eBay Motors
· Chat v2.0
Role-Adaptive UI for Fluid Negotation
A fluid negotiation interface
optimized for buyers and sellers
Buying or selling a collector car online isn't casual e-commerce; it's a high-stakes, emotion-driven negotiation. Within a single session, automotive enthusiasts constantly shift roles—often selling one project to finance the purchase of another.
Chat v2.0 replaces fragmented, generic messaging with a role-based, trust-first interface designed to manage complex deals without leaving money on the table.
Client
eBay Motors
TIMELINE
2021 Original Concept →
2026 Gen AI Remix
ROLE
Senior Product Designer · Concept, UX & Rapid Prototyping
CONTEXT
Chat v2 proposal based on field research with the LA Motoring Club
A fluid negotiation interface
optimized for both buyers and sellers
Buying or selling a collector car online isn't casual
e-commerce; it's a high-stakes, emotion-driven negotiation.
Within a single session, automotive enthusiasts constantly
shift roles—often selling one project to finance the
purchase of another.
Client
eBay · Fashion
ROLE
Senior Product Designer ·
Concept, UX & Gen Al Prototyping
TIMELINE
2021 Original Concept →
2026 Gen Al Remix
FEATURE CONCEPTS
Video Try On · Real-time motion preview
Dynamic Wishlist · Instant style swaps
Al Stylist · Personalized recommendations
Custom Avatars · Tailored to you
Scene Swap · Establish value & versatility
A fluid negotiation interface
optimized for both buyers and sellers
Buying or selling a collector car online isn't casual e-commerce; it's a high-stakes, emotion-driven negotiation. Within a single session, automotive enthusiasts constantly shift roles—often selling one project to finance the purchase of another.
Client
eBay Motors
ROLE
Senior Product Designer ·
Concept, UX & Rapid Prototyping
Chat v2.0 replaces fragmented, generic messaging with a role-based, trust-first interface designed to manage complex deals without leaving money on the table.
CONTEXT
Chat v2 proposal based on field research with the LA Motoring Club
A fluid negotiation interface
optimized for both buyers and sellers
Buying or selling a collector car online isn't casual e-commerce; it is a high-stakes, emotion-driven negotiation. Within a single session, automotive enthusiasts constantly shift roles—often selling one project to finance the purchase of another.
Chat v2.0 replaces fragmented, generic messaging with a role-based, trust-first interface designed to manage complex deals without leaving money on the table.
Client
eBay Motors
Role
Senior Product Designer •
Concept, UX & Rapid Prototyping
TIMELINE
Senior Product Designer •
Concept, UX & Rapid Prototyping
FEATURE CONCEPTS
Chat v2 proposal based on field research with the LA Motoring Club
A high-concept editorial blending cyberpunk aesthetics with bold color lighting, created for an avant-garde fashion brand.
Power users can shift roles as both buyer and seller, multiple times within a single session
Less inbox clutter.
Faster deals.
ALL SEASON INTERFACE
A UI that can handle shifting
roles and challenging negotiations
Mapping the interaction between a buyer and seller reveal
a baseline set of requirements to design against
JOURNEY MAPPING BLUEPRINT
Mapping the trust curve
between buyers and sellers
Dedicated Selling, Buying, and Reference views eliminate mixed-inbox chaos
Live modal alerts ensure sellers never close a deal prematurely
On-demand engine start video uploads build remote buyer confidence
Track historic transaction comps and prospective buyers for future builds
BUYER CENTRIC FEATURES
Get instant proof from the
Seller with video uploads requests
Verify the Seller's Claims with
Video Requests. Bid with Confidence
VIDEO VERIFICATION
Get instant proof.
Bid with confidence.
Inline media requests allow buyers to ask for specific proof points.
Sellers can record and upload clips directly within the chat timeline without redirecting to third-party video hosts
Verified video
responses InSTANTLY
resolve A buyer's
COnCERNS
Ending Soon
Highlights live auctions entering the final countdown, ensuring serious collectors never lose a vehicle to a last-second bid snipe
Recent Bids
The default timestamp
view for monitoring ongoing back-and-forth negotiations across multiple listings in play
Popularity
Showcase listings with
high inquiry volume, giving buyers the strategic insight
to either go all-in or walk
away from a bidding war.
BUYER FILTERS
Stay on Course.
Track Multiple Bids in Motion
LOOKING BACK
A Route Discovered.
A Journey with Multiple Passes.
Inquiry
Uncovering underlying user mental models and transactional stressors via motorist interviews.
Interaction
Mapping state transitions, offer expirations, decline flows, and counter-bids –
all while shifting roles
Interface
Crafting accessible, component-based chat modules matching mobile platform standards.
Iterate & Integrate
Rapid prototyping in Figma to test edge cases and validate
once more with users
Ending Soon
Highlights live auctions entering the final countdown, ensuring serious collectors never lose a vehicle to a last-second bid snipe
Recent Bids
The default timestamp
view for monitoring ongoing back-and-forth negotiations across multiple listings in play
Popularity
Showcase listings with
high inquiry volume, giving buyers the strategic insight
to either go all-in or walk
away from a bidding war.
