PROBLEM
Amazon, a leading e-commerce platform, offers a convenient shopping experience with a wide range of products like kitchen essentials, fashion, self-care, and many other items. Currently, the platform faces challenges with its underutilized list feature, which remains hidden and seldom used within the app interface.
Recognizing this issue, our team transferred the list feature into a standalone application to enhance its usability and functionality, making it more responsive to a wider variety of user needs.
IDENTIFY THE POTENTIAL CHALLENGE
We first conducted a self-exploration of the current challenges
We began by experiencing the List process from the customer's perspective to identify the usability challenges they encounter. By adopting the customer's viewpoint, we thoroughly navigated through the entire process to uncover potential issues with functionality and ease of use.
Low Visibility and Discoverability
The "Add to List" button is at the shopping session's bottom left.
The design and buttons are not easily noticeable, making it difficult for users to spot them.
Overlooked due to the dominance of 'Add to Cart' and 'Buy Now' features.
Hyperlink design so users won’t be aware of the add to list function
Bad Accessibility
The list feature is located on the "Account" page, an unexpected place for users to look for it.
Users often overlook this function since they visit the "Account" page with specific actions in mind.
Redundant Introduction Page
Returning users see introductory info and a "Create Lists" button, not their existing lists, on the 'Your List' page.
Users' previously created lists appear to have disappeared.
The layout is confusing and delays direct access to existing lists.
Such design flaws negatively impact the overall user experience.
Lack of Guidance
The current design lacks intuitive guidance for new users, confusing list types.
Users struggle to differentiate between 'Your List' and 'Your Ideal List', viewing them as similar.
The shareable and collaborative aspects of lists are not evident, leaving users uncertain of their functionality.
USER DISCOVERY
To validate if our assumptions align with the customers’ challenges, we conducted the user research
Survey
We employed a survey to gain deeper insights and gather quantitative data on how users interact with and experience the list feature.
Major questions focus on:
Familiarity with the List Feature
Shopping List preferences and general Trends
Platform selection
26 Participants
58%
Never knew about this list feature
73%
Agree shopping list can improve the shopping experience
80%
Prefer doing online shopping with mobile
Data indicates the low discoverable rate of the Amazon List function, while most prefer using the shopping list for their online shopping.
Mobile Devices Cover More Online Shopping Customer
Survey data shows more people shop online using mobile devices than desktops. A literature review confirms this trend, shifting our focus to mobile redesign.
INTERVIEW
By conducting user interviews, we capture qualitative insights into individual experiences with the Amazon list feature and their expectation.
What are users struggling with?
What do users want?
FINDING SUMMARIZATION
Leveraging these insights, a user persona and journey maps were developed to encapsulate our findings, providing a detailed view of customer needs and challenges. This approach enabled the identification of critical improvement areas in the Amazon List app, guiding a user-centric redesign focused on addressing actual usage scenarios.
User Persona
User Persona
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Opportunities & User Preference Exploration
We conducted a competitive analysis to gather essential insights into the current market trends, customer preferences, and the design structure of competitive and similar products. This can ensure that the redesigned app not only meets but exceeds user expectations, positioning it effectively in the market.
GoWish
Easy Sharing and Collaboration
Browse and add gifts from partnered stores
Gift Duplication Avoidance
Inspiration and personalization gift options are provided
Limited Store Integration: Adding gifts from non-partnered stores requires manual entry.
Static Pricing: Prices do not update for deals or discounts.
Giftful
Add items by pasting URLs
Anonymous wish claiming
Users can follow others by searching for friends
Can browse Items from the partnered store, but cannot be added to the list
Bad distinction between list types (Wishlist, Registry, Personal Goal) with the same appearance
Cannot collaborate with others
Elfster
Easily trace friends’ activities with notifications.
Fun and engaging online gift exchange feature
Product searches are available
Users will be redirected to an external website with the selected items, resulting in a poor navigation experience.
Adding gift steps seems to be complicated
Finding
While shopping list applications are mature in the current market, different downsides still exist and cause users to be reluctant to retain one application. The competitive analysis highlights the importance of easy-list collaboration.
DESIGN GOAL
Let users easily share and work on lists with friends for smooth planning together
Make it easy to tell different types of lists and events apart so users can manage them without confusion
Suggest product lists based on users' likes and past searches to match their needs
Send reminders for upcoming events so users can shop and prepare on time
SITE MAP
Once the design direction is decided, we use the sitemap to lay out the hierarchy and content information for each page to ensure the information architecture is rational and meets users' needs.
WIREFRAME
HIGH-FIDELITY
Streamlined List Viewing and Event Tracking
The Lists page allows users to view all lists, including their own and those shared by others, with upcoming events highlighted for easy reminders. Its design promotes effortless navigation, ensuring users can efficiently manage and overview all list-related activities.
Effortless List Creation and Sharing
The "Create List" feature enables users to quickly generate new lists, choose their desired type, and invite collaborators via name, email, or sharing links. Activity updates and invitations are conveniently centralized in the notification area, fostering collaboration and engagement.
Tailored Recommendations on the Explore Page
The Explore page delivers daily personalized list recommendations based on user preferences. It allows users to uncover new lists by browsing or searching, organized into specific categories for focused discovery. Users can easily favorite lists or add them to their collection for a customized browsing experience.
Color-Coded Events for Efficient Planning
Events are differentiated by color codes for quick recognition, with lists organized chronologically for optimal planning. The platform enables users to set custom reminders, import lists to events easily, and streamline the event organization process, enhancing the user experience with practical functionality.
Personalized Shopping and Favorites Management
Users' shopping carts and favorite lists are placed within their personal space, allowing for direct product checkout or detailed viewing. This feature simplifies the shopping process and personal list management, offering a seamless and convenient user interface.
