AutosPlug
AutosPlug is a mobile-first vehicle marketplace that connects buyers with private sellers and verified dealers, making it easier to discover, list, and enquire about vehicles from one platform. The platform combines vehicle search, smart listing, dealer inventory management, in-app messaging, paid listings, and admin moderation into one connected marketplace experience.
Product Overview
AutosPlug is a vehicle marketplace consisting of a mobile app for buyers, private sellers, and dealers, supported by a web-based admin system for moderation and platform management.
Buyers can discover vehicles, search by location and preferences, save cars, view detailed vehicle information, and contact sellers through in-app messaging. Private sellers can list their vehicles through a guided listing flow, while dealers can register as businesses and manage their inventory.
The product was designed around three key principles: make discovery easier, make selling simpler, and build trust into every interaction.
My Role
Product Designer
I led the product design for AutosPlug, translating the product requirements into a clear marketplace experience across the mobile app, admin dashboard, and supporting web experience.
My work covered UX strategy, information architecture, user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity UI design, marketplace interactions, listing and payment flows, search and filtering, dealer experiences, and admin moderation workflows.
I worked closely with the product and development team to turn the marketplace requirements into a scalable and practical product experience.
The Opportunity
Buying and selling vehicles can involve fragmented search, communication, and listing experiences.
Sellers need a simple way to create accurate vehicle listings without manually entering every specification.
Buyers need better ways to discover relevant vehicles based on price, location, specifications, and vehicle type.
Dealers need tools that support larger inventories and provide better visibility into their listings and leads.
Marketplace platforms need strong moderation systems to maintain listing quality and user trust.
The Problem
Buyer Challenges
Finding the right vehicle requires searching through large amounts of inventory.
Vehicle specifications are not always presented consistently.
Buyers need confidence that listings contain accurate information.
Contacting sellers can move conversations outside the marketplace.
Seller Challenges
Creating a vehicle listing can be time consuming.
Manually entering vehicle specifications creates opportunities for errors.
Sellers need flexible listing options based on how long they want their vehicle advertised.
Private sellers and dealers have different inventory and selling needs.
Dealer Challenges
Managing multiple vehicle listings requires a more structured experience.
Dealers need a way to present their business identity alongside their inventory.
High-volume sellers need better visibility into enquiries and listing performance.
Admin Challenges
Vehicle listings need to be reviewed before appearing on the marketplace.
Poor quality or fraudulent listings can damage marketplace trust.
Admins need visibility into users, vehicles, payments, and listing activity.
Context
The project started with a detailed product requirements document defining the marketplace's core business model, user roles, listing engine, search experience, messaging, payments, and moderation requirements.
The product supported four main roles: buyers, private sellers, dealers, and platform admins.
The mobile experience was designed around the core marketplace journey, from discovering a vehicle to making an enquiry. The seller experience was designed to reduce the effort required to publish a listing, while the dealer experience introduced business registration and inventory management.
The admin system was designed as a separate web application focused on moderation and platform operations.
Design Process
Product requirements analysis
Competitive analysis
User flow mapping
Information architecture
Low-fidelity wireframes
High-fidelity UI design
Design system development
Responsive and mobile-first design
Prototyping and interaction design
Developer handoff and collaboration
Research and Insights
Competitive Analysis
Vehicle marketplaces generally focus heavily on search and listing volume. However, there were opportunities to improve the experience around the complete seller and buyer journey.
The key areas I focused on were:
Faster vehicle listing
More structured vehicle information
Better search and filtering
Clearer distinction between private sellers and dealers
Safer buyer and seller communication
Stronger listing moderation
Flexible monetisation for different seller types
This shaped AutosPlug around a simple idea:
The marketplace should make it easier to move from discovery to a trusted conversation.
Buyer Insights
Buyers need to quickly understand the most important vehicle information.
Search should make it easy to narrow down a large inventory.
Location is important when considering vehicles.
Vehicle specifications should be easy to scan rather than hidden inside long descriptions.
Buyers need a clear path from viewing a vehicle to contacting the seller.
Seller Insights
Listing a vehicle should not feel like filling out a long form.
Automated vehicle information can reduce manual input and errors.
Sellers need clear pricing and listing duration options.
Payment should feel like a natural part of the publishing flow rather than a separate process.
