Creating a Seamless Homepage
KSL Classifieds
KSL Classifieds had major issues with their homepage. It hadn’t been audited for usability issues since it was designed in 2016. I led a redesign of the homepage experience including an overhaul of their search.
Role
UI/UX Designer
Devices
Web & Mobile
Time Frame
Nov 2020 - Mar 2021
The Product
In Utah when most people think of selling their old skis or are looking for a gently used bike they go to KSL Classifieds. It’s one of the regions largest online marketplaces for buying or selling goods.
The User’s Problems
A major pain point gathered from user interviews was navigation of the homepage. During usability tests we discovered that about half of new users had difficulty locating where to conduct a keyword search. It was grouped with facets like; Seller Type, Listing Type, and Time On Site, all of which according to our Google Analytics were used in less than 1% of user sessions.
Old Design
1
2
3
Issues
1
1
Keyword Search:
12,520,662 Clicks
30.54%
2
Category Search:
3,527,293 Clicks
0.89%
3
Facet Search:
320,662 Clicks
<1.00%
New Design
Research
Analyzing the Competition
I performed a functional assessment of our top three competitors including Facebook Marketplace, Mercari, and Offerup. I was looking to see what features their homepages had to offer.
Ideation & Design
Brainstorming and Sketching
Anytime I tackle a project I start with extremely loose wireframes and jotting down as many ideas to solve the issue that I can. When I started with these designs I knew I needed to make it a search first based experience.
Final Designs
A More Engaging
Homepage Experience
After analyzing and fixing issues with the prototypes I was ready to build hi-fidelity designs. A search first experience was the top priority.
Making Filtering Results an Enjoyable Experience
The old design of the homepage was harsh and confusing. Hiding filters under a button still allowed users to get specific, but also allowed for plenty of screen real estate for browsing listings
Final Designs
Designing for
Every Screen Size
Classifieds is a mobile first platform about 63% of our users access the site from mobile devices. However, the rest use desktop. Our designs needed to work across all device sizes. So nailing the designs across all screens was a must.
