Blog update (#2a)
After conducting our field study, we were able to focus on our focal points and successfully get a better understanding of what people actually want out of the product that we are offering. Here are some ways that we can design our platform to fit our target audience’s needs:
Ability to choose categories/ Filters for categories.
Buyers and sellers should have the ability to filter out the categories that they are either searching in, or selling in.
From a seller’s perspective this step would help them find their own listings more efficiently, instead of sifting through other listings that they might have.
For a buyer, it would help them find products more efficiently.
The listing information that is required on all the different connected platforms should be taken into account
All listings should have clear and robust design with all information having high visibility and accessibility .
Recent listings are more active, therefore should be given priority
Blog update (#2b)
Task examples, revised post-field study:
Sarah's Selling Experience Enhancement
Sarah, an undergraduate student, wants to sell her old clothing online to raise funds. She operates from home, managing multiple listings on platforms like Craigslist and Etsy. With limited time, she seeks a solution that allows her to create a centralized listing. She is looking for a platform that would enable her to easily showcase her items, direct buyers to third-party platforms, and manage all offers in one place. The design should prioritize a clear and robust layout, high visibility of information, and the ability to filter listings by categories.
Josh's Efficient Furniture Sale
Nathan's Moving Sale Streamlining
Summary of revisions from the pre-field study versions:
Emphasis on category filters for efficient searching.
Comprehensive listing information to align with existing platforms.
Clear and robust design for high visibility of information.
Prioritization of recent listings for increased activity.
Integration of a one-stop solution for automatic cross-platform posting.
Inclusion of buyer/seller ratings and comments for reputation validation.
Blog Update (#2c) - Prioritized list of requirements:
High Priority:
Category filters are currently considered to be high-priority since they allow buyers and sellers to easily organize and differentiate the items listed. Presumably, they can also be customized at a later stage of the model to allow for better personalization and experience.
Moreover, having a visible and clear design for the listings along with comprehensive information is important to permit the sellers and buyers to have better information about their transactions and improve user attention and interaction.
Automatic cross-platform information exchange will also be of relative importance to ensure better integration and flow for all the buyers and sellers using the platform. This will allow for better efficiency and ease of communication for the users.
Medium Priority:
Prioritizing recent listings will allow for more user engagement and attention. It will also give better a better user experience by potentially generating faster sales. This can also permit for a “Trending/For You” section for higher interaction.
Low Priority:
User comments and feedback will be considered at a later stage since it is important to have design betterment and enhancement before focusing on building customer trust and retention. Moreover, having analytics-focused feedback can help generate user insights for design improvement.
Blog Update (#2d) - Design alternatives:
Design Alternative Sketch 1: “Scrooge Interface”
One potential interface alternative that we have named the "Scrooge Interface" serves as a potential foundation for our solution. In developing this design, we drew inspiration from the characteristics of sellers, particularly focusing on the qualities of an "active" seller. Here is a detailed description of each component of this interface:
Left-hand side tab: This tab displays the latest offer received by sellers and the current maximum offer. It provides a quick and convenient overview of the pricing dynamics for their items.
Middle tab: In the middle of the interface, this tab offers an enlarged view of the selected item from the left-hand side tab. It allows sellers to easily navigate through their uploaded photos, make edits to item names and descriptions, and select the desired platforms for listing visibility.
Bottom right offer chart: Positioned in the bottom right corner, the offer chart showcases the different offers made by potential buyers and includes timestamps indicating when the offers were submitted. This visual representation enables sellers to track the progress of offers and make well-informed decisions.
Some potential drawbacks could be the overload of information present on the screen could confuse new users and deter them from using the interface. Further it lacks detailed information about the platforms sellers may have received offers from (left hand side bar). It may prove to be more beneficial to separate some of the features onto different pages to reduce visual clutter.
Design Alternative Sketch 2: “Lazy-Use Interface”
Our second alternative takes inspiration from the laid-back seller, someone who focuses on selling a select few items rather than a wide range. This interface adopts a more segmented approach to categorization compared to the first alternative. Let's explore the key features of this design:
Platform selection header bar: Located at the top of the interface, this bar allows users to easily switch between platforms using a drop-down menu. They can effortlessly view their listings on different platforms, enhancing their ability to manage their selling activities.
Category boxes: Items are organized based on specific categories such as furniture or clothing. Each category has its own designated box where all the items belonging to that category are displayed. Users can navigate through various categories using a scroll-down menu. Additionally, the items within each category showcase important information, including the current best offer, previous best offer, and the seller's target price. This provides sellers with valuable insights to make informed decisions.
While this design offers several advantages, there are a couple of potential negatives. Firstly, the option to select and edit individual item information would be located on a separate page, requiring users to navigate away from the main interface. Secondly, as categories become fuller with more items, users might encounter difficulties when scrolling through a large number of items within a specific category.
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