Dealer Insights
Dealers need to be treated differently from private sellers because their business model and inventory needs are different.
Dealer identity should be visible on vehicle listings.
Managing multiple vehicles requires a more structured experience.
Lead and listing visibility can help dealers understand marketplace performance.
Admin Insights
Moderation needs to happen before listings become publicly visible.
Admin actions should be quick and easy to understand.
Rejection reasons should be structured to reduce ambiguity.
Removing problematic listings quickly is important for marketplace trust.
Solution
AutosPlug was designed as a complete vehicle marketplace where buyers, private sellers, and dealers have experiences tailored to their specific needs.
The product brings together vehicle discovery, smart listing, paid publishing, dealer inventory, messaging, and moderation within one ecosystem.
Buyer Experience
Vehicle Discovery
The home experience gives buyers a quick way to discover available vehicles, including standard vehicles and CAT cars.
Search and Filtering
The search experience helps buyers narrow down inventory based on their preferences.
Vehicle Details
The vehicle details experience focuses on the information buyers need before making an enquiry.
Save and Compare Later
Buyers can save vehicles they are interested in, allowing them to return to listings without having to search for them again.
In-App Messaging
Buyers can contact sellers directly through in-app messaging, keeping conversations within the platform and creating a more controlled marketplace experience.
Seller Experience
Guided Vehicle Listing
Sellers are guided through a simplified listing flow, starting with basic details. Vehicle data can be auto-filled using identification information to reduce manual input.
Vehicle Photos
Multiple image uploads allow sellers to showcase their vehicle clearly.
Listing Plans & Payment
Sellers choose a listing duration plan and complete payment within the flow. Listings go live only after successful payment.
Listing Management
Sellers can track listing status—active, sold, expired, or under review.
Dealer Experience
Business Registration
Dealers register as businesses, clearly separating them from private sellers.
Inventory Management
Dealers can manage multiple vehicles from a single account.
Dealer Listings
Listings display dealer identity to build trust and context for buyers.
Subscription Model
Dealers access recurring subscription plans designed for managing larger inventories.
Lead Visibility
Dealers can view and track buyer enquiries and engagement.
Admin Dashboard
Marketplace Overview
Admins can monitor users, listings, dealers, and overall platform activity.
Listing Moderation
All listings are reviewed before going live, with approval or rejection workflows to maintain quality.
User & Dealer Management
Admins can manage accounts and apply moderation actions where needed.
Vehicle Management
Centralised access to all vehicle data, listing status, and seller information.
Payments & Status Tracking
Admins can view payment states and understand listing lifecycle (active, pending, rejected, sold, expired).
Outcome
AutosPlug creates a single marketplace for vehicle discovery, selling, and buyer-seller communication.
Buyers can discover and filter vehicles based on relevant preferences.
Sellers can create listings through a guided and simplified process.
Vehicle identification reduces unnecessary manual data entry.
Private sellers have flexible paid listing options.
Dealers have a dedicated business and inventory experience.
Admins have greater control over listing quality and marketplace activity.
The platform establishes a scalable foundation for a monetised vehicle marketplace.
Key Learnings
Marketplace design is about balancing the needs of buyers, sellers, dealers, and the platform itself.
Reducing friction during listing creation can directly improve marketplace participation.
Trust needs to be designed into both the customer experience and the operational backend.
Search and filtering are critical to the perceived value of a marketplace with a large inventory.
Different seller types require different experiences even when they operate within the same marketplace.
Payment and moderation should feel like connected parts of the listing lifecycle rather than separate systems.
Why This Project Matters
AutosPlug demonstrates my ability to design a multi-sided marketplace where different user needs, business requirements, and operational workflows have to work together.
The project involved more than designing vehicle listing screens. I worked across the complete product ecosystem, from vehicle discovery and search to seller onboarding, listing creation, payment, dealer experiences, messaging, and admin moderation.
It demonstrates my ability to take a complex product requirement and turn it into a clear, scalable, and user-focused product experience across mobile and web.
Credit
This project was delivered through close collaboration across product, design, and engineering roles.
Oloruntomi Dosunmu | Brand and Product Designer |
Usman Bello | Mobile Developer |
Iyke | Full Stack Developer |
The design process involved close collaboration with the product and development team to translate the marketplace requirements into a functional vehicle marketplace across mobile and admin experiences.
