Redesigning a Car Auction App Experience
This case study highlights how I redesigned a car auction platform to improve trust and transparency for dealers.
Context
I was part of 10K Designers (a product design cohort). This is my capstone project in collaboration with Cars24 to gain experience in a real-life project.
About Cars24
Partner App (B2B) : Provides car dealers with access to a verified inventory, bidding tools, and efficient procurement processes, alongside support services like financing and logistics.
My target users are Pan India registered car dealers.
How big this market is
The used car market in India was valued at approximately USD 26.85 billion in 2023.
Expected to reach USD 31.62 billion by 2024.
Projected to grow to USD 63.87 billion by 2029, with a CAGR of 15.10%.
Cars24 operates in 286 cities across India, indicating a vast network for vehicle auctions.
Vehicles listed in bank auctions can be available at prices 20% to 30% lower than the market value, providing significant savings opportunities for buyers.
Setting up the Context
Ever tried buying a car at an auction? Now imagine doing that daily as your job. Car dealers are stuck with outdated auction systems that waste time and limit options. Experienced dealers miss opportunities, while newcomers feel overwhelmed. They all want a better way to access more cars, bid from anywhere, and enjoy the process.
Problem
Current car auction apps in India lack transparency and energy, leaving dealers isolated and uncertain. They struggle with inaccurate information, hidden damages, and a cumbersome bidding process, making it hard to build trust, especially for new users.
User Problems
Difficulty analyzing the inspection report, which reduces transparency.
Lack of educational guidance for first-time bidders.
Uncertainty regarding whether price increases are driven by users or the platform itself.
Platform is very boring and doesn't give the thrill you get in real life auctions.
Business Problems
Decreased Auction Success Rates: Auctions are often underbid due to unclear processes and lack of confidence in vehicle information, reducing overall auction value and business revenue.
User Retention Challenges: New dealers especially feel overwhelmed and drop off early in the process, impacting user retention and long-term engagement.
Understanding how auctions works
Lets face it, the only auction experience I had was of Majnu bhai’s auction from the Welcome movie.
So, i begin my research by Gone through various YT videos, articles to get a deeper understanding of how online and offline auctions works so that i can get into the shoes of dealers and try to replicate the same experience for them
When and how is an auction conducted at Cars24?
🏷️
Car Owner Lists for Sale
Owners list their cars via the Cars24 app.
📅
Get a Quote and Book Appointment
They receive a quote and schedule an inspection.
🛠️
Car Inspection and Final Quote
Experts inspect the car and upload details for auction.
🔔
Auction Notification to Dealers
Dealers are notified when the auction starts.
🏁
Negotiation and Completion
After the sale, Cars24 takes a commission.
🤝
Live Auction Bidding
Dealers bid, and the highest bidder wins.
Adapting to Constraints
A two 2 weeks deadline set by cars24 team
Limited data availability beyond the outlined scenario, prompting the need for multiple assumptions in project.
Encountered hurdles in accessing the dealer app, demanding a minimum ₹10,000 investment for comprehensive utilization.
Who are we designing for and what’s their intent.
Mukesh
(Experienced dealer)
How can I maximise my profits?
Car insurance report is so confusing!
I need quick access to reliable cars at the right price.
How can I ensure I’m not overpaying in this auction?
I need more transparency in the bidding process.
All of these questions are going to get answered
Is it safe to trust this platform?
How do I know if the car I’m bidding on is worth it?
Can I compete with the more experienced dealers?
Will I get scammed if I make a bad bid?
I wish I could have more guidance in this process.
Rakesh
(Newbie dealer)
❋ user stories ❋
Understanding Dealer’s Perspective
The used car auction market is a fast-paced world. I learned that some dealers are competing to buy cars in just 24 minutes, and even paying membership fees of Rs 10,000! This unique environment was something I needed to experience firsthand.
To gain a deeper understanding, I met with Vaibhav, an experienced car dealer who uses a popular auction platform. I wanted to hear directly about his motivations, challenges, and decision-making process
Vaibhav Sharma
(using cars24 since 2022)
A veteran dealer looking for quality cars at good prices to boost profits, but frustrated by limited transparency.
My interview with Vaibhav aimed to uncover:
The intricacies of the pre-owned car auction business.
The motivations driving dealers to participate in auctions.
The factors influencing their bidding decisions.
The pain points they encounter on existing platforms.
Their vision for what could be improved to make the experience better.
