Work /

EBTH

When everything must go, you go to the best.

Strategy, UX, Branding, Copywriting, Development
EBTH - Item detail on a laptop

Building the brand and the platform that makes it go.

EBTH came to Ample with a unique offering and a vision for growth—but were in need of both the look and functionality to enable expansion. We rebranded them, helped them solidify their strategy, and built a custom auction platform that’s still in use today.

EBTH - Original design
The original EBTH application design.

“Before” and “after” shots are really rewarding. This is where EBTH was when they came to Ample. Clearly this was not an upgrade or a remodel. This was a total teardown.

Rebuilding online estate sales from the ground up. 

The EBTH online shopping experience turns estate sales into three-day online events, where everything from boats to bobbleheads are available—and the bidding starts at a buck. When they came to Ample, they needed to turn an awesome idea into something people would engage with, and trust. They wanted to grow, and to grow with a quickness.

Ample was tasked with giving them the look that made them legit. We handled the UX that would make shopping and bidding fun and easy, plus all the backend wizardry that gave their team the power to rapidly create sales all while providing a seamless user experience for the people bidding.

Prototyping

Adaptability is important, and that goes for process as well as design. In this case, wireframes became a vital exercise in structural organization. The needs of the user on the frontend (who will be purchasing), were equally as important as the needs of the user on the backend (who uploads the imagery of the items and writes the descriptions that become the sales). Content organization was not only important for the layout, but also for its functional purpose in navigation, instruction, and purchase.

EBTH - Prototyping - HomeEBTH - Prototyping - Category
EBTH - Prototyping - Item Detail

Branding

From a redesigned logo to the form and function of the site’s shopping experience—we modernized EBTH in a way that kept its eclectic style while maintaining focus on their roots. A variety of graphics were created, incorporating stamps, frames, and sale items. In the end we zeroed in on a clean, modern typeface and a metaphorical keyhole design element.

EBTH - Branding - Logo sketchesEBTH - Branding - Final logoEBTH - Branding - Business Cards

Design

We make style tiles look good. They are a great tool for rapid exploration, look, tone, and feel. Essentially, examples of headlines, text, navigation, sub navigation, and imagery are all added to a single board that can then be iterated upon. Best of all, they can easily be combined with our wireframes to jumpstart our frontend development.

EBTH - Design - Style tiles
EBTH - Design - Home page
EBTH - Design - Home page

Skills

Staff Workflow

This was a pain. Imagine walking into a home and needing to categorize everything for sale—descriptions, images, measurements. We had to figure out how to make the staff members efficient in filling in the info. We also had to assure that all this fresh data coming in every night wouldn’t crash the site.

Shipping

The goal was to make this easy and effortless. Amazon makes this seem like a cake walk. However, in reality, determining the hows and whys of shipping items of all sizes and varieties is a massive undertaking. We developed a way that allowed for quick estimations based on weight, complexity, and distance.

Scalability

The focus was growth. This was a site built for estate sales in Cincinnati, a devoted but small online population. It needed to be ready to expand from one city to two, then to 20, and well beyond. This solution gave them malleable templates, abundant filtering options, and a controlled path forward on data storage with contingency plans for spiking traffic. 

Improving UX

How people engaged with the sales was changing. We needed to make sure it was changing for the better. Part of that was creating easy ways to see what was available—through keyword alerts as well as searches by item or by location or by category. We also made sure that the design felt both intimate and informative. Through easily navigable imagery, you can get to know the item. Bidding had to be clear, concise, and easy so customers could revel in the deals they won.

EBTH - UX - Keyword alertsEBTH - UX - CMS
EBTH - UX - HTML emailsEBTH - UX - Won items
EBTH - UX - Gallery layout
EBTH - UX - Item inspector
EBTH - UX - Gallery carousel

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