Overview
As the sole product designer at Pistonheads, I played a key role in launching and continuously developing a new auction product for their popular automotive website from February 2023 - December 2024. The project involved two key phases: launching the auction platform to market and iterating and improving the auction product and journey. My role focused on creating a user-centered design that met user needs and business goals.
The Challenge
PistonHeads sought to expand its offerings by introducing an online auction platform to attract a wider audience, cater to niche vehicles, and generate new revenue streams. This presented several design challenges:
Attracting and Engaging Users
The platform needed to appeal to both buyers and sellers, providing a seamless and engaging user experience.
Building Trust and Transparency
As a new service, it was crucial to establish trust with users by clearly communicating the auction process, fees, and security measures.
Highlighting Value Proposition
The design needed to showcase the unique benefits of PistonHeads Auctions, leveraging the strong brand reputation and loyal user base.
Driving Conversion
The auction landing page needed to effectively educate users, encourage immediate action (e.g., saving auctions, bidding), and promote long-term engagement with the platform.
The Solution
To address these challenges, I employed a user-centered design approach, conducting user research and usability testing throughout the project. This involved:
Understanding User Needs
Gathering insights into the needs and motivations of both buyers and sellers through feedback, user testing, and data analysis.
Designing the User Experience
Creating user flows, wireframes, and prototypes for the auction platform, focusing on a clear and intuitive bidding process, browsing experience, and vehicle information pages.
Developing the Visual Design
Ensuring the auction platform aligned with the PistonHeads brand while creating a unique and engaging visual identity to ensure that auctions felt premium.
Testing and Iterating
Conducting usability testing to gather feedback on the designs and iterating based on user insights.
Outcome
The PistonHeads Auctions platform launched in late 2023 and has gone through a few iterations since. In 2024 the platform achieved the following:
230+
cars sold
60%+
sale rate
£3.5m+
GMV
Based on user testing and feedback, users found value in accessing unique cars, potential bargains, and being part of a community. Some key quotes included:
“It feels like a really credible place to be”
“Got everything I need”
“Dream cars available in an accessible way”
“Open and transparent. User friendly and immersive experience.”
These results demonstrate the successful launch of the auction platform and its ability to attract users, generate bidding activity, and drive revenue. The user-centered design approach played a key role in achieving these positive outcomes.
Design Process
Research
Utilised secondary research, surveys, and competitor analysis to gather insights into the needs and motivations of both buyers and sellers.
Secondary research on consumer behaviours and preferences
Secondary research on consumer behaviours and preferences
Competitor analysis of online auction marketplaces
Ideation & Concept Development
Explored various journeys and design concepts through workshops and sketches, drawing inspiration from competitor analysis and best practices in auction platform design.
Problem statement
Journey mapping
Flow chart
Flow chart - bidding process
Information architecture for various pages
Wireframing
Developed low-fidelity wireframes to establish the information architecture and user flow for key tasks, such as browsing auctions, placing bids, and managing accounts. These wireframes were then translated into interactive prototypes using Figma to simulate user interactions and gather feedback.
Visual Design
Created a visual design that aligned with the PistonHeads brand guidelines while incorporating elements of excitement and exclusivity to appeal to the target audience. This involved selecting appropriate typography, colour palettes, and imagery to create a visually engaging and trustworthy product.
Testing and iterating
To validate our design solutions, I conducted usability testing with 6-10 male users (aged 25-65) in the UK. Positive feedback led to a pilot launch, allowing for further iteration based on real-world data.
Analysis revealed opportunities to enhance the landing page experience by:
– Improving aesthetics: Updating the design to reflect a premium and modern feel.
– Educating users: Introducing a dedicated page explaining the auction process.
– Enhancing search and filtering: Implementing dynamic text search (make/model), saved item filters, and quick filters for auction types (live, buy it now, sold, etc.).
– Highlighting key information: Prominently displaying vehicle location on listing cards.
This iterative approach ensured the final product was optimised for usability, trust, and ultimately, increased bids and sales.
Final Solution
New auction landing page design
Auction listings on the new auction landing page design
Auction landing page designs in various resolutions
Auction vehicle page design
Various designs for different states of the auction vehicle page on mobile
New "How it works" page to educate users about auctions
"How it works" page designs in various resolutions
Updated homepage design to include auctions
Updated sell page design to include auctions
Results
Through iterative testing and refinement, we delivered a user-friendly and engaging auction experience that exceeded both user expectations and business KPIs. Key results from the final user test include:
– High satisfaction with core features: Users praised the filters, search functionality, sorting options, and overall design.
– Positive feedback on aesthetics and content: Users highlighted the page's visual appeal, transparency, immersive experience, high-quality imagery, and informative FAQ section.
– Validation of key design decisions: The "How it works" page and "Coming Soon" filter proved particularly valuable to users.
– Significant improvement in user sentiment: The Net Promoter Score (NPS) jumped from 0 to 83, demonstrating a substantial increase in user satisfaction.
This data confirms the success of our user-centered design approach in creating an effective and enjoyable auction platform.
NPS - Before
NPS - After
