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Facebook Marketplace App Redesign
1. PLAN
Goal
To create a reliable platform for people to not only sell and buy but also rent from others.
Roles
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User Researcher
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Data Analyst
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Product Designer
Estimated Timeline
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Problem: 4-6 days
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Process: 10-12 days
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Performance: 2-3 days
Total: 16-21 days
2. PROBLEM
Context
Have you ever needed an item or a service temporarily but cannot find anywhere to rent or use it?
Like a college student who needs a book for a semester, a party host who needs some extra tables and chairs, a parent who needs a babysitter, or a busy person who needs a house cleaning service... you get the idea. However, this kind of rental business has not been popularized and there has not been a successful platform that is widely used to help people solve this common problem.
Instead of designing a new platform to solve this problem, I chose to redesign Facebook Marketplace because it is already a popular app that people use to sell and buy everyday items. Since many people are already familiar with Facebook Marketplace, a rental option within the app would generate more positive results compared to a new app that would take longer to build trust.
User Research
I surveyed and interviewed 40 people who use Facebook Marketplace:
68% are under 30 years old, 23% are between 30-50, and 9% are over 50
The majority feels safe using Facebook Marketplace
85% are willing to rent out their stuff to make money
75% use payment apps and 25% use cash to pay
80% are interested in using the rental option
A higher level of security is desired to protect users
"I think a rental option in Facebook Marketplace would be a pretty cool feature. I can see myself using it a lot."
"Greater responsibility from Facebook to avoid abusing their marketplace for scams. (...) Knowing that the platform I use to buy stuff is legally involved would make me feel safer in using it."
"Sponsored content is really annoying and gets in the way but maybe unavoidable. Maybe some seller rating or review to make it seem safer."
"Weed out the scammers who ask for your number to get more info."
Empathy Map
3. PROCESS
Information Architecture
Sketches
Wireframes
The verification process to join Marketplace
Once verified, users will be able to access Marketplace home page with "For sale" and "All marketplace" tabs being chosen
Steps to create a rental listing in Marketplace
Booking screen allows users to choose preferred booking dates and time
Inbox and Ratings & Reviews
Design
ID Verification
As a means to tighten security and eliminate scammers, the verification process in Marketplace requires all users to provide their government IDs and photos of themselves for reviewing. This allows Facebook to track down all individuals who attempt to exploit the platform for illegal activities as well as increasing confidence in the users, knowing that they are doing business with legitimate users who possess authentic/verified government IDs and can be prosecuted when needed.
For sale vs. For rent
Once verified, users will be able to access Marketplace. Much of the Marketplace home page still remains the same as the original. However, with the addition of the rental option, all listings are now organized into two separate categories: for sale and for rent. To see rental items, the "For rent" tab needs to be selected. Users can also choose to customize what they are looking for by using the filter options.
Browsing
When a listing is clicked, users can find more information such as photos, description, product details, and reviews from other users. The listing owner's profile and reviews are displayed at the top left corner to let users know immediately whom they are renting from. The message button is located right across from the owner's profile, allowing users to message the owner directly.
Booking screen
The booking screen allows users to choose preferred dates and time. The time picker accommodates same-day booking for services that are paid hourly such as babysitting and tutoring. Instead of using the slider, users can also choose to type the time using their phone keyboard.
Creating a rental listing
To create a rental listing, the user needs to click on the "Rent" tab. A new screen opens that allows the user to manage their current rental listings and reservations. When the user clicks on "Create New Listing" button at the top of the screen, a new screen opens for them to fill in the details. The price section requires the user to choose how the customers are charged (per hour, day, night, etc.). The user can also choose to block certain dates of the calendar when they do not want bookings.
Inbox
The new inbox now has two additional tabs: Renting and Booking. The "Renting" tab lets the user see all messages from people who want to rent their listings. The "Booking" tab shows all messages that the user has with people whom they want to rent from.
Ratings & Reviews
Users can leave ratings and reviews after renting or buying on Marketplace to help other users make better decisions. All ratings and reviews can be arranged in their separate categories to help users locate them easily.
4. PERFORMANCE
I conducted usability testing to evaluate the effectiveness of my design and identify room for improvement. The majority of the people I conducted usability testing with are the same people in the User Research phase of this project. The insights I collected from them are summarized below:
1. ID verification increases security
Almost everyone agrees that the ID verification step would tighten security and eliminate scammers. Since digital copies/pictures of IDs are not accepted and users are required to use their phone cameras to take pictures of their physical IDs, it prevents digital fabrication of ID pictures.
2. Cancellation policies
Usability testing reveals an important area of improvement which is the cancellation process. Many users voiced their concerns of the possibility of being canceled last minute by the host without being compensated based on their past rental experiences through other digital platforms. To ensure that this is not a problem within Marketplace rental platform, the same penalties will be applied to both parties, not just the renting party. For example, if the host requires the customers to cancel by a certain date to get a full/partial refund, the host is also bound by that date to cancel a reservation without losing money to the renting customers. However, to make this cancellation process possible, it requires strong enforcing power by Meta to settle any disputes.
3. Late return policies
Another concern that I identified through usability testing is the problem of late return by renting customers of rental items. To solve this problem, an agreed-upon policy that explains late return fee charges and extension request protocol (if any) is needed at the time of booking. Like cancellation policies, this requires strong enforcing power by Meta to settle any disputes.
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