Justine Oliver · Follow
Published in · 7 min read · Mar 10, 2019
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THE BRIEF
Craigslist is a classified advertisem*nt website that is designed to assist users in buying and selling products and services. In addition, Craigslist also allows its users to search for jobs, join discussion forums, and find/list housing. It services over 450 cities worldwide.
Craigslist’s antiquated design works because it keeps the focus on the primary tasks of the user: buying and selling services/products. It allows the user to easily reach their goals, regardless of how pretty it looks. When I was thinking of redesigning this webpage, I decided that I wanted to keep elements of it original look, but give it a light upgrade.
Because it services such a wide array of user needs, I wanted to focus on improving three main elements:
- visual design
- usability
- content organization
Step 1: Analyzing the purpose/core of the product
To begin, I wanted to understand the functions of the website in order to get some initial insight into how users may utilize this platform. From browsing through the website and viewing user feedback, I could break down the general uses of Craigslist into three different points:
- Conducting business (permanent/temp work, promote business, freelance, housing)
- The buying and selling of goods and services (cars, clothing, etc.)
- Promoting/finding community events
Step 2: Understanding the current design and architecture
Step 3: Examining user comments
After reading through many reviews and feedback forums, I realized that the appeal of Craigslist fell into three categories: simplistic design, brand perception, and convenience.
- Simplistic design — I always thought that a major problem with Craigslist was its outdated and basic design, however, I learned that because the design feels so rudimentary compared to other websites, people feel more comfortable selling their novelty and less valuable items. They don’t feel as pressured to have high-quality photos or extensive details and descriptions. They perceive their audience as having more realistic expectations of second-hand items.
“Functioning solely as a marketplace means people come armed with more appropriate expectations.”
2. Brand Perception — Craigslist is often viewed as a more “personal” and direct way to buy, sell, and promote goods and services. Unlike eBay, Craigslist doesn’t have “stores”. It simply feels like someone wants to get rid of a product and is looking to sell it to someone who is interested. The perceived honesty is a distinguishing factor for Craigslist. Their refusal to conform makes the company seem inclusive and comforting.
“ It has a certain “personal” component that causes people to have inflated expectations of your willingness to accommodate them”
3. Convenience — Many users of the website discuss their appreciation for the local convenience of Craigslist. This feature is useful when users are promoting local services or selling larger items. They are able to save on shipping costs, as well as time.
“I sell bigger heavier items on Craigslist and other things I don’t want to ship for whatever reason”
Step 4: Direct and Indirect competitors
User Stories
I wanted to construct three user stories based on the personas I created. This is a tool I often use to keep my designs user focused.
#1: Thomas Gavin — “The Photographer”
As a photographer, I want to hire local models so that I can build my portfolio and advertise my work.
#2: Kaelynn Lawrence — “Moving to the City”
As someone on a tight budget, I want to find an inexpensive furniture set so that I can furnish my new apartment quickly and easily.
#3: Melissa Thompson — “Post Grad Job Seeker”
As my post-grad summer internship ends, I want to find local job postings so that I can gain a full-time employement position.
Wireframes
For the wireframes, I wanted to play around with the general layout and components.
List vs Card/Photo View: I knew that I was going to keep the categories in a list view, as opposed to a card view. I felt that it would have been a bit too obvious and expected in a Craigslist redesign. I understand the appeal, but I felt that it would take away from the vintage and “primal” feel that Craigslist is known for.
Sidebar: Although I did consider a design without a sidebar (v5), I really just felt that it was too useful of a feature. I really just wanted to play around with what should be included. I referred back to my user personas when determining which components were most important.
Brand identity
I personally like to do my wireframes before choosing color and branding because I sometimes get caught up in matching the layout to the “vibe” that the colors will elicit. By doing the style guide/colors after, I allow myself to focus on creating the most functional and pleasurable experience.
After doing some research behind the psychology of color, as well as thinking about what would go with the brand’s established reputation, I decided that I wanted to go with cooler, neutral based tones. I decided this because when I think of Craigslist, I don’t think of bold and bright. I think of it almost like a thrifting experience. So I tried to use those tones, along with the idea of having a more polished feel in order to finish my design.
For the final design, I created three different color schemes for three different locations. I thought it would be a nice touch for some of the different locations or different regions to have a slightly different design. Overall the differences with this design over the original are:
Easily change locations: One of the frustrations that I found with Craigslist was not being able to input a zip code and/or easily change the location directly from the header. In this design, under the logo and location tag, there is “change location” CTA. When clicked the user can enter a zip code, city, etc.
Secondly, in the header, there is an input form where the user can input what item/service they’re looking for, how far they’re willing to travel for the product/service, and a zip code or general location. I wanted to add this feature because for my second persona (“Moving to the City”). I thought that she may only know the zip code she is moving to, but nothing about the neighboring area. This allows her to set up parameters for how far she is willing to travel to get furniture, without having to do extra research.
Calendar: To address the unlabeled calendar, I added a title to it, as well as an indicator for what day it currently is. This is just to provide clarity for the user.
Saved Searches: One of the features that I completely forgot existed was the ability to save searches. I wanted to bring this to the forefront of the user's attention because I believe this is an important feature that should be utilized. For people who are actively searching for an item, they’ll be more enticed to create an account to save specific searches.
Footer: Instead of having additional links located in the sidebar, I felt that information was better utilized in the footer. This is more typical and expected based on the type of information it’s presenting.
If you’d like to become an expert in UX Design, Design Thinking, UI Design, or another related design topic, then consider to take an online UX course from the Interaction Design Foundation. For example, Design Thinking, Become a UX Designer from Scratch, Conducting Usability Testing or User Research — Methods and Best Practices. Good luck on your learning journey!
**This mockup does not represent the views of anyone at Craigslist. **
