REDESIGN FOR THE MOBILE APPLICATION OF LETGO
About LetGo
Letgo is one of the most popular buying/selling platform in Turkey. It enables people to sell their secondhanded or unused goods with the price they decided and meet them with the buyers.
Why Redesign?
My friends, who are three housemates living together, were looking for a new bookshelf on LetGo for their home. All of them complained about the same thing; 'where is the price?'. From a distance, it looked like a little simulation of a user test for a specific type of persona having same age, sex and economical situation. At that moment, I thought that, I may go deeper, and decided to analyze this application and redesign it.
User Testing
After I realized one of the most famous person-based trading sites has such a big problem, I decided to research to find out more. Thus, I planned to do a user test.
About LetGo
Letgo is one of the most popular buying/selling platform in Turkey. It enables people to sell their secondhanded or unused goods with the price they decided and meet them with the buyers.
Why Redesign?
My friends, who are three housemates living together, were looking for a new bookshelf on LetGo for their home. All of them complained about the same thing; 'where is the price?'. From a distance, it looked like a little simulation of a user test for a specific type of persona having same age, sex and economical situation. At that moment, I thought that, I may go deeper, and decided to analyze this application and redesign it.
User Testing
After I realized one of the most famous person-based trading sites has such a big problem, I decided to research to find out more. Thus, I planned to do a user test.
The goal of the test was finding the answers to these following questions;
1. What is missing?
2. What is making the application hard to use?
3. Is it usable for everyone?
1. What is missing?
2. What is making the application hard to use?
3. Is it usable for everyone?
Test Groups
While I was deciding the test groups, I wanted to involve not only the longtime users but also the newcomers in order to prevent the possible user habits against a possible bad design. So I created two groups as Newcomers and Longtime users with the same number and characteristics of people.
Personas
Persona A. -University student
While I was deciding the test groups, I wanted to involve not only the longtime users but also the newcomers in order to prevent the possible user habits against a possible bad design. So I created two groups as Newcomers and Longtime users with the same number and characteristics of people.
Personas
Persona A. -University student
-Gets pocket money
-Spends more than 2 hours a day on mobile applications
Persona B. -Middle aged whitecollar
-Gets average budget
-Spends 1-2 hours a day on mobile applications
-Spends 1-2 hours a day on mobile applications
Persona C. -Above 50s
-Gets average budget
-Gets average budget
-Not so familiar with mobile applications
Thus, groups were specified as
Newcomers contains 6 people as 2 persons for each persona group as
Persona A (N.A1 & N.A2)
Persona B (N.B1 & N.B2)
Persona C (N.C1 & N.C2)
Persona A (N.A1 & N.A2)
Persona B (N.B1 & N.B2)
Persona C (N.C1 & N.C2)
Longtime Users contains 6 people as 2 persons for each persona group as
Persona A (L.A1 & L.A2)
Persona B (L.B1 & L.B2)
Persona C (L.C1 & L.C2)
Persona A (L.A1 & L.A2)
Persona B (L.B1 & L.B2)
Persona C (L.C1 & L.C2)
Specifications for the Test
-Each person used their own mobile phone.
-The ones do not have the application, downloaded it.
-It was asked to buy a chair, with a feature such as antique, wooden, black, or as a set.
-The users had been observed separately during their action.
-Each person used their own mobile phone.
-The ones do not have the application, downloaded it.
-It was asked to buy a chair, with a feature such as antique, wooden, black, or as a set.
-The users had been observed separately during their action.
Observations
for Newcomers
-None of the users could find the specific type of chair they searched for. Instead, they saw all types of results and tried to select the specific one among them.
-Persona N.A1, N.A2, N.B1 and N.C1 complained that they had to click to see the price.
-Persona N.A2, N.B1 and N.B2 tried to see the pictures of the specific product like using slider, than went another product accidentally, went back and realized there was a 'View Pictures' button.
-N.C1 & N.C2 did not have difficulty to use the application but needed more time than the longtime users.
for Newcomers
-None of the users could find the specific type of chair they searched for. Instead, they saw all types of results and tried to select the specific one among them.
-Persona N.A1, N.A2, N.B1 and N.C1 complained that they had to click to see the price.
-Persona N.A2, N.B1 and N.B2 tried to see the pictures of the specific product like using slider, than went another product accidentally, went back and realized there was a 'View Pictures' button.
-N.C1 & N.C2 did not have difficulty to use the application but needed more time than the longtime users.
Persona N.B2 & N.C1 During the Test Observation
for Longtime Users
-None of the users could find the specific type of chair they searched for. Instead, they saw all types of results and tried to select the specific one among them.
-Persona L.A1 & L.C1 complained that they had to click to see the price.
-L.C1 & L.C2 did not have difficulty to use the application, they were accustomed to using this application.
-None of the users could find the specific type of chair they searched for. Instead, they saw all types of results and tried to select the specific one among them.
-Persona L.A1 & L.C1 complained that they had to click to see the price.
-L.C1 & L.C2 did not have difficulty to use the application, they were accustomed to using this application.