DESIGN ITERATION
# Navigation Optimization
Before
The app opened to a “Home” inspiration page, which didn’t align with the primary goal of enhancing the list experience.
After
The list became the first screen users see, aligning with their core intent.
“Home” was renamed to “Explore” to better reflect its purpose and improve clarity.
# Streamlining Checkout Process
Before
The design lacked a clear checkout feature.
Users were confused about how to complete their purchases.
After
A shopping cart icon was added to every page.
Provided a clear and consistent path to checkout, simplifying the shopping experience.
# List Page Optimization
Before
\1\
The list page included “My List,” “Liked List,” and “Shared List.”
“Liked List” showed low engagement and was often populated secondarily.
\2\
Product details were crammed into the list view, making it hard to read and interact with.
\3\
Event reminders were not prominently placed and could be easily overlooked.
After
\1\
Removed “Liked List” to reduce clutter and prioritize frequently used features.
\2\
Introduced a cleaner, simplified layout to improve readability and usability.
\3\
Highlighted upcoming events at the top of the list page to boost visibility and reinforce their value.
# Redesigning the Event Page for Engagement and Clarity
Before
9:26
My List
Explore
Events
Profile
9:26
My List
Explore
Events
Profile
March
10
Fri
Buy Grocery
Every Friday
17
Fri
Buy Grocery
Every Friday
24
Fri
Buy Grocery
Every Friday
31
Fri
Buy Grocery
Every Friday
Import a list or go Explore for inspirations
5
Sun
Anniversary
Yearly
9 Items
Things to get for Wayne on our anniversary.
Your list for this event is still empty
8
Wed
International Women’s Day
amazon List
The event page resembled a traditional calendar.
Users found it hard to track events and felt pressured when creating them.
After
My List
Explore
Events
Profile
My List
Explore
Events
Profile
Upcoming Events
March, 9
Anniversary
March, 25
Spring Trip
Import a list or go Explore for inspirations
Your list for this event is still empty
April, 1st
April Fool’s Day
Import a list or go Explore for inspirations
Your list for this event is still empty
March
9:26
amazon List
4
5
6
7
8
9
Events For March
+ Add Event
Redesigned to a progress view with color coding.
Made event types easier to track and reduced the stress of event creation.
# Enhancing Profile Page Engagement with Strategic Feature Placement
Before
9:26
John Doe
Order History
View History
Favorite List
Daily Health Support
Total Items: 25
View More...
3K
3540
Best Gift for Mom
Total Items: 25
3K
3540
Winter Must-Have
Total Items: 25
3K
3540
View More...
Search for list
Prepare for school
Total Items: 25
Creator: Catherine
3K
3540
Gift for Mom
Total Items: 25
Creator: Catherine
3K
3540
Mama’s Wish List
Total Items: 25
Creator: Sloane
3K
3540
Last 3 Months
Time Filter
My List
Explore
Events
Profile
My List
Explore
Events
Profile
Low-engagement features like “Favorite List,” “Order History,” and “View History” were prominently placed.
The profile page felt cluttered and less intuitive.
After
My Cart
See all
9:26
Hello, Lesi
Blomus Fraga
Scented Candle
Nintendo Switch™
with Neon Blue ...
Favorite List
See all
Daily Health Support
Total Items: 25
Creator: Katja
7K
1.3k
Best Gift For Mom
Total Items: 18
Creator: Mia
10K
1.3k
Winter Must-Have
Total Items: 45
Creator: Dev
10K
1.3k
My List
Explore
Events
Profile
Moved low-engagement features to the top-left menu bar.
Prioritized high-usage features like the shopping cart and main lists, improving usability and engagement.
DESIGN SYSTEM
We used Amazon’s signature color and typography to ensure brand consistency and recognition. The Amazon List logo draws from the broader Amazon ecosystem, reinforcing its identity and building user trust through familiarity.
Primary
Black
#000000
White
#FFFFFF
Orange
#F19D38
Secondary
Dark Black
#141920
Medium
#252F3D
Blue
#007185
Red
#B12704
Yellow
#F4BF76
Dark Yellow
#F2A742
Orange
#C45500
Hover Orange
#B65B22
Grey
Grey
#DDDDDD
Dark Grey
#C9CCCC
Disabled Grey
#565959
Shadow
Medium
Large
Body Small. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Lorem gravida sed id dolor egestas penatibus lectus. (12 px)
amazon List
RETROSPECTIVE
Constraints
01. Limited access to user data
We faced limitations in accessing real user data for Amazon’s list function, making it challenging to fully understand user frustrations and needs. This constraint hindered our ability to identify usability issues and design truly targeted, user-driven solutions.
02. Strategic and cost considerations
The project was shaped by uncertainty around the list function’s role and future within Amazon’s ecosystem. Clarity on investment priorities would guide strategic decisions and ensure our redesign aligns with long-term goals.
Future Improvement
01. Timely Notifications and Delivery Updates
Users value notifications for both event reminders and delivery updates. Adding alerts for on-time delivery status would help users plan purchases more effectively and reduce uncertainty.
02. Gift Claim Function in Collaboration
Adding a gift claim feature enhances collaboration by showing which items have been claimed, preventing duplicates, and streamlining the gift-giving process.
What I learn
01. Understanding The Actual Needs Are Important
Understanding client needs is essential for creating user-centered designs that align with business goals, enhancing both user engagement and overall impact.
02. User Experience and Business Goals Are Equally Important
Balancing user experience with business goals is key. Our design choices focus on enhancing user satisfaction while supporting long-term business growth and sustainability.
