Craigslist Redesign


Feature improvements of the original app



Project Overview
Individual mobile app project for the Advanced Visual Design course

Role:

UX / UI Designer, User Researcher
Tool:
Figma

Timeline:

A month

Outcome:

Redesigned version has better user experience rating from the user testing.




Why do I want to redesign Craigslist?


Ever since I moved to the US, I have been using Craigslist to find housing, buy or sell second-hand furnitures. It has been a great experience to get the best deals on their desktop version. I recently discovered that they have a mobile app. I was thrilled to try it out.

However, I noticed the rating on the app store was low, and I wondered why... and I thought I could take this opportunity to find a way to improve it.




1.1 User Reviews


These are some of the bad reviews I found on the app store that helped me identify some of the problems and user needs.


Search Filter Issues



Privacy and Contact Concerns



1.2 Interface Evaluation


In order to identify the problems clearly, I evaluated the app based on Nielsen’s 10 heuristics (Nielsen, 1994)




Help and documentation 
- Favorites Screen

  • There is no search function for all the posts that are saved in the favorites.

  • The user is not able to find the posts effective.
       







Flexibility and efficiency of use
-Contact Screen

  • There is only external contact option.

  • The user has to leave the app to continue the task.




Help and documentation
-Search Screen

  • There is no filter for a specific neighborhood. 

  • The user can only search the keywords, which might lead to inaccurate neighborhood.



2.1 The Problem


After the evaluation, I found the Craigslist app lacking some very important aspects of a trading platform such as in-app chat room function to speed up the process, no effective search filter for listings, and search function for saved posts. Those issues make the user (the buyer) experience bad and slow. 


2.2 Define Redesign Goals


The goal is for users (the buyer) to find what they need, filter out what they don’t want, and make a deal with the person on the platform without disclosing private information.




03
Research

3.1 Persona



3.2 User Journey


I made a user journey map focusing on the buyer’s perspective.




3.3 Information Architecture


I created a site map and user flow based on the redesign goals.



04
Wireframe


4.1 Sketches


I started to sketch some possible layouts for the features I want to add.



4.2 Wireframes






5.1 Usability Evaluation


User testing with Think Aloud Technique. I asked 4 of my friends to do the usability test on the original app first and then the redesigned app.


5.1.1 Tasks for the user  


1
 First Task

Choose “San Francisco” as a location > go to housing > choose “apts/housing” for rent > choose the neighborhood called “cole valley” > fav one post
2
 Second Task

Go to your favorites > find a listing that has a keyword “studio” > reach “contact
the seller” page


5.1.2 Results


Original App


Redesigned App 




5.2 User Surveys


After finishing the tasks, I asked them to answer 12-15 follow up questions, such as how easy was it for you to get through the tasks? was there a challenge? why? I also asked if they prefer the external or internal contact options. 

5.2.1 Key Findings

Original App

  • The original interface design is not easy to navigate.
  • Email option inconvenient, it is limited to the default mail on the phone.
  • Too hard to find posts in favorite section.


Overall rating based on the asked task: 2
Redesigned App 
  • The redesign interface design is much easier to navigate.
  • It is easier to find posts in the favorite section.
  • The in-app chatting function is convenient.


Overall rating based on the asked task: 4




06
Design Iterations



I redesigned them based on some of the feedback I got from the participants.

6.1 Iterations - Homepage


User Suggestions

Improvements




6.2 Iterations - Browse Page




Improvements




6.3 Iterations - Location Page




Improvements








6.4 Iterations - Listing Page



User Suggestions



Improvements



6.5 Iterations - Contact Page


User Suggestions


Improvements



6.6 Iterations - Favorites



Improvements



07
Final Prototype




7.1 Final Designs Outcome




7.2 Live Prototype














Yung Chuan Su 2024