Product UI UX Design consulting for a
Vintage Car Auction Platform
I was approached by a startup that wanted to create an online auction platform for vintage cars. The client recognised the need for a platform that would bring together car enthusiasts and collectors from around the world, allowing them to easily buy and sell vintage cars online. The platform needed to be easy to use, visually appealing, and trustworthy.
The existing online car auction platforms were not specialised for vintage cars and did not offer the same level of authenticity, transparency, and community as offline auctions. Buyers and sellers of vintage cars faced several challenges, including a lack of trust in the authenticity of cars and sellers, difficulty in finding high-quality cars, and a cumbersome process for handling the transaction.
To understand the problem and its context, I conducted extensive research, including market research, competitor analysis, and user interviews. I reviewed several online car auction platforms and identified their strengths and weaknesses. I also spoke to vintage car collectors, dealers, and enthusiasts to understand their needs, pain points, and expectations from an online auction platform.
Based on the research, I developed a set of design requirements, including:
A visually appealing and easy-to-use platform
A transparent and trustworthy platform that ensures the authenticity of cars and sellers
A community-driven platform that fosters connections between buyers and sellers
A secure and efficient platform that handles transactions seamlessly
Vintage Car Dealer: An expert in vintage cars who buys and sells these vehicles as a business. They are always on the lookout for rare and valuable models to add to their inventory, and they need a reliable platform to connect with potential buyers.
Classic Car Enthusiast: A car enthusiast who appreciates classic and vintage cars and wants to own one for personal use. They are interested in participating in auctions to find a good deal on a well-preserved vintage car.
Auction House Staff: The team responsible for organizing and running the vintage car auction. They need a platform that can handle registration, bidding, and payment processing for a large number of participants, and provide them with detailed analytics and reporting tools.
Maintenance and Restoration Specialists: The professionals who handle the upkeep and restoration of vintage cars. They may be called upon to inspect and certify the vehicles up for auction, and they need a platform that provides them with the necessary information and tools to do so.
John is excited to find a rare classic car for his collection. He logs into the vintage car auction platform and searches for cars by make, model, and year. He is pleased to find a few cars that fit his criteria and saves them to his watchlist for further consideration.
Sarah is looking for a specific American muscle car to add to her showroom inventory. She logs into the vintage car auction platform and uses the advanced search feature to find the exact make, model, and year of the car she is looking for. She finds a few potential cars and contacts the sellers to arrange a viewing.
Alex is browsing the vintage car auction platform and comes across a unique and rare car that catches his eye. He uses the chat feature to ask the seller more questions about the car and arrange for a test drive.
John has just won a classic car auction on the platform and needs to arrange for shipping to his location. He uses the platform's shipping partner to get a quote and schedule the delivery.
Sarah has just sold a car on the platform and needs to arrange for shipping to the buyer's location. She uses the platform's shipping partner to get a quote and schedule the pickup.
Alex is looking for a way to connect with other classic car enthusiasts. He uses the platform's forum feature to ask questions and share his experiences with other users.
John wants to keep track of his collection's value over time. He uses the platform's tracking feature to input the cars in his collection and monitor their market value.
Sarah wants to make sure she is pricing her cars competitively on the platform. She uses the platform's analytics feature to track the prices of similar cars and adjust her prices accordingly.
Alex is browsing the platform and finds a car that he is interested in, but he wants to make sure it's a good deal. He uses the platform's appraisal feature to get an expert opinion on the car's value before making an offer.
John is looking to sell one of his cars on the platform. He uses the platform's listing feature to upload photos and descriptions of his car and set a reserve price. He also sets up automatic bidding and messaging alerts to keep track of the auction's progress.
Maria is a seller who wants to offer her car on the platform's reverse auction. She creates a listing with a starting price and sets the minimum price she is willing to accept. Interested buyers bid on the car, and Maria accepts the highest bid before the auction ends.
Tom is a buyer who is looking for a good deal on a classic car. He uses the platform's reverse auction feature to search for cars that fit his criteria and bid on the ones he likes. He is excited to win a rare car at a lower price than he expected.
Emily is a seller who has received multiple offers on her car but is not satisfied with the price. She decides to use the platform's reverse auction feature to attract more buyers and increase competition. She sets a starting price and minimum price and is thrilled when the final bid is higher than her expectations.
Jack is a buyer who is interested in a specific car but wants to make sure he doesn't overpay. He uses the platform's reverse auction feature to bid on the car and set a maximum price he is willing to pay. He is happy to win the auction at a price that is within his budget.
Jane is a seller who wants to sell her car quickly. She decides to use the platform's reverse auction feature to attract more buyers and sell the car at a fair price. She sets a starting price and minimum price and is happy when the auction ends quickly with multiple bids and a winning bid that meets her expectations.
I started the design process with sketches and wireframes, iterating on these until I had a solid foundation for the platform's layout and functionality. I then created high-fidelity designs using Figma, focusing on clean, vintage-inspired design elements that aligned with the platform's brand image.
I tested the designs with users to ensure that the platform was easy to navigate and that the user flow addressed their pain points. I also conducted a thorough accessibility audit to ensure that the platform was inclusive and met WCAG 2.1 standards.
The vintage car auction platform launched in September 2022, and the results have been outstanding. Within the first month, the platform attracted several vintage car collectors and dealers from around the world. The platform's transparency and authenticity features were highly appreciated, and buyers and sellers felt more confident in making transactions online.
Feedback from users and stakeholders has been overwhelmingly positive, with many commenting on the platform's vintage-inspired design and community-driven features. The platform has also received several new business inquiries since the launch.
Through this project, I learned the importance of user research and requirements gathering in designing a platform that meets the needs and expectations of the target users. I would approach similar problems in the future by conducting thorough user research, prioritising transparency and authenticity, and designing a platform that fosters a sense of community among its users.