -

To empathize with my users further, I converted my insights from the interviews into a user persona. This would be my point of reference when designing solutions to solve for user problems.

- Competitive Analysis -

Based on the interviews I listed the pros and cons of Craigslist as well as key competitors I identified in the Interviews in how they solve for user needs.

- Journey Map -

After identifying what does and doesn't work in my competitor apps I compiled a journey map to identify where my users are experiencing pain-points and where I can find opportunities for improvement.

- Feature Prioritization Matrix -

I weighed cost and effort of implementation with the impact to my users to make sure I was keeping the app simple and impactful.

- DeliverHome User Flow -

I proposed a user-flow for users and also included the flow for someone looking to sell to make sure all the functionalities of the app are in place. (Click to magnify).

- Low Fidelity Prototype -

Screen Shot 2021-01-16 at 9.39.34 PM.png

DELIVERY REQUEST PROCESS :

- User Testing & Iteration-

I allowed 3 users to test my prototype while I screen recorded. While overall they were able to navigate through the app, I found that there were a few UX issues which left users confused:

Shorten delivery/ pick- up process: Initially a buyer wanting to have an item delivered to them had to either fill in a request form through the in-app delivery service or communicate with the seller who would then contact the delivery service through the app to schedule a delivery/ pick-up. This was complicated and unintuitive for users.
Eliminate 3rd party: Once the seller fills a form, the buyer would receive a request from the service to confirm pick up details like time and address. This involved co-ordination with another party and created confusion.
Add time slots: The buyer can confirm or deny the pick-up request based on the time slot provided by the buyer. This means that they would have to communicate prior to the form submission or deny the request, making it a hassle for users.
Remove delivery tab from bottom nav: Buyers can send a seller request for their items by submitting a form through the delivery tab. However, since the intention was to eliminate the third party between the buyer and seller, the delivery tab should be removed completely.

DELIVERY REQUEST PROCESS (ITERATION 1)

Request delivery through a listing directly: reduced number of steps.
Request seller directly with potential pick-up times for the service.
Time Slots: Choose up to 3 time slots to request the seller. If one of those pick up times work for them the order is confirmed.

SELLER PROFILE (ITERATION 1):

SELLER PROFILE :

Improve listing scanability: Listings on sellers profile seem small and cluttered. I redesigned the listings to have bigger and bolder images to aid the clean and modern look.
Reduce flow to see listings and reviews: The additional step to click "view all" to view listings/ reviews was unnecessary. In the iterated version users can see all reviews and listings by simply switching tabs.

- Visual Design-

Along with a clean and modern finish I wanted to make references to the earth to convey the sustainability aspect of the app. I used shades of blue with brown.

- High Fidelity Design -

I simplified my flow using the feedback from the user tests and designed high fidelity frames focusing on visual consistency with a clean and modern finish to my design.

- Final Prototype -

- Measuring Success -

I allowed 4 of my users to test the prototype. I gave them a scenario stating that they are moving to a new apartment and are looking to buy furniture. I let them use the app and took notes of their interactions. I then used the H.E.A.R.T framework to measure the success of the product.

- Reflection -

Something that surprised me: Until I conducted user interviews I didn't expect sustainability to be such a major motivator for second-hand furniture shopping. It played such a major role in motivating users that I included it in the tag line.
Feedback helps especially when people have no idea what you're talking about: Throughout the process I got feedback from my peers as well as my professor and people caught onto things that never crossed my mind. My friends asking me clarifying questions about the wording for example (delivery request, Delivery offer) made me understand where I was being unclear.
Delivery service business constraints: It would be nice to seriously consider the business side to the delivery service. Is a delivery service truly profitable to DeliverHome? Especially one that allows for so much flexibility with time scheduling.