Trade Me is where millions of Kiwis go to buy, to sell, to find a job, and to find somewhere to live.
As part of the Summer of Tech programme, I was offered a position at Trade Me over the summer of 2011-2012. Working under Daniel McKenzie I helped develop the first version of Trade Me Touch. While native Android and iPhone apps are available, Trade Me Touch ensures that when visiting Trade Me on a smartphone, users are presented with an interface tailored to making buying and selling easier on small touch screens.
Figure .
Figure . Screens documenting the homepage, item searching, and item details. Note that these screenshots are taken from an updated version of Trade Me Touch .
Figure .
Figure . Screens documenting the watchlist, user feedback information, and the bidding process. Note that these screenshots are taken from an updated version of Trade Me Touch .
My responsibilities included translating our designer’s mockups into the HTML & CSS code that instructs web browsers how to display the layout and styling of the site. I also assisted in developing the extensive quantities of Javascript that dictate the interaction, navigation, and business rules that drive the site’s functionality.
The short timeframe of the project, and the small team responsible for it, offered an excellent lesson in following agile development processes in a highly collaborative environment. To boot, our exclusive focus on modern smartphone browsers was a welcome opportunity to make use of cutting-edge technologies that aren’t as widely supported on desktop browsers.