Ognjen Divljak
Ognjen Divljak

How Transporters Find Pet Shipments Faster and Easier with Advanced Search

CitizenShipper is an online platform that connects individuals who need items shipped with people who can provide transportation services. Our goal was to simplify the process of shipping pets while creating opportunities for individuals to earn money as transporters.

Helping Transporters Find the Right Pet Shipments

Transporters help people ship their pets safely. They use CitizenShipper to look for new pet shipments and bid on them. But it was hard for them to find the right pet shipments. They wasted a lot of time scrolling through a long list of shipments that did not match their preferences, such as location, route, schedule, pet type, and price.

Some of the pain points they expressed were:

  • “I wish I could filter by pet type because I only want to transport dogs.”

  • “It takes me forever to find a shipment that matches my route and schedule.”

  • “I don’t know how many shipments are available in my area or along my route.”

  • “I get outbid by other transporters who have more experience or better ratings.”

Old feed screen

Analyzing User Feedback and Data

To improve the search feature, I analyzed user feedback and data from our analytics platform. From the user feedback, I found that the delivery location and pet-type filters were among the most requested features.

I also found that:

  • 27% of transporters place a bid after searching for shipments

  • 14% of transporters place bids after the 10th page

  • 2,7 of new transporters place their first bid after searching

Designed for Transporters, Built for Efficiency

Based on the user feedback and data, we decided to improve the search feature to streamline the process for transporters to find new pet shipments. To ensure that our advanced shipment search feature provided the best possible user experience, we conducted competitive research on similar platforms and examined the design patterns that had proven effective in other contexts.

We found that uShip was the only direct competitor offering advanced shipment search for pet shipments, with options including location search, along a route, categories, weight, pricing, and location types, and listed by. However, during the research, we discovered that some of these parameters were only relevant for non-pet shipments. We also drew inspiration from Airbnb’s well-designed marketplace, which utilizes a full-screen search pattern and immediately displays the number of search results that meet the user’s criteria.

Feed and Search overlay

Based on our research, we created a new advanced shipment search feature that included the most requested filters, such as delivery location and pet type. I also added a number of results on the button that match the user’s criteria, giving them immediate feedback and encouraging them to refine their search.

Date filter and Address searching

We chose a full-screen search pattern to reduce scrolling and switching between screens by allowing users to see more options and filters at once. We also made sure that the filters were clear and concise, using icons and labels to indicate their meaning.

Measuring the Impact and Learning from Challenges

After implementing these design improvements, we saw significant improvements in user engagement and satisfaction.

Our success metrics showed:

  • 6% increase in the number of searches

  • 13% increase in bid placements

  • 22% increase in new users getting their first shipment

The transporters loved the new search feature. They said it made finding shipments easier and faster, and they earned more money and enjoyed their work more.

Advanced search prototype

But not everyone liked the same way of seeing the results. Some wanted to sort them by price or date. So we added more choices for users to change how they see the results.

This project taught me that designing a good search feature is never done. It needs constant testing and improvement. I also learned that user feedback and data are very important to make sure the design works well and meets user needs.

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