Core Insights
Buggy App
Low Procurement Success
High Transport Fees
Lack of Transparency
Hidden Issues
Delayed Communication & Support
Unreliable Inspection Reports
Limited Negotiation Options:
Lack of live auction felling
Competitive Benchmarking
To create a meaningful solution, I knew I had to understand what’s already working—and where the gaps are. Since these auction apps aren’t publicly accessible, I took a different approach. I spent time on competitor websites, watched YouTube and app reviews, and studied screenshots to see how users were interacting with these platforms.
Cars24 focuses on scale, Spinny on a curated experience, but the human element and enthusiasm are missing. Dealers need trust, transparency, and simplicity, yet these are often lacking.
With that in mind, I aimed to blend the best features while addressing key pain points, creating an auction experience that dealers could genuinely trust and feel excited about.
Home screen
Unlike competitors, I introduced a dedicated home screen in the app to provide users with a centralized hub for their auction activities. Competitor platforms often rely on fragmented flows, but I aimed for a streamlined, all-in-one experience right from the start and aimed to provide a better onboarding experience by clarifying their doubts in the first fold itself.
Offers personalized recommendations to help users discover the car that fits their needs.
Entry point for upcoming auction Users can plan ahead and make decisions before auction starts
Banners designed to inform users about new features and spotlight featured live auctions or events.
Entry point for Live auction
Highlighting popular ongoing deals to capture user interest.
Hick's Law
Educating dealers through video: Reducing cognitive load
as they arnt tech savy
The Help and support section provides quick answers to common user questions, provide support reducing uncertainty and building confidence
Positive feedback from existing partners reassures users, build trust and helping new dealers feel confident in the platform's reliability.
showcases the platform’s trustworthiness with features
User Impact
Quick Info Access: Users can view auctions, bids, and statuses instantly, reducing navigation time and effort.
Personalization: The home screen updates based on user preferences for a tailored experience.
Confidence Boost: Critical details up front help users, especially newbies, feel more confident in navigating the app.
Business Impact
Increased Engagement: Centralized key actions lead to more frequent usage and quicker decision-making.
Retention & Trust: Clear activity tracking improves transparency, boosting user retention.
Better Dealer Performance: Easily accessible auction insights lead to faster bids and higher completion rates, driving revenue.
Optimizing auction listing
The Live Cars Tab is designed to give users flexibility in how they browse auction listings. Offering both Compact and Big View modes empowers users to customize their experience, based on their preferences or the context in which they’re using the app.
Existing
Redesigned (Both views)
User can easily switch b/w views according to his needs
Crafting the ideal auction car card
After doing tons of iterations i introduced two views in the Live Cars Tab—Compact View for quick scanning and Expended View for detailed information. This allows users to toggle between a minimal overview and a more in-depth display depending on their preferences.
Compact view
Minimizing cognitive load
Faster Decision-Making
Expended view
4.5
Auto bid
Bid
Step up ₹5,000
Yet to start
12:02:10
Fair value: ₹8,01,000
Current bid: ₹7,05,000
2022 Mercedes-Benz
GLE 300d
Delhi
92,000 km • 1st Owner • Diesel • Automatic
324
Upcoming state
4.5
Auto bid
Bid
Step up ₹5,000
Ongoing
00:02:10
Fair value: ₹8,01,000
Current bid: ₹7,05,000
2022 Mercedes-Benz
GLE 300d
Delhi
92,000 km • 1st Owner • Diesel • Automatic
324
Ongoing state
4.5
Auto bid
Bid
Step up ₹5,000
Almost Over
00:02:10
Fair value: ₹8,01,000
Current bid: ₹7,05,000
2022 Mercedes-Benz
GLE 300d
Delhi
92,000 km • 1st Owner • Diesel • Automatic
324
Almost over state
Shows how many people are interested in that auction
Necessary car info
Both CTA’s in case user is in hurry
Upfront fair value to make informative decision
Overall Impact on Users & Business
User Flexibility: Allowing users to switch between views gives them control over their browsing experience, improving satisfaction and usability.
Increased User Retention: Whether it’s power users needing quick access to multiple listings or newbies needing more detailed views, the dual-view approach ensures everyone’s needs are met, leading to increased retention.
Enhanced Auction Participation: With easy access to both summary and detailed views, users are more likely to participate in multiple auctions, increasing bidding activity and driving up final sale prices.
Flexibility-Usability Tradeoff
Existing screens
Car Info Tab: Empowering Users with Transparency
The Car Info Tab provides detailed information about each vehicle, including a car overview, inspection report, and bid log. Transparency is crucial here, as users need to feel confident in their purchase.
Car Info
Inspection Report
Bid Log
Quality Inspection
Our expert team conducts thorough vehicle inspections, using advanced tools and techniques to ensure transparency and reliability.
