Mobile App Redesign

INTRODUCTION

AuctionsPlus is an Australian online marketplace specialising in livestock and other agricultural commodities. The AuctionsPlus mobile app has been available for 4-5 years but hasn't been updated to align with the website due to a lack of prioritisation. Initially, we planned to retire the app and direct users to our website via mobile browsers. However, analytics showed that usage and demand were higher than expected. Concerned about missing opportunities and losing existing users, we conducted a deeper investigation to re-evaluate our strategy and explore potential alternatives.

COMPANY

AuctionsPlus

ROLE

UX&UI Designer

DURATION

8 Weeks

TOOLS

Figma, Figjam

THE CHALLENGE

"Around 60% of our users visit our website via mobile devices, but the app ratings indicate dissatisfaction. How might we optimise the mobile experience for them?"

Our high-level goals were to:

Identify the key needs of our users from a mobile solution
Define the main pain points of our users when engaging with AuctionsPlus on a mobile device
Evaluate whether we still need to keep the app if we already have a mobile-friendly website.
If we want to keep the app, define an MVP solution for the short-term

MY ROLE

Empathise

Start with existing data and feedback review, then conduct some user research including surveys and interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the current experience with the AuctionPlus app.

Define

Through the research, we have validated that the app is critical to our users as it is their first choice when interacting with AuctionsPlus via mobile, therefore we should prioritise it higher in the future.

Synthesis research findings and identify the main tasks users want to achieve and their current pains with the app.

Ideate

Brainstorm potential solutions for existing features that need to be improved and new features that would optimise the mobile experience. I concept-tested the 6 new features to evaluate their importance to the users. Then define an MVP solution for the short term.

Prototype

Created low-fi and hi-fi wireframes in Figma to demonstrate the solutions, and ran a few internal workshops to gain feedback and refine our design.

Test

Prepare an interactive prototype and test it with our users during Beef Week. Then analyse the testing result and iterate according to the feedback.

DATA ANALYTICS

We begin the investigation by quickly reviewing the data analytics and user feedback to understand the current situation. Despite a higher-than-expected download rate, our native app has received fairly low ratings (2.1/5 in Apple Store from 71 ratings, 1.5/5 in Google Play from 28 ratings). Users report that the app is glitchy, crashes frequently, and does not perform as expected. An overview of the statistics we’ve collected:

789 downloads

789 downloads of the app in the past month. While app downloads are growing, the number of monthly users is reducing

63% are buyers

63% of app users are buyers, 34% are viewers, and 3% are livestock assessors (who have the highest percentage of launches)

48% via Mobile

48% of users connect to auctions via mobile, 50% connect via desktop, and 2% connect via tablet

2.1/5 in Apple Store

2.1 out of 5 in Apple Store from 71 ratings

1.5/5 in Google Play

1.5 out of 5 in Google Play from 28 ratings

SURVEYS & INTERVIEWS

To understand the current user experience of the app better, I sent out a survey to our users and received 142 responses (76% of them were buyers, 12% were viewers, and 12% were agents). The key insights are:

We then conduct a 1:1 user interview with 20 survey users (12 buyers, 4 viewers, and 4 agents). I created an affinity map to synthesise the result we have obtained, some key insights I gathered from the research were:

01 Users want a functional and user-friendly app that enables them to browse upcoming auctions, place bids and check results efficiently and effortlessly.

Our users require a way to conveniently access AuctionsPlus on their mobile devices as they are often on the go or away from their computers. They want to be able to bid anytime, keep an eye on the auction and check results quickly.

02 Users want and expect the search and filter functions on the app to mirror that of the website

The current search in the app does not allow users to enter keywords and the filters are limited to certain types of livestock. As a result, users are unable to find what they want, leading to significant frustration.

03 Users heavily utilise the favourites function to easily reference lots they’ve viewed previously.

The second most common reason users use the app is because of access to specific features such as favourites. They usually favourite lots they want, keep an eye on them, bid when auction starts and check the result after auction finished.

It would be better if...

PERSONA

Based on the research findings, I created a persona that represents the app's target user. This helped me empathize with the key pains and needs when using the app.

BRAINSTORM POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

Based on the research results, I ran an ideation workshop to brainstorm potential solutions around 2 How Might We questions:

How might we optimise the current mobile experience for our users?

How might we keep our users informed by the relevant information?

I then defined the existing features and new features we would like to include in the first phase with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) matrix.

