iPad Homescreen
The iPads sit on a homescreen displaying the event / charity logo together with total figure raised so far.
Sponsor loop can be incorporated into this page at any time should it be required.
Thumbnail View
Clicking the screen automatically brings up the thumbnail view for all the items listed in the auction.
From this page the user can scroll through every item, see how much the current / minimum bid is, together with a promotional shot of the item.
There are links on this page to list view, My Bids and Make a donation.
If the iPad isn’t touched for 3 minutes, it automatically returns to the previous logo page.
List View
Clicking the row view icon brings up a list view for all the items listed in the auction.
From this page the user can scroll through every item and see how much the current / minimum bid is in a convenient list format.
If the iPad isn’t touched for 3 minutes, it automatically returns to the previous logo page.
Item View
Clicking on any item will automatically take you to the detailed item page.
In here you can see a full description of the item, together with picture, time remaining before the bid is closed and details of who the current bidder is.
Users simply click on Place A Bid to begin the bidding process.
Log in
Once the click the Place A Bid button the are asked to log in.
The log in requires them to enter their personal ID number, which is made up of a 3 attendee number, unique to everyone, plus a 4 digit personal pin number that they are asked to create the first time they log in.
This creates a secure log in environment that stops other people bidding on someone’s behalf.
Once logged in, they remain logged in until they log out or don’t touch the iPad for 90 seconds.
Placing a bid
Once logged in, they simply use the plus, minus buttons to set their bid amount.
Alternatively, they can manually type in a bid.
Should the bid be unsuccessful, ie someone else has already outbid them, or there is an auto bid in the system, they will be informed that they have been outbid and told the new minimum bid.
A Successful bid
If the bid is successful they are informed that they have provided the largest bid.
Should they we outbid straight away, this screen will automatically update informing them of the new bid.
From this screen the user can either log out, return to either the thumbnail or list view, or go to the My Bids page.
My Bids
The My Bids page is designed to allow a user to manage all the items they have bid on.
In here they can see which items they currently have a potential winning bid on, which items they have been outbid on, and which items they haven’t bid on.
This page is updated in real time, so they can track all their bids and see when they are outbid on any items.
In addition, they can also see how many donations they have made.
Donations
.Most people who attend a silent auction intend to donate some money to charity.
The Make A Donation page is designed to allow people to simply pledge a figure of their choice to your charity.
Plasma / Main Screen Viewer
A plasma loop is automatically created rotating around all the different lots that you have featured in your auction, together with live updates regarding current bidder and bid amount, whether the lot is still open for bids.
Additional Features
Auto Bids:
Just like on eBay, we have built an auto bid feature into the system.
If the item’s minimum bid is £200 and the maximum you want to bid is £500, you can bid £500 and the system will store your minimum bid as £200, then if somebody bids £250, the system will automatically bid £300 on your behalf.
If another bid of £350 is received your bid is raised to £400, this process is repeated until your maximum bid is reached.
Time Extensions to eliminate auction sniping:
Auction sniping is an almost regular practise on eBay, where somebody places a bid in the last few seconds of the auction making it impossible for other bidders to respond in time.
In our system if someone places a bid with less than 60 seconds to go, 2 minutes are automatically added to that lot, giving other bidders time to respond, meaning you’ll raise more money for your charity.