Creating a new listing
Optimizing a feature.
I led the redesign of our platform’s Create a Listing feature. Our goal was to streamline the process, making it quicker and more intuitive for users.
Through user research, prototyping, and testing, I refined the process to encourage more listings, ultimately contributing to the growth of our marketplace.
Project
Feature optimization
Skills
Product design
User research & testing
Dev handoff
Stakeholder Management
Duration
2 weeks
Challenges
One of the primary challenges was designing a listing experience that catered to both Pokémon card collectors and users posting other items. While the flow for other items could be more open-ended, the Pokémon card flow needed to remain database-driven.
Stakeholders emphasized that this was crucial for encouraging more cards to be listed, especially since many collectors have thousands of cards and need an efficient way to upload them without images.
Problem Statement
We needed an intuitive listing process for Pokémon card collectors that also supported a wide range of other items. The challenge was to balance familiarity and flexibility, ensuring a seamless, low-friction experience that accommodated both categories without alienating existing users.
Example of our users (Pokémon collectors)
My Questions
What do Pokémon collectors value when posting cards online?
What features or content do users want?
How can we simplify the process for all types of items?
What are the common pain points users face when posting items?
How can we design a listing process that aligns with typical marketplace flows for non-Pokémon items, while utilizing a database-driven approach for Pokémon card listings?
Basics of Pokémon cards
Secondary Research
To better understand our main users and what they value, I began by researching key factors that drive Pokémon card listings. Admittedly, I didn't have much prior knowledge about Pokémon cards, so this was a learning curve for me.
Card Name – The card’s official name (e.g., Charizard).
Card Number – Printed identifier (e.g., 4/102).
Finish Type – Specify if it's holographic or non-holographic.
Graded Status – Indicate if the card is graded or non-graded.
Images – High-quality photos from multiple angles.
Condition – Physical state (e.g., Mint, Near Mint).
Market Value – Current worth based on trends.
Market Research
Competitive Analysis
To inform the redesign, I analyzed listing processes on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Mercari. Most use a single-page form where users select a category and enter item details in one step. This streamlined approach works well for most items, avoiding unnecessary steps and rigid inputs.
Ebay
Mercari
Brainstorming
Ideation
We knew from the start that users needed to first select the category of their item. This distinction was crucial, as Pokémon listings required a tailored flow, while other items could follow a more flexible, single-page process. From there, we collaborated as a team to brainstorm ideas and determine the best approach.
Meeting up in our remote office
Lots of discussion & brainstorming
What We Needed
Key Features
While the listing process for both Pokémon cards and other items shares similarities, there are key differences to optimize the user experience. For Pokémon cards, additional steps are needed tp help users quickly identify their cards in the database. In contrast, the listing process for other items has fewer steps.
Pokémon Flow Features
General Flow Features
General Listing
The general item listing flow is designed to be straightforward, allowing users to enter details and upload images in a single, flexible form. For V2, we can add optional questions related to each specific item, but we didn’t find that to be crucial for V1.
Pokémon Listing
The team was torn between two options. Option 1 shows a list view, while option 2 shows a photo view. We wanted to find a way to help users navigate to their cards conveniently within the various series and sets after selecting the Pokémon category.
Option 1: List View
Sketches
Wireframes
Option 2: Photo View
Sketches
Wireframes
User research
We explored various display options—list view, photo view, or both—to determine the most effective layout for Pokémon collectors. User research was essential at this stage to help us better understand the preferences of a very specific group.
Option 1: List View
Card sets are organized within dropdowns of their respective series, allowing users to select their card from a list view. We aimed to understand if users preferred this layout for its efficiency, especially when adding multiple cards.
Option 2: Photo View
The user must first select the series, then the set, and finally their card, with visuals provided on each of the three screens. We wanted to understand if users preferred this layout for its visual clarity and colorful aesthetic.
Research Results
We had 52 participants, all Pokémon collectors, who were recruited through Instagram for the survey.
Almost all participants (50) preferred the photo view option!
Moving into Hi-Fi
Based on survey results, we chose to proceed with the photo view option, as users preferred a more visual and engaging display for their Pokémon cards.
Impact
6x
Increase in listings
Before the update, we averaged 10 listings per day. After the new process launched, that number skyrocketed to 63, demonstrating a clear boost in user engagement.
99.47%
Listing completion rate
Listing completion rose to 99.47%, a clear indicator of how we streamlined the process and drove users to finish what they started.
Import Listings
Iterations
After launching, we noticed that many users had hundreds of listings on other platforms but didn’t want to manually recreate them. To simplify cross-posting, we introduced the Import Listings feature. Initially, it required manual input, but after extensive iteration, we fully automated the process. This became one of our most successful features, driving a massive increase in listings
Impact
Import Listings
206%
Increase in # of listings
Listings surged from 7,607 in 2023 to 23,240 in 2024, with the most significant increase following the addition of the Import Listings feature. This growth highlights the success of both the listing creation redesign and the Import Listings feature.
Key Takeaways
What I Learned
How to effectively communicate ideas.
A key lesson I learned was the importance of effectively communicating my design ideas and the reasoning behind them. It’s not just about presenting concepts, but about clearly articulating decisions, building a narrative that resonates, and creating an open space for collaboration and feedback.
Why we should listen to users.
Listening to users is vital, especially when you’re not an expert in their world—like Pokémon collecting. By diving into user research and truly understanding their needs and pain points, we bridge that gap. This process ensures we’re not just guessing what will work, but creating solutions that directly address real challenges and deliver true value to our users.
What’s next?
Future Directions
For future improvements, I’d revisit the category selection page. Right now, it feels like an unnecessary extra step that adds complexity, particularly when many users might prefer to start with a photo. I’d want to gather more feedback to see if there's a way to simplify or eliminate this step without compromising the overall flow.
Additionally, I’d explore the possibility of streamlining the Pokémon card listing process. It could be worth testing a simplified, single-page flow, where users can search the database on this page for their card, rather than navigating through separate steps for series, set, and card. This would allow us to determine the most efficient, user-friendly process that balances ease of use with the unique needs of Pokémon collectors.
Thanks for reading!
