eBay Valet

Context

First-world problems can be just as intricate and severe as any others. Consumerism is often fueled by the credit industry and is the beating heart of the major economics. But with all its celebrated virtues it has an often overlooked dark side.

At the very top of the problems list is overspending. Almost 60% of private home garages in the U.S. are function as storage for non-primary (and often no longer needed) possessions. The estimated collective value of these items are nearing $100 Billion. What’s even worse, Americans spend upwards of $3 Billion per year replacing items they can’t find in their home. All of which gave rise to the hugely profitable Garage Storage industry monetized by treating the surface symptoms of the underlying problem.

Charities

While consumerism drives economic growth, it also widens the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Charitable organizations play a crucial role in addressing this paradox. They bridge the gap by redistributing resources—food, clothing, and other essentials—from those with excess to those in need. However, charity alone cannot solve the underlying issue. It’s like bailing water out of a leaky boat without fixing the hole. That said, they play a crucial role in equalizing the economic and societal balance.

The cost of excess trash management

The overflowing garages and storage units are a testament to our consumerist culture. These forgotten possessions contribute to the mounting waste crisis that municipalities are struggling to support. The cost of managing excess trash—collecting, processing, and disposing—places a burden on local governments and taxpayers. The environmental toll is immense: landfills overflow, oceans choke on plastic, and ecosystems suffer.

In the pursuit of progress, we must strike a balance. And eBay is perfectly positioned to take on the leading role.

What we can do

The privilege of being called World’s largest marketplace comes with responsibilities. Turning these responsibilities into meaningful action solidifies the company’s public image as an economic leader and a socioeconomic game-changer.

This is especially true when all the working pieces are already in place, waiting to be assembled into an elegant and effective solution.

eBay + Goodwill partnership

Program schematics

Value at the center of the experience

My goal as the experience designer was to set very clear expectations for the customer. Due to program’s consumer novelty, it was safe to assume that users would need clarity around every single aspect of the experience. We had to make it both easy to find relevant answers and to instill the overall sense of simplicity with our landing experience.

Profitability guardrails

During closed Beta we have received a higher percentage of low value items than we had anticipated. To safeguard program’s financial profitability, we had to control the low-end portion of incoming items. To do this, we designed experience concepts that would allow for easy pre-screening of incoming items.

Unforeseen treasure

As the pilot phase drew to a close, a rather delightful discovery awaited us. Sellers, seeking swift insights into their item’s market value, found immense value in this feature. It had transformed from an obstacle to an indispensable tool almost overnight. Today, it stands proudly within the new listing flow, anchoring itself as a core feature across multiple seller management nodes on eBay.

In the end, our journey from skepticism to celebration reminds us that even seemingly inconvenient detours can lead to unexpected treasures.

This was a pivotal point where we looked back at the pilot, validated bits of demonstrable success and have reapplied them in the broader selling experience. Their guiding effect would end up informing the new approach to end-to-end C2C seller experience at eBay.

Next: Collections

A platform rebranding effort risked taking eBay away from its roots and from its unique market position. I pushed for preservation of eBay’s heart and legacy.