TradeMe
TradeMe is New Zealand’s largest online auction platform which facilitates the buying and selling of both new and second-hand products. The goal of the redesign project of TradeMe was to enhance the key aspects of the platform and optimising the user experience. By addressing user pain points, we aimed to streamline navigation, improve accessibility and elevate overall usability. We worked in a collaborative agile environment and implemented strategic design decisions to create a more user-friendly platform.
Role:
UX Designer
Project Type:
Mission Ready Project
Duration:
3 weeks
Challenges
Although TradeMe is a very popular platform that offers extensive features, users have consistently reported usability issues. It has been identified that users are experiencing significant challenges and frustrations when navigating the website - specifically regarding the information overload, search system, and bidding process. Consequently, users are unable to make informed purchasing decisions, preventing them from having a satisfactory user experience with the platform.
My Approach
We began by analysing user feedback to identify issues with the TradeMe’s existing website. This led to the creation of a user persona and journey map, which informed our decisions throughout the designing process. We then conducted a Crazy 8 ideation and a brainstorming session involving both designers developers to generate creative solutions - this collaboration ensured a strong foundation for the site’s navigation.
Once the low-fidelity prototype was complete, we conducted usability testing with four participants, receiving feedback which was crucial for refining our design. During the iteration phase however, we encountered an issue, which was limited time. To overcome this, we analysed the user feedback into Jakob Nielsen’s Severity Rating and prioritised the changes to be made in the design. As a result, we were able to complete our high fidelity design within the designated timeframe.
Results
The final design included implementations such as:
• Streamlining filtering system by separating the filtering CTAs and product categories to reduce confusion
• Adding a comparison system in the product details page so users won't have to open a lot of tabs
• Reducing information clutter on one page by distributing the content into sections
• Including necessary features in the bidding system such as "bidding history" and allowing double confirmation to prevent errors
Through this project, we were able to establish significant improvements in user satisfaction and engagement regarding the TradeMe online platform. All participants (during usability testing) succeeded in completing the tasks through our final design when initially, only 1 out of 4 participants were successful. This measurement shows that there was a a notable increase in task success rate and error reduction, conveying a more user-friendly experience for our target audience.
The collaboration between the designers and developers was another key factor of the project success as we were able to ensure that the final high fidelity design was not only visually appealing and user-friendly, but also technically feasible. Working in an agile environment such as attending daily stand-ups and creating a sprint, the designers and developers were able to successfully collaborate, address challenges and deliver the final product within the required deadline.
