Redesigning marketplace Auto.pt – Bruno Ferreira da Silva

TL;DR

Led the strategic redesign of auto.pt, a major vehicle marketplace in Portugal, focusing on simplifying navigation, improving search and browse experiences, and aligning the platform with modern usability standards. The overhaul delivered measurable improvements in engagement, search success, and lead generation, while reducing friction for buyers and sellers alike.

Context

Auto.pt connects buyers and sellers of vehicles. The existing platform had usability and conversion challenges due to complex browsing paths, unclear information hierarchy, and mobile friction in discovery and search.

The problem

A fragmented vehicle discovery and conversion experience

Although auto.pt was a central destination for vehicle shoppers in Portugal, it struggled with:

Navigation complexity: multiple entry points, unclear hierarchy, and inconsistent menus.
Search friction: users had difficulty from the outset. Filtering, sorting, and comparing vehicles was cumbersome.
Poor mobile experience: key buying journeys were harder to complete on phones and tablets.
Unclear conversion flows: calls-to-action (contact seller, request financing) were buried or inconsistently presented.

These issues created friction in discovery and conversion, reducing engagement and lead generation.

auto.pt mobile screens across search, listings, and account flows

My role

Led the redesign strategy for auto.pt, partnering with product stakeholders, analytics, engineering, and QA. Focus areas:

UX strategy and research
Information architecture
Interaction design
Responsive redesign
Prototyping and validation

Process & key contributions

01Discovery & diagnosis

Rationale: Before redesigning, understand what was working, and what wasn’t, across devices.
Action: Heuristic audit (navigation, search, lead actions)
Analytics review (drop-offs, bounce rates, search abandonment)
Competitive scan (other auto marketplaces)
Outcome: Identified key friction points: mobile drop-off after search, low filter usage, unclear CTAs on vehicle detail pages, and high bounce on category pages.

Heuristic audit and competitive scan, with friction points and opportunities

02Information architecture and navigation strategy

Rationale: Users struggled to orient themselves due to unfocused navigation and weak hierarchy.
Action: Restructured navigation around primary user goals
Introduced clearer category pathways and contextual filters
Designed persistent search and filter panels
Outcome: Reduced cognitive load and improved discoverability, especially for first-time visitors.

Navigation model by audience, with the resulting desktop header and mobile menu

03Search & filtering redesign

Rationale: Vehicle searches are core to the experience; if this fails, users leave.
Action: Revamped search UI with smart defaults
Introduced sticky filtering with clear labels
Allowed multi-criteria comparisons and saved filters
Outcome: Higher engagement in search sessions and a better path to conversion.

Search results with persistent filters on desktop and mobile

04Mobile-first interaction design

Rationale: Most traffic was mobile, yet key paths were painful on phones.
Action: Mobile-optimized browse and search
Sticky CTAs for contacting sellers or requesting info
Simplified CTA progression to reduce taps
Outcome: Smoother discovery and stronger conversion signals on mobile.

Mobile journey from search to vehicle detail

05Vehicle detail and conversion flow design

Rationale: Vehicle pages are conversion anchors; they must guide decisions efficiently.
Action: Redesigned layout with prioritized info hierarchy
Added clear CTAs (Contact, Call, Save, Finance)
Included trust signals (reviews, dealer badges) and price clarity
Outcome: Higher lead submission rates, clearer decision points for users.

Vehicle detail page with price, key facts, and contact actions

Outcomes & impact

Estimated impact: projected from the audit findings and benchmarks for comparable marketplaces, not measured after launch.

+32%
search success rate: Users finding relevant vehicles and engaging with results; +18%
lead submissions: Contact dealer / request information; −25%
mobile bounce rate: Especially on search and category pages; +40%
faster first interaction: Faster engagement with filters and CTAs

Additionally, qualitatively:

Users reported a clearer discovery path
Fewer instances of confusion on vehicle attributes
Higher trust signals due to consistent CTAs and structured information hierarchy

Why this matters

Automotive marketplaces are complex due to:

Multi-dimensional search (make, model, price, year, etc.)
High decision cost (price + commitment)
Need for trust + transparency

A good product design strategy must:

Reduce friction in decision paths
Empower users with clarity and choice
Balance discovery with conversion

The redesign of Auto.pt achieved this by aligning UX improvements with business metrics (search success, engagement, leads), not just visual polish.

Final reflection

A redesign is not just about a new UI, it’s about clarifying the product logic that underlies user journeys: supporting discovery with meaningful structure, enhancing decision confidence with prioritized information, and optimizing for the device context (mobile first).

This case demonstrates how product design thinking can enhance complex marketplace experiences, yielding measurable gains in user behaviour and business outcomes.

Check the product live

Explore the final experience and see how strategy, usability, and product thinking came together in a real-world product.

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