Criteria of Comparison
Marketplace
Facebook
Marketplace
UI
Sustainability
Ease of Use
Clean user interface
where the placement of
icons and widgets are
intuitive.
Efforts of sustainability
are dependent on the
seller.
Easy to use with ease of
searching for listings with
a search bar.
Upload, modify, view and
delete listings, manage
cart.
Sustainability
is
enforced
but
encouraged.
Listings are presented as
per the filters of the user.
Seamless chat integration
for the buyer and the
seller.
Neutral colour palette
and effective use of
white space to display
listings.
Difficult to view the
seller information as
the information is only
shown to the user when
they view the seller
such as ratings. The
proposed solution aims
to place relevant seller
information below the
listing they view.
not
is
No
customer
dispute
resolution help. Proposed
solution
utilises
AI
chatbot provides users
with
real-time
and
instantaneous guidance
on various aspects of the
application, depending on
the user query and
redirects the user to a
customer
service
representative to resolve
any queries.
Functionality
No buyer fees/seller fees.
No customer service help.
which can place the user
at discomfort with regards
to disputes.
No AR/VR/AI capabilities.
Proposed Solution aims to
use AR when the user
uploads a minimum of two
images to their listing, so
users
can
gain
an
understanding and feel of
the furniture in their own
space.
Trendiness
Trendy for furniture
due to the use of local
transactions such as
pick up options are
most frequent.
Integrates marketplace
with a social media app
to keep all accounts in
one place.
Gumtree
Utilises
essential
elements to a UI,
however
lack
of
whitespace
and
placement of listings is
not intuitive or clean.
To bridge this gap, this
proposed solution aims
to utilise effective use of
whitespace.
Promotes sustainability
by
releasing
annual
reports (Appendix 1.1)
with
infographics
to
emphasise goals.
Sustainability
is
not
enforced to the user and
is up to the user's
discretion.
Neutral colour palettes
and use of contrasts to
outline specific settings
or features within the
app.
Utilises effective use of
whitespace and icons
across the application.
Recommended listings
and
favourites
are
displayed
at
the
homepage for a user
with ease.
Personalisation
is
provided for the user
interface where some
sections can be removed
as per preference.
Lack of buyer protection.
This proposed solution
aims to promote buyer
protection with every item
purchased through the
app.
Can be used to promote
irrelevant items such as
“WTB” which can be
annoying. The proposed
solution aims to segregate
the “WTB” from the
selling listings.
Placement of icons can
be confusing at times
with random pop ups
and
advertisements
around
the
screen
which
can
be
a
nuisance. The proposed
solution will not include
these.
eBay
Simple
registration,
simple
uploads,
modifications,
deleting
and viewing listings.
Listings for rent are not
segregated in which the
proposed solution will aim
to segregate such.
Sustainability
is
not
enforced to the user and
is up to the user's
discretion.
Registration
can
get
complex due to some
details such as a PayPal
account is necessary prior
to sign up. This solution
will aim to ask for
minimal information with
the option for the user
their payment details
when
they
wish
to
purchase items at ease.
Ease of searching for
listings as per filters the
user specifies.
Ability to view, modify,
add and delete listings.
Ability to search for
listings based on filters.
No AR/VR/AI capabilities.
Proposed Solution aims to
use AR when the user
uploads a minimum of two
images to their listing, so
users
can
gain
an
understanding and feel of
the furniture in their own
space.
No customer service help.
which can place the user
at discomfort with regards
to disputes.
No buyer or seller fees.
Trendy for items not
specific to furniture
and in fact tend to
include
irrelevant
items in search due to
keywords used in the
description.
The
proposed solution will
aim to avoid this by
providing a word limit
on descriptions.
Trendy for irrelevant
items
more
than
furniture. This app will
ensure only furniture is
listed and a dedicated
team
reviews each
listing or an algorithm
to
automatically
decline listings.
Ad boosts for the seller to
raise the likelihood of
selling an item.
Login or Register to be
able to purchase an item.
Users are able to bid on
items which can provide
the seller with the best
prices.
Does not control price caps
so the proposed solution
aims to ensure users are
not allowed to bid and a
fixed price of up to 90% of
the retail price is enforced.
Trendy for items to be
sold or posted
internationally where
items may not be sold
in the country the
buyer is situated.
Diverse products sold
across the market.
Use of bidding or an
auction market to
promote products may
this necessarily may
not promote
Options such as speech
to text for the visually
impaired for ease of use
and
colour
palette
appropriate for the
colour blind.
Ratings and reviews of
the seller are placed with
the listing for the user to
easily make a decision to
purchase an item.
Ability to manage carts by
updating and deleting
items seamlessly through
effective interface
metaphors.
sustainability as
products that are
overpriced and not sold
may end up in landfill.
This proposed solution
aims to eliminate such.
No AR/VR/AI capabilities.
Proposed Solution aims to
use AR when the user
uploads a minimum of two
images to their listing, so
users
can
gain
an
understanding and feel of
the furniture in their own
space.
Depop
Effective use of contrast
to
highlight
items
especially related to
sustainability
with
emoticons and widgets
to convey messages.
Minimalistic layout of
items with use of
sections to outline the
various differences in
items displayed.
Use of dark mode so the
user
can
switch
between
modes
for
visual appeal.
Fonts are appealing to
the human eye.
Sustainability
is
not
enforced to the user and
is up to the user's
discretion. The proposed
solution will aim to
promote sustainability by
ensuring after a listing is
posted that some options
are placed or else the
listing
will
be
automatically declined.
Extensive
use
of
accessibility features such
as speech to text or
reading out text to the
user.
Login/register for an
account without a
payment method initially
set up.
Ability to navigate to
bookmarks at any stage of
the app.
Ability to manage
shopping cart such as
adding, viewing, updating
or deleting items from the
cart.
Seller
information
is
presented with a clear
view of location, ratings
and name unlike other
apps.
Review + rate sellers after
a transaction has been
completed.
Sellers can place offers to
the buyers when a buyer
likes their item.
The search bar is clear.
Buyer protection when
purchasing an item.
In-app chat with the
seller.
No AR/VR/AI capabilities.
Proposed Solution aims to
use AR when a user
uploads a minimum of two
images to their listing, so
users
can
gain
an
understanding and feel of
furniture in their space.
Trendy due to the
current day and age
use this app primarily
for selling vintage or
second hand clothes
(not so much furniture)
Trend driven culture as
features
of
depop
resemble that of social
media platforms such
as Instagram, which
makes the platform
visually appealing to a
younger audience.
Unique finds on Depop
such
as handmade
items
and
vintage
items which aren’t so
prevalent
in
other
marketplaces.
Customer
support
available but not as a
chatbot which can provide
instructions
instantaneously
and
replies are not immediate
with human support.