CRAIGSLIST REDESIGN
Redesigned Craigslist’s “For Sale” section to enhance usability and accessibility across desktop and mobile
Background
Point of View
Although Craigslist’s “no frills” approach is incredibly simple to use, it is outdated, overrun with scammers, and too generalized to be as effective as it could be. All of these, along with a less than optimal seller’s experience, have contributed to Craigslist losing a large amount of market share in the past few years. In my research, I would like to discover if there are more reasons why the site’s popularity has waned so much recently.
How Might We
Improve the overall buying and selling experience for Craigslist users?
Increase users’ feeling of safety and security while using Craigslist?
Preserve Craigslist’s current strengths while also modernizing its look and feel?
Research & Analysis
In the embryonic days of the internet when Craigslist was launched, the website was a one stop shop for everything from finding a new job, a place to live, a new couch, or a even a new sweetheart. With the expansion of the internet and especially smart phones, these offerings have split off into entire companies of their own such as:
As you can see, the modern day competition for the variety of services offered by Craigslist is numerous. For the purposes of this project, I will focus on the closest competition for what Craigslist is CURRENTLY used for the most: buying and selling products locally. The three companies in the first column above are therefore what I will competitively analyze: Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and eBay Classifieds.
Facebook Marketplace
Most widely used e-commerce platform for buying and selling local goods
Pros
Native integration into large existing platform
Cons
Lack of payment services
Overly generalized focus
OfferUp
Pros
Next level security measures
Modern search/filter
Cons
Items can get buried quickly within the search
Have to pay a percentage fee for shipping
Pros
eBay
Accessible navigability
Secure payment services
Cons
Buyers repeatedly missing the “local only” signifier
Excessive fees
User Interviews
“1995 vibes, which I kind of like from a nostalgic view, but definitely could be updated.”
“Yes I am worried (about scamming). Because I have read and heard that it’s rampant.”
“Not as safe as eBay or Etsy.”
Next I conducted user interviews in order to define where the true pain points were. Using an affinity map, I conducted 4 interviews and then sorted the information into 6 distinct categories, which were: Ease of Use, Safety, UX, UI, Past Experience, and Alternatives
Insights:
Although simple to use, the interface is antiquated and homogenous
Many of the listings feel “sketchy”, the service is known for scams, and Craigslist does nothing to vet its listings or users
There are competitors with modernized interfaces and better security measures who are do buying/selling better
Feature Set
Based on the user interviews and my own secondary research and competitive analysis, I dialed down on the main pain points for users of the Craigslist “For Sale” section: an outdated interface (including an inefficient search bar), and a lack of adequate security measures/information. With these in mind, I created my “must haves” set of features which were:
Search Enhancements
For Sale search bar has integrated filter/sort options
Modernized UI
More whitespace, hierarchy of categories on the general search page
Separate "Meeting in Person" Section
Tips and tricks about how to protect oneself when meeting a buyer/seller in person
Separate "Avoid Scams and Frauds" Section
Prominently featured security information on For Sale homepage
Profile Verification
In order to build more trust with users, provide a verification system similar to those used in social media networks
Wireframes
In the spirit of the original Craigslist, I kept the designs simple and streamlined while maintaining and even increasing the original’s universal accessibility. Because this is the “For Sale” section, the focus is still on buying and selling, but with more whitespace, larger images and text, and a much stronger emphasis placed on security, the design addresses the main pain points of the users without straying too far from Craigslist’s classic feel and functionality.
Low Fi Desktop Screens
Homescreen
Item Details
Email Seller
Mobile
Item Details
Hi Fi
Current
The current “For Sale” section homepage is cluttered, lacks information hierarchy, and has an underdeveloped Search bar
ReDesign
The redesign features a prominent Search bar and has different categories which draw the eye to more commonly viewed items. It also provides links to other categories which, currently, disappear when in the “For Sale” section.
Current
For the item listing detail, there is no standardized layout, it is left up to the lister. This creates a chaotic look and important details such as price are sometimes difficulty to locate. There is also no focus on security, a main gripe of my interviewees.
ReDesign
The redesign modernizes the overall look with a prominent CTA and more refined information hierarchy. It also focuses more on security by introducing a ratings system and verification feature for sellers, as well as outlining important ways for buyers to stay safe when purchasing.
Current
As a further example, on the current “Antiques” page, the price on each card is difficult to read and there is no information about each individual seller on the listing page.
ReDesign
The redesign increases the visibility of the price, shows each seller and their verification status, and has a generally cleaner, more streamlined look and feel.
Usability Testing
With the redesigns complete, I created two desktop flows to test out the overall functionality of the redesigned interface. They were: Select an Item & Favorite Some Antiques
Expected:
Users will find the item relatively quickly and easily and know how to contact the seller
Unexpected:
Users took longer than expected to find the drill
3 out of 4 users want more details about the drill
2 out of 4 users clicked “Antiques” first
Implications/Recommendations:
I would like to add more details about the drill on the item listing page
Would change wording in initial prompt to be less vague
Select an Item
Task:
Imagine you are a Craigslist user interested in purchasing a specific product (not a category).
Expected:
Users will find the Antiques section quickly and easily and be able to favorite an item and see its details seamlessly
Unexpected:
Users were confused about where to go after favoriting the items
2 out of 4 users didn’t know what “favoriting” was
1 user who uses CL the most wanted more items per page
Implications/Recommendations:
Make “Favorites” larger and/or change wording to “Saved”
Provide an option to show more items per page
Favorite Some Antiques
Task:
Imagine you are a Craigslist user searching for an antique to favorite and then purchase
Priority Revisions
The testers wanted more details in the item listing pages, wanted to see more items per page, and were generally confused by “favoriting” items they liked. With these observations in mind, I made important changes which I have detailed below.
Added an option to provide more details under each item
Added pagination to the category screen to show where the user is in their current search as well as how many total items are available to search
Lastly, I changed the confusing wording “Favorite” to “Save” for greater clarity for the user and because “Save” more appropriately fits the product’s functionality
Main Takeaways
Overall, redesigning the Craigslist “For Sale” section was a challenging yet ultimately very rewarding experience. Doing a top to bottom overhaul of a section one of the most iconic websites on the internet taught me that legacy sites as old as Craigslist are doing SOMEthing right.
My goal was to find a way to maintain the usability and accessibility of Craigslist while modernizing its interface and increasing its focus on security. I would say my redesign accomplished those goals, but with more time and research, I could certainly do a lot more.
Thank you for taking a look at this project!
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