Amazon's Multi-Buyer Experience: A UX/UI Case Study
Introduction
Ever felt overwhelmed while shopping on Amazon? Ever wished you could split the bill right there on the platform? Me too. And that's why I led a project to redesign Amazon's user experience, focusing on multi-buyer interactions. Buckle up, because you're about to see why I'm worth every penny of that six-figure salary you're thinking of offering me.
Project: Amazon Multi-Buyer Experience
Role: Project Lead, UX Researcher, UX/UI Designer
Objective: Optimize Amazon for joint buying decisions
Success Metric: 50% or higher positive feedback by the third round of user testing
Outcome: All three features developed were a success
The Challenge
Amazon, the behemoth of online retail, was facing a unique challenge: How could we make the platform more user-friendly for joint buying decisions? The project aimed to:
- Reduce clutter in the user interface
- Enable cost-splitting among users
- Simplify mobile sign-up for new accounts
The Process
Phase 1: User Research
Scope:
- Online shopping for group purchases
- Online purchasing/planning for couples
- Online gifting/shopping for someone else
Methodology:
- Conducted interviews
- Deployed surveys
- Facilitated focus groups
Key Insights:
- Users suffer from "information overload"
- Desire for individualized control over the interface
- Concerns about additional subscription fees for shared accounts
- 100 % of participants leave Amazon in order to split the cost purchases with someone else
- Three-quarters of participants “disliked/strongly disliked” Amazon’s current product page; noting it was “overwhelming”
- Over two-thirds of participants share a single Amazon Prime account.
Major Pivot:
After our second round of research revealed users fear a shared account means more subscription fees, we pivoted our designs to better meet the needs of our users.
- Dropped the idea of a shared account
- Opted instead to improve the buying experience involving more than one shopper
- Focused on keeping the user in control
- Find opportunities to reduce information overload
Phase 2: Ideation & Validation
Persona Development:
Created a persona named "Kelly" to humanize our ideal user.
We imagined a scenario might look like this.
Looking for a patio set
Kelly overwhelmed by search
Clicks on Google product ad to get to Amazon
Surprised at minimized clutter thanks to configurability settings
After IDing the product he wants, Kelly shares his cart.
Dale, creates an account and submits his portions payment
User Journey Mapping:
Mapped out the touchpoints Kelly might face before, during, and after his shopping experience.
Feature Prioritization:
Used a Feature Benefit Matrix to prioritize features like Quick Search, Split Share, and Amazon Lite.
Phase 3: Design & Prototyping
Wireframing:
Four rounds of wireframes were used to validate designs and align stakeholders.
Prototyping:
Used paper prototypes to test designs in-person with real users.
Atomic Design Components:
I chose to use atomic design components as part of user experience design for Amazon's multi-buyer designs for several reasons. First, it allows me to create a consistent look and feel across different pages and experiences. Second, it helps me to modularize my design so that I can easily make changes and update parts of the design without affecting the whole. Finally, it allows me to reuse parts of the design in different contexts, which makes the overall design process more efficient.
Overall, I believe that using atomic design components is an effective way to create consistent, modular, and scalable designs. It is a valuable tool in my ux toolkit and I will continue to use it in future projects!
User Flows:
Developed both desktop and mobile user flows to understand multi-device interactions.
Phase 4: Iteration & Testing
Pivots:
Dropped the idea of a shared account to focus on improving the multi-buyer experience.
User Testing:
Conducted three rounds of user testing, achieving over 50% positive feedback for all features.
Feedback Loops:
Used retroactives to evaluate what worked and what didn’t, iterating accordingly.
THE RESULTS
Amazon Lite:
+89% positive feedback = Success
By turning product information into configurable cards, users were empowered to reduce overwhelming clutter and make Amazon’s product page relevant to their needs.
Quick Search:
+76% positive feedback = Success
By expanding popup modal functionality to include search and purchase options, users were able to make quicker, more informed purchasing decisions without leaving the page.
Cart Split:
+92% positive feedback = Success
By expanding popup modal functionality to include search and purchase options, users were able to make quicker, more informed purchasing decisions without leaving the page.
Cart Split + Quick Start:
+80% positive feedback = Success
By integrating an optimized onboarding experience as part of Cart Split, new mobile users were able to seamlessly onboard and navigate multi-shopper purchases with ease.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Simplicity is King: Users prefer a clean, straightforward design.
User Preferences Matter: It's not just about meeting needs; it's about aligning with user preferences.
Iterative Design Works: The multiple rounds of user testing and iteration paid off.
What I Would Do Differently?
- Focus on fewer features but go deeper.
- Conduct paired user tests to simulate real-time multi-buyer experiences.
CONCLUSION
This project wasn't just a success for multi-buyer experiences; it was a testament to the power of user-centered design. From the initial research phase to the final user testing, every decision was made with the user in mind.
The result? A multi-buyer experience that not only met but exceeded our success metrics.
So, if you're looking for someone who can deliver UX/UI solutions that are both innovative and effective, look no further. I'm not just a designer; I'm a problem solver who understands that great design is about more than just good looks—it's about creating a great experience.
Ready to make your next project a success?