Imperfections
Small dent on the rear passenger door, approximately 2 cm in diameter.
Repaired Parts
Replaced headlights with new units at 25 May 2023
Repainted Parts
Small dent on the rear passenger door, approximately 2 cm in diameter.
Perfects Parts
Small dent on the rear passenger door, approximately 2 cm in diameter.
Engine & Transmission
Small dent on the rear passenger door, approximately 2 cm in diameter.
View full report
Car Info
Inspection Report
Bid Log
Car overview
Vehicle Location
Delhi
Registration Year
Jan 2023
Insurance
Comprehensive
Fuel Type
Petrol
Seats
4 Seats
Odometer
3000 KMs
RTO
Delhi
Ownership
1st Owner
Engine Displacement
1997 cc
Transmission
Manual
Year of Manuacture
2022
Car documents
RC availability
Original condition
Mismatch in RC
No mismatch
RTO NOC issued
No
Insurance type
Third party
Other Info
Road tax paid
OTT/LTT
Partipeshi request
No
Duplicate key
Yes
Chasis number embossing
Ok
Registration
Manufacturing year
2019
Registration year
2020
RTO
DL 1C
Car Info
Inspection Report
Bid Log
05
Parth(You)
05:31 PM
AUTOBID
₹ 6,75,875
(+2%)
04
User23**
05:30 PM
₹ 6,70,875
(+5%)
03
User23**
05:30 PM
₹ 6,70,875
(+5%)
02
User214**
05:25 PM
₹ 6,75,875
(+5%)
06
User68**
05:21 PM
₹ 6,75,875
(+5%)
Car Info
Inspection Report
Bid Log
The Auction hasn't started yet
Car info
It solves the issue of buyers feeling uninformed about the car’s legal standing, which can lead to hesitation in bidding.
Shows car inspection details, including imperfections and repairs in a very user friendly manner with BTS to build trust.
Displays a clear bidding timeline with amounts, enhancing transparency and helping users strategize by showing the bidding mode used by the top bidder.
Providing the flexibility for a quick or in-depth review based on their user needs
Ensures users have all critical details upfront for faster decision-making.
Categorized car parts photos for easy navigation to desired sections.
Auto bid Flow
Auto Bid lets users set a max bid limit and automatically increases their bid when outbid, keeping them competitive without constant monitoring. The max bid stays hidden, helping users stay within budget while staying active in the auction and get real time bid status.
Primary entry point
User can decide if he wants to
use Auto bid
Set max limit
Activation point
Can edit max bid
Real-time bid status
Get real time bid log
Bid logs
Can edit max bid
Real-time bid status
Get real time bid log
Update/Stop Auto Bid
Secure Your Purchase
Leads to procurement
All in one bids section
All my bids
Real-time Countdown
Smart bid increments without manual input
Manual bid Flow
The Car Info Tab provides detailed information about each vehicle, including a car overview, inspection report, and bid log. Transparency is crucial here, as users need to feel confident in their purchase.
Manual bid
Real-time bid status
Bid manually
Bid logs
Primary entry point
User can use auto bid or increase the bid
Leads to procurement
Activation point
User Impact
Both flows encourage confidence and trust, leading to increased participation in auctions.
The dual option caters to various user preferences, keeping both experienced and new users engaged on the platform.
Business Impact
Increased Participation: Offering both options leads to higher user engagement, as more users find a bidding style that suits them.
Higher Final Bids: Auto bid encourages higher bids, and manual bidders often push auction prices through competitive, real-time engagement.
User Retention: The flexibility and convenience provided by these options lead to higher user satisfaction and retention, ensuring users come back for more auctions.
Bid on more than one auction with an ease
shows all active bids, with clear indicators if the user is leading. Each bid displays a countdown timer, allowing quick status checks and easy management of multiple bids in one view, enhancing the bidding experience.
Collapsed view
Expended view
0
0
m
:
59
s
Displays all active bids in one view
Shows clear indicators if the user is leading
Each bid includes a countdown timer for real-time tracking
Allows easy management of multiple bids at once
Enhances user experience by simplifying bid status checks
Signing out
Thank you for taking the time to read this case study. I’ll continue to update it as I receive feedback or uncover new insights related to the challenges we explored.
This project presented its own set of hurdles, like limited access to users and key data, but it was a rewarding experience. The most fulfilling part was the growth I experienced—shifting from jumping straight to solutions to taking the time to truly understand the product, the industry, and the problems at hand. This approach enabled me to craft more thoughtful and effective solutions.