BUYER FILTERS
Stay on Course.
Track Multiple Bids in Motion
HIGHER OFFER NOTIFICATIONS
Ensure a premium payout,
down to the last minute
During an active back-and-forth negotiation, a seller can easily commit to an offer without realizing another buyer just submitted a higher bid elsewhere on the platform.
UX SOLUTION
A non-blocking, urgent interrupter modal alerts the seller in real time: "You just received a higher offer from another buyer
STRATEGIC VALUE
Gives the seller immediate agency to pivot threads or counter-offer before finalizing terms, ensuring they never leave money on the table.
SELLER CENTRIC FEATURES
Empowering sellers with
proactive notifications
SELLER FILTERS
Ensure a Premium Payout.
The live higher-offer interrupter modal
FIELD RESEARCH & SYNTHESIS
Unlocking insights from
the LA Motoring Club
LISTEN & LEARN
Anecdotal Inspiration
Anecdotal Inspiration
"I’ve bought a lot of cars, which means I’ve also sold a lot of cars. That’s the game."
This single quote, revealed outside of the standard Q&A, sparked the insight for a an adaptive UI mapped to shifting roles.
Leverage Community
Brisk development cycles can easily derail if built on internal assumptions. Partnering with user research, we ran remote Lookback sessions directly with active classic car collectors
and builders.
Genuine Insight to Build Upon
Enthusiasts cannot be bucketed
into rigid buyer or seller personas. The entire information architecture was reworked around a role based system where a user could seamlessly switch between buyer and seller, as negotations evolved.
FIELD RESEARCH & SYNTHESIS
Unlocking insights from
the LA Motoring Club
SELLER CENTRIC FEATURES
Empowering sellers with
proactive notifications
HIGHER OFFER NOTIFICATIONS
Ensure a premium payout,
down to the last minute
During an active back-and-forth negotiation, a seller can easily commit to an offer without realizing another buyer just submitted a higher bid elsewhere on the platform.
UX SOLUTION
A non-blocking, urgent interrupter modal alerts the seller in real time: "You just received a higher offer from another buyer
STRATEGIC VALUE
Gives the seller immediate agency to pivot threads or counter-offer before finalizing terms, ensuring they never leave money on the table.
eBay Motors · Chat v2.0
Topline Feature Matrix
Dedicated Selling, Buying, and Reference views eliminate mixed-inbox chaos.
Inline Proof Requests
On-demand engine start video uploads build remote buyer confidence.
Live modal alerts ensure sellers never close a deal prematurely.
Track historic transaction comps and prospective buyers for future builds.
ALL SEASON INTERFACE
A UI that can handle shifting
roles and challenging negotiations
Problem Statement
Mixed inboxes create cognitive fatigue. High-stakes negotiations require tracking multiple bids, counter-offers, and split second decisions across multiple listings.
UX Solution
A three-tab organizational framework (Selling, Buying, Reference) that segregates active mental models so users negotiate from a position of total clarity.
Key Insight
Power users inhabit fluid identities. An interface that anticipates role-switching preserves focus during time-sensitive bidding wars.
Less inbox clutter.
Faster deals
Less inbox clutter.
Faster deals
JOURNEY MAPPING BLUEPRINT
Mapping the trust curve
between buyers and sellers
Problem Statement
Navigating a remote five-figure vehicle purchase is stressful. Chat v2.0 is engineered to build mutual credibility early, transforming adversarial haggling into transparent collaboration.
UX Solution
Mapping the relationship between buyer and seller revealed nine distinct edge cases—from initial exploratory inquiries and counter-offers to escrow inspection holdbacks and logistics handoff.
JOURNEY MAPPING BLUEPRINT
Mapping the trust curve
between buyers and sellers
FIELD RESEARCH & SYNTHESIS
Unlocking insights from
the LA Motoring Club
FIELD RESEARCH & SYNTHESIS
Unlocking insights from
the LA Motoring Club
LISTEN & LEARN
Anecdotal Inspiration
"I’ve bought a lot of cars, which means I’ve also sold a lot of cars. That’s the game."
This single quote, revealed outside of the standard Q&A, sparked the insight for a an adaptive UI mapped to shifting roles.
Leverage Community
Brisk development cycles can easily derail if built on internal assumptions. Partnering with user research, we ran remote Lookback sessions directly with active classic car collectors
and builders.
Genuine Insight to Build Upon
Enthusiasts cannot be bucketed
into rigid buyer or seller personas.
The entire information architecture was reworked around a role based system where a user could seamlessly switch between buyer and seller, as negotations evolved.
LISTEN & LEARN
Anecdotal Inspiration
"I’ve bought a lot of cars, which means I’ve also sold a lot of cars. That’s the game."
This single quote, revealed outside of the standard Q&A, sparked the insight for a an adaptive UI mapped to shifting roles.
Leverage Community
Brisk development cycles can easily derail if built on internal assumptions. Partnering with user research, we ran remote Lookback sessions directly with active classic car collectors
and builders.