CONCEPT TESTING

To validate the assumption, I concept-tested 6 new features that were considered to be included in the revised app through another survey by asking the users to rank how valuable each feature was on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being ’not valuable’ and 10 being ‘extremely valuable’. 121 responses were received, with the results being:

Based on the results of the concept testing, the "Save Favorites to Folders" feature would be excluded in the first phase. The features that would be included in our MVP would be :

Existing features:

Improved search function
Updated filters (align with the website)
Upcoming auctions
Connect to the auction and bid (on an In-app Browser)
Auction results
Favourite feature
Featured & Buy Now lots
News & Market Insights
Connect to other tools such as Dashboard, Assessment Entry and Listings Portal (on an In-app Browser)

New features:

Notification when outbid, or max bid has been reached)
Notification when auctions with favourited lots are about to start
Notification for similar lots that match your interest
Add auction to calendar
Map of lots near you

SOLUTIONS & PROTOTYPES

Tailored Bottom Navigation Tab Bar to Serve User Needs

From the research, I learned that users' main activities are browsing upcoming auctions, placing bids, and viewing results. Users also frequently use the favourites feature to save the lots they are interested in and keep an eye on them. So, I added ‘Auctions’, ‘Results’ and ‘Favourites’ to the bottom navigation tab bar, allowing users to access these features quickly and easily.

Functions with less demand such as Access to Dashboard, Assessment Entry and Listings Portal would be located in the Menu Tab for the user when needed.

Refreshed Homepage with Clear Hierarchy

Search Function: Located at the top for immediate access upon opening.

Current Running Auctions: Allows users to quickly connect to auctions and place bids.

Map View NEW : Displays recently listed lots near the user's location.

Featured & Buy Now Lots: Highlighted for promotion.

AuctionsPlus News: Provides users with the latest content and updates.

Improved Search Function and Filters :

Access to Saved Filters & Recent Searches: Quickly reuse previous searches and filters.

Expanded Categories: Include Machinery and Property alongside cattle and sheep.

Keyword Search: Allow users to search by keywords.

Enhanced Filters: For extensive lists such as agents and breeds, create a dedicated page with keyword search and alphabetical navigation.

Sorting and View Options: Add sort results and change view options for better usability.

Refreshed Upcoming Auction & Result Page

Quick access to Search Function: Located at the top right corner for quick search.

Favourites: Users can add lots to their favourites for later reference.

Share Auction & Lots: Users can share auction catalogues and lot details with others.

Add to Calendar NEW : Users can add auctions to their calendar for reminders.

Refreshed Favourites page

Multiple Filters: Users can filter favourited lots by commodity (e.g., cattle, sheep, machinery) and status (e.g., upcoming, results).

Consistent Lot Cards & Lot Detail Page: Ensure the lot card and detail page are consistent with the website for a seamless user experience.

Notification centre:

Outbid Notification NEW : One of the key pain points is that people want to get notified when they are outbid. So we designed a notification centre in the app, allowing users to receive push notifications for updates.

Auction Start Notification NEW : Users receive a push notification when an auction with their favourited lots is about to start. This feature is also highly demanded in concept testing.

Similar Lots Notification NEW : Users receive a push notification when lots matching their criteria are listed. This is an effective way to promote lots and increase the clearance rate.

USABILITY TEST INSIGHTS

To validate our solution, I conducted a usability test with 12 users, consisting of 6 buyers, 5 agents, and 1 viewer.

Positives:

Users like the revised homepage as it is easy to understand and navigate, and the "lots near you" feature would be nice as they can now see listings that are located around where they are.
Users can find upcoming auctions and auction results easily from the bottom navigation bar.
Users like the updated search and filters as they can now enter keywords and use the filter just like the way they had on the browser
The push notification would be very helpful so they wouldn't miss the lot they want.
"I would go back to the app with the new updates."

Opportunities:

Saved Filters: 7 out of 12 users couldn’t find saved filters from the search feature. To make this clear, we added a tab bar under the search box, users can then switch between "Recent" and "Saved Filters" easily, and they can also access the "Your Saved Filters" page for editing.

Auto Bidding: Users expressed a desire to set a max bid on the lot detail page, allowing the app to auto-bid for them if they are unavailable when the auction starts.

MEASURE OF SUCCESS

To measure the success of the revised app, I would evaluate the following after the app has been launched:

Number of downloads of the revised app.
Number of active users
Frequency users visit AuctionsPlus via the app and the time they spend on it
Feedback from the user (in the app store and through our customer service team) after the new launch

NEXT STEPS

After launching the new app, I will continuously monitor the app's performance and user feedback to gather insights. Our next steps include:

Monitor Data and Feedback: Regularly review data analytics and user feedback to understand how the new app is performing.
Conduct usability testing: Observe user interactions with the app to identify areas for improvement.
Explore potential features: Based on user needs and feedback, identify and prioritise new features to implement in future updates.
Iterate on the design: to enhance the mobile experience further.