Craigslist, once the revolutionary platform for online classifieds, has remained largely unchanged since its inception nearly 30 years ago. While it served as the go-to marketplace for years, newer platforms like OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace have emerged with sleeker, more user-friendly designs, leaving Craigslist feeling outdated in comparison.
Despite its long-standing popularity, Craigslist struggles with issues like a cluttered interface, difficult navigation, and a lack of trust-building features such as user reviews or seller profiles. In this UX case study, I set out to understand why users may choose other platforms over Craigslist and explore how the site could evolve to meet modern user expectations.
This project allowed me to conduct a full website audit, research user pain points, and redesign Craigslist with a focus on improving usability and enhancing the overall user experience. By empathizing with marketplace users, my goal was to give Craigslist a fresh, modern update that better serves its community while staying true to its simple roots.
CRAIGSLIST | Re-designing the buyer/seller experience
Project Type
UI/UX Case Study
Design Audit
Website Re-design
My Role
UX Designer
UI Designer
The Challenge
As a frequent marketplace user, I’ve experienced both the joys and frustrations of buying and selling online. For this redesign, my goal was to discover what users like and dislike about Craigslist and why they might prefer competitors. My mission was to design an intuitive and engaging UI that better meets user needs and test whether these improvements would make Craigslist a more appealing choice.
Research and Discovery
Understand what users look for in an online marketplace.
Identify why users might prefer other platforms over Craigslist.
Pinpoint 3-4 major pain points in the current Craigslist experience.
Discover user trends to help create personas and user stories.
Research Goals
My first step was conducting a survey aimed at understanding current Craigslist users and their experiences with the platform, as well as their interactions with other competitor sites. With responses from 30 participants, I was able to gather valuable insights into users’ preferences, frustrations, and overall satisfaction with Craigslist.
User Survey
The survey included 3 key questions, which were meant to give me insight on the users, their goals, needs, preferences, etc.
These were:
What do you like or dislike about shopping through an online marketplace?
What are the top 3 most valuable features in the marketplace site of your choice?
If you've never used or prefer not to use Craigslist, please highlight a few reasons why Craigslist is not your first choice?
Key Survey Questions
The survey revealed significant insights, with 40% of respondents highlighting the same top three reasons for choosing other platforms over Craigslist:
The Craigslist Interface feels outdated
The Home Page and Results page are cluttered and hard to navigate
Users have lost trust on Craigslist due to their inability to weed out scammers
The Discovery
After analyzing the survey data, I conducted follow-up interviews with four respondents. My goal was to dive deeper into their preferences and experiences with marketplace sites, and their perceptions of Craigslist specifically. These open-ended conversations provided detailed stories about their buyer/seller journeys and frustrations, which informed the creation of two primary user personas and their user journeys across different platforms.
User Interviews
Competitive Analysis
To inform my redesign, I analyzed key competitors like Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp, focusing on the features that make them successful, such as modern UI, ease of use, and user safety features.
After getting to know the competitors and taking the time to study potential users, I focused on understanding their needs and journeys. I created a list of user stories and prioritized the most important ones to determine the key functions to include in the redesign.
Matt wants to buy a guitar
HIGHEST: Find product information quickly and easily.
HIGH: Buy from sellers with a credible profile to ensure trust.
MEDIUM: Contact sellers via a messaging system instead of phone or email.
James wants to compare prices for interesting items
HIGHEST: View item images, price, and details without having to click into each listing.
HIGH: Find similar listings to easily compare prices.
MEDIUM: Get personalized listings based on his interests and browsing history.
Information Architecture
Understanding the User
User Personas
To ensure my redesign addressed real user needs, I created two personas based on the insights gathered from the surveys and interviews. These personas represent distinct user groups who frequently use marketplace platforms, each with unique goals, frustrations, and motivations. They guided the design decisions throughout the project, ensuring I remained user-centered in my approach.
Users who have used Craigslist to shop for items at least once a week within the past year.
Users who have used Craigslist to shop at least once every 6 months within the past year.
User Journey
The Redesign
Wireframe Sketches
To bring my design vision to life, I started by sketching the website layout by hand. My goal was to emphasize the key information users seek while browsing for items, ensuring a seamless and intuitive experience. The sketches below illustrate the proposed solution, showcasing the following screens:
Home Screen
Search Results
Listings Page
Listing Details
Seller Details
Before vs. After Redesign
Visual Design
In crafting the visual design for the Craigslist redesign, my aim was to modernize the platform while preserving its essential simplicity. I focused on creating a clean, contemporary look that enhances usability and aligns with users' expectations. The design elements, including the color palette and typography, were chosen to evoke a sense of trust and accessibility, making the browsing experience more enjoyable and engaging.
Brand Identity
Simple
Contemporary
Clean
Typography
Prototype and Testing
To validate my design choices, I established the following testing goals:
Test if users can navigate to product pages and find items easily.
Discover user needs regarding safety when meeting sellers.
Ask additional research questions about user preferences in marketplace shopping.
Learn more about how users interact with the site.
Changes Made After Testing
Personalized Listings
Added personalized listings to the homepage for users to find curated items.
Accessibility
Made side-to-side scroll buttons more visible.
Back Buttons
Make sure to include back buttons in every page.
What I learned
While working on this project, I deepened my understanding of user needs by engaging with them directly through surveys and interviews. This process allowed me to identify pain points and design solutions that truly resonate with users.
By applying my skills in empathy and user-centered design, I implemented trust-building features like verified profiles and ratings to enhance user confidence. This experience not only refined my design abilities but also reinforced the significance of creating meaningful user interactions.
If I could continue working on this project, I would conduct more extensive usability testing to gather deeper insights into user behaviors and preferences. I would also seek to incorporate a wider range of user perspectives to enhance the design’s appeal. Overall, this project emphasized my commitment to continuous learning and growth as a designer.