Web/Mobile App Critique

To familiarize yourself with User Interface and User Experience it is of great benefit to critique an application you are familiar with. I reviewed a local business' application I frequently use for this example.

The Online Liquidation Auction (OLA) application provides online bidding for new, used, and salvaged products: clothing, tools, décor, recreational, electronics, appliances, and more. The application's landing page utilizes blocks of photo wheels for each auction, with start and end dates provided beneath the photo wheel and auction name. OLA is straightforward in design and usability, displayed in Image 1. The user selects an auction to load the product lists, which provides the item number, main photo, and the option to bid, star, or set a max bid amount. The user can see the time countdown to the end of the bidding period for each item and can click on the name or image for more pictures, retail price, and condition.

The auctions default to the "All Items" tab with a secondary tab called "Your Items." This secondary tab will locate your starred or actively bidding items for quick access. This tab also gives the user a summary of dollar amounts within active bids, max bids set, and closed bids the user won. When bidding on an item, users receive push notifications if they are outbid or won the item. The application theme uses four primary colors: White, grey, blue, and orange. The details are simple but detailed; for example, the All Items tab uses a gavel as the icon. OLA's application is consistent in theme throughout each page. The simplistic design is excellent for this application as users' age and technical experiences vary drastically; however, there would be a great benefit in enhancements.

One of the first enhancements is incorporating a home button. Currently, the application utilizes a back button, clicking back multiple times to return to the home screen. With the application's lag, excessive clicks direct the user to past auctions requiring further use of the back button. With the purpose of the application being live bids on products, time is essential. With the same time-saving experience in mind, a second enhancement recommended is accessing the Your Items page to show all items starred or actively bidding on across all auctions. Currently, you can only see it on a per-auction basis costing the user more time with excessive navigation and needing to remember which auction they were bidding in.

Some enhancements that would improve the user experience but are potentially not incorporated to increase profits are categories and Amazon Prime Affiliate links. The current list of categories is around the status of the items rather than the type, shown in Image 2. Creating categories will improve the UX; however, it could impact profit as the user is no longer scrolling through the auctions and placing impulsive bids. The application previously integrated the Amazon Prime links creating additional competition and, subsequently, a cap on the bids. Users were willing to pay a little extra to Amazon Prime and receive the item via delivery versus waiting in line to pick up their item. This functionality should return in the form of a tab called Hot Bids, limiting the links to items not currently active in an auction. This enhancement will improve the UX of the application, allowing users to purchase an item they missed or lost. This affiliate marketing will also generate a secondary income stream for the business.

Image 1: Online Liquidation Auction application screenshots showcasing theme and UI

Image 2: Online Liquidation Auction application screenshot showcasing categories.