Persona L.C2 & L.A1 During the Test Observation
Decision
Problem 1. Unnecessary Clicks to See the Price
Problem 2. 'View Pictures'
Problem 3. Limited Capability of Finding a Specific Product
Problem 1. Unnecessary Clicks to See the Price
Problem 2. 'View Pictures'
Problem 3. Limited Capability of Finding a Specific Product
Solution 1. Showing the Price at First
Solution 2. Viewing Pictures in a Slider on the Page of the Product
Solution 3. Adding a Filter
Solution 2. Viewing Pictures in a Slider on the Page of the Product
Solution 3. Adding a Filter
Problems and Solutions
Problem 1. Not Seeing the Price
In the original version of the application, user cannot see the price before clicking on the picture of the product. The users who may want to chose the item according to its price or want to negotiate with the seller would want to see the price at first. If the price is not in the range that users decided already, they would spend their time unnecessarly. This feature reduces the ease of use of the application and it takes more time to reach the price.
Problem 1. Not Seeing the Price
In the original version of the application, user cannot see the price before clicking on the picture of the product. The users who may want to chose the item according to its price or want to negotiate with the seller would want to see the price at first. If the price is not in the range that users decided already, they would spend their time unnecessarly. This feature reduces the ease of use of the application and it takes more time to reach the price.
Original Version of the Application, Seeing Price
Solution 1. Unnecessary Clicks to See the Price
In order to eliminate this problem and provide a more effortless tour to the user, I attached prices on the pictures on the results page. It reduces unnecessary clicks and the time spent to see the price. After redesign, user can see the price immediately and decide that if it is expensive or not for them, or add on favorite list accordingly.
New Designed Version, Includes Prices at Result Page
Problem 2. 'View Pictures'
For Problem 2, one of the item from the result page was chosen to see the pictures and details of it. As it seems below, it is needed to click a button to reach the pictures of the product.
For Problem 2, one of the item from the result page was chosen to see the pictures and details of it. As it seems below, it is needed to click a button to reach the pictures of the product.
So, what causes this button to be a problem?
Firstly, nowadays, for a midlevel application user, seeing pictures in a slider is an acquired behaviour, because many mobile application shifted their usage in this direction. Correspondingly, if they cannot use the way of they were practising before, they are feeling bewildered. Specific to LetGo, it seems that the presence of this button is not the type that makes the user feel better. Secondly, even if there is just one picture of the product, user should click to this button to understand it. It is a total waste of time for them.
Original Version of the Application, Viewing Pictures
Solution 2. Viewing Pictures in a Slider on the Page of the Product
As a solution, the product detail page has a slider to see all pictures of the product, and the number of clicks and time to reach all pictures is reduced. In addition, this method of use supports the user's acquired practices and helps to have an ease of use and undestanding for the application.
As a solution, the product detail page has a slider to see all pictures of the product, and the number of clicks and time to reach all pictures is reduced. In addition, this method of use supports the user's acquired practices and helps to have an ease of use and undestanding for the application.
New Designed Version, Pictures are Available in a Slider
Problem 3. Limited Capability of Finding a Specific Product
As it seems below, the original version of the application has a filtering capability only for the category, price, time of the product announcement and location. Because of the fact that there is no attributive filter for the specific product like color or material etc., user cannot find this item by using the search box only.
On the other side of the coin, the filtering and detailing is also limited for the sellers. Sellers are also the users of the application, and they would not want to lost their items among the others.
Original Version of the Application, Filtering and Detailing for Sellers
Original Version of the Application, Filtering for Buyers
Solution 3. Adding a Filter
As a solution, I decided to add a more detailed filter for both product result page for buyers, and product detail page for the sellers.
As a solution, I decided to add a more detailed filter for both product result page for buyers, and product detail page for the sellers.
I set specific filters based on the different general categories put by LetGo, which filter all items in those categories. For example, for 'Home and Garden' category, there are filters such as color, material etc. But for a different category, like 'Electronics', filters may change as brand, version or model. Briefly, a filter would help users to find the specific item they are trying to have, instead of seeing all of them and trying to select the related one.
Also, the sellers would have benefit for their items more visible among the others. Thus, I added filters on the product detail page to describe their products and provide them with better sales performance. These filters have similar features with buyer filters according to the specific categories chosen.
This provides a faster and easier use to bring together the right seller, buyer and product.
New Designed Version, Filtering and Detailing for Sellers
New Designed Version, Filtering for Buyers
Conclusion
In this case study, I tried to detect the problems of the application for both newcomers and longtime users while they are using the application on their personal mobile phones. The aim was determining the problems and fixing them to provide a better user experience.
In this case study, I tried to detect the problems of the application for both newcomers and longtime users while they are using the application on their personal mobile phones. The aim was determining the problems and fixing them to provide a better user experience.
More precise methods could be used than observation. However, using this simple method showed how important it is to distinguish the users differ by the long of span they have been using the application and accordingly, eliminate the way of their cover-up habits.
In addition, the UI design basics of the application was not changed in the redesigned version. Because the aim of the redesign was solving the problem of application, only the problematic details were changed. In this way, in order to form an integrity with the non-redesigned parts of the application, the UI basics were used as closely as possible to the original version. To sum up, it can be said that hi-fi prototypes compatible with the original version was used.
Hope to see you in another case study, waiting for your feedbacks!
In addition, the UI design basics of the application was not changed in the redesigned version. Because the aim of the redesign was solving the problem of application, only the problematic details were changed. In this way, in order to form an integrity with the non-redesigned parts of the application, the UI basics were used as closely as possible to the original version. To sum up, it can be said that hi-fi prototypes compatible with the original version was used.
Hope to see you in another case study, waiting for your feedbacks!