Genuine Insight to Build Upon
Enthusiasts cannot be bucketed
into rigid buyer or seller personas. The entire information architecture was reworked around a role based system where a user could seamlessly switch between buyer and seller, as negotations evolved.
BUYER CENTRIC FEATURES
Verify the Seller's Claims with
Video Requests. Bid with Confidence
VIDEO VERIFICATION
Get instant proof.
Bid with confidence.
Get instant proof.
Bid with confidence
Inline media requests allow buyers to ask for specific proof points.
Sellers can record and upload clips directly within the chat timeline without redirecting to third-party video hosts
Inline media requests allow buyers to ask for specific proof points. Sellers can record and upload clips directly within the chat timeline without redirecting to third-party video hosts
Verified video
responses InSTANTLY
resolve A buyer's
COnCERNS
BUYER FILTERS
Stay on Course.
Track Multiple Bids in Motion
Highest Offer
Surfaces top dollar bids first to maximize financial return across multiple listings.
Recent Offers
Real-time chronological sorting to keep momentum alive on active discussions.
Buyer Rating
Prioritizes verified, high-reputation collectors to ensure a fast, frictionless closing.
SELLER CENTRIC FEATURES
Empowering sellers with
proactive notifications
HIGHER OFFER NOTIFICATIONS
Ensure a premium payout,
down to the last minute
During an active back-and-forth negotiation, a seller can easily commit to an offer without realizing another buyer just submitted a higher bid elsewhere on the platform.
UX SOLUTION
A non-blocking, urgent interrupter modal alerts the seller in real time: "You just received a higher offer from another buyer
STRATEGIC VALUE
Gives the seller immediate agency to pivot threads or counter-offer before finalizing terms, ensuring they never leave money on the table.
SELLER FILTERS
Ensure a Premium Payout.
The live higher-offer interrupter modal
Highest Offer
Surfaces top dollar bids first to maximize financial return across multiple listings.
Recent Offers
Real-time chronological sorting to keep momentum alive on active discussions.
Buyer Rating
Prioritizes verified, high-reputation collectors to ensure a fast, frictionless closing.
LOOKING BACK
A Route Discovered.
A Journey with Multiple Passes.
LOOKING BACK
A Route Discovered.
A Journey with Multiple Passes.
Inquiry
Inquiry
Uncovering underlying user mental models and transactional stressors via motorist interviews.
Interaction
Interaction
Mapping state transitions, offer expirations, decline flows, and counter-bids –
all while shifting roles
Interface
Interface
Crafting accessible, component-based chat modules matching mobile platform standards.
Iterate & Integrate
Iterate & Integrate
Rapid prototyping in Figma to test edge cases and validate
once more with users
BUYER FILTERS
Triage Bids in Motion
Ending Soon
Highlights live auctions entering the final countdown, ensuring serious collectors never lose a vehicle to a last-second bid snipe
Recent Bids
The default timestamp
view for monitoring ongoing back-and-forth negotiations across multiple listings in play
Popularity
Showcase listings with
high inquiry volume, giving buyers the strategic insight
to either go all-in or walk
away from a bidding war.
BUYER FILTERS
Stay on Course.
Track Multiple Bids in Motion
SELLER CENTRIC FEATURES
Empowering sellers with
proactive notifications
HIGHER OFFER NOTIFICATIONS
Ensure a premium payout,
down to the last minute
During an active back-and-forth negotiation, a seller can easily commit to an offer without realizing another buyer just submitted a higher bid elsewhere on the platform.
UX SOLUTION
A non-blocking, urgent interrupter modal alerts the seller in real time: "You just received a higher offer from another buyer
STRATEGIC VALUE
Gives the seller immediate agency to pivot threads or counter-offer before finalizing terms, ensuring they never leave money on the table.
Power users can shift roles as both buyer and seller, multiple times within a single session
CONTEXT AWARE UI
An interface that adapts
to your role as you negotiate
Interviewing members of the LA motoring club provided a wealth of actionable insights
JOURNEY MAPPING BLUEPRINT
Mapping the trust curve
between buyers and sellers
Video & chat build instant trust
JOURNEY MAPPING BLUEPRINT
Mapping the trust curve
between buyers and sellers
Enable a seller to choose among offers that offer maximum returns vs a smooth transaction
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Mapping the interaction between a buyer and seller reveal a baseline set of requirements to design against
JOURNEY MAPPING BLUEPRINT
Mapping the trust curve
between buyers and sellers
Less inbox clutter.
Faster deals
Role Based Intent
Whether you're buying, selling, browsing or all 3 - stay in flow
Instant Proof
On-demand engine start video uploads in chat build remote buyer confidence
Get the Max Value
Live modal alerts ensure sellers never close a deal prematurely
Role Based Intent
Whether you're buying, selling, browsing or all 3 - stay in flow
Instant Proof
On-demand engine start video uploads in chat build remote buyer confidence
Get the Max Value
Live modal alerts ensure sellers never close a deal prematurely
ALL SEASONS INTERFACE
Role Adaptive UI for
Challenging Conditions
eBay Motors
· Chat v2.0
Role-Adaptive UI
for Fluid Negotation