UX Case Study

From overload to clarity:
Reimagining Amazon’s shopping experience
for faster decisions and smoother checkout

Final redesign preview

Open Figma prototype
Amazon redesign final hero mockup View Figma Prototype ↗

Click the preview to open the Figma prototype .

Reducing cognitive overload and checkout friction through user research, usability testing, and data-driven design decisions.

This project is a fictitious scenario, completed as a part of Designlab’s UX Academy.

Role

UX Researcher, UX/UI Designer

Timeline

July 2024 – September 2024

Tool

Figma, Photoshop, FigJam, Pencil and Paper

Scroll to explore ↓

Project Overview

Rethinking the moments where shoppers slow down

Amazon already works well for quick purchases. I focused on the moments that feel harder: comparing products, editing cart items, and checking out with multiple items.

Project direction: make key shopping decisions feel clearer, faster, and easier to control.

Challenge

Shopping can feel visually dense.

Users can find what they need, but the experience becomes harder when they need to compare details, update item choices, or review multiple checkout decisions at once.

Recommended Solution Snapshot

I redesigned three key Amazon shopping flows:

1. Inline cart editing
Users can change size, color, quantity, and product details directly inside the cart without returning to the product page.

2. Flexible multi-item checkout
Users can use different payment methods, add a new card, and review order details with clearer visual hierarchy.

3. Save-for-later + comparison flow
Users can save items, compare similar products side by side, and quickly add the best option back to cart.

Problem Statement

Amazon offers a wide range of products, features, and purchasing options, but the shopping experience can feel visually dense and cognitively demanding. During product discovery, comparison, cart management, and checkout, users often need to process scattered information, switch between multiple pages, and make decisions without enough clarity.

As a result, users may feel overwhelmed, lose track of selected items, and hesitate before completing a purchase.

Key Friction Areas

01

Product Overload

Excessive product options, recommendations, and details make it harder for users to quickly identify relevant items.

02

Scattered Comparison

Users need to compare price, reviews, shipping, seller credibility, and product specs across multiple screens.

03

Cart Management Friction

Users lose context when editing item details, managing saved items, or adjusting selected products in the cart.

04

Checkout Uncertainty

Costs, promotions, payment methods, and delivery details can feel unclear before the final purchase decision.

Design Opportunity

The redesign focuses on reducing cognitive load across three high-friction moments: product comparison, cart editing, and multi-item checkout.

Design Approach

I approached the redesign as a focused improvement to Amazon’s existing shopping experience rather than a full product reinvention. The process helped me move from broad user pain points to three core flows: comparison, cart editing, and checkout clarity.

Design Approach

Click each step to explore the redesign process

Step 01 / Research

Understand User Friction

I started by identifying where Amazon shoppers experienced confusion, hesitation, or extra effort during product discovery, comparison, cart management, and checkout.

Method

User interviews, usability analysis, and pain point synthesis.

Focus

Finding recurring friction in discovery, comparison, cart, and checkout moments.

Output

Defined the main problem areas that shaped the redesign direction: product overload, scattered comparison details, cart management friction, and checkout uncertainty.

This process helped keep the redesign focused: instead of changing Amazon broadly, I prioritized specific shopping moments where clarity, control, and confidence mattered most.

After identifying key pain points, I prioritized the redesign opportunities by considering user impact, shopping flow relevance, and implementation clarity. This helped narrow the project from broad Amazon experience issues into a focused set of redesign features.

Interactive Priority Model

Click each feature to explore the design focus

Priority 01 / High Impact

Navigation Structure

Simplify how users move between homepage, categories, search results, product pages, cart, and checkout so they can stay oriented throughout the shopping journey.

User Need

Clearer paths and less confusion while browsing.

Design Focus

Simplified IA, clearer category entry points, and consistent navigation patterns.

Expected Impact

Reduce cognitive load and help users move through the flow with more confidence.

Prioritized Shopping Flow

01

Navigation Structure

02

Entry Points / Discovery Paths

03

Search & Filtering

04

Product Information Hierarchy

05

Product Comparison

06

Cart & Checkout Flow

07

Order Review & Confirmation

This prioritization helped me focus the redesign on the areas with the strongest connection to user frustration: product comparison, cart editing, checkout clarity, and decision confidence.

01/ User Research and Analysis

User Research Overview

Understanding Shopping Friction

I conducted user interviews to understand how frequent Amazon shoppers navigate product discovery, comparison, cart management, and checkout. The goal was to identify where users felt overwhelmed, uncertain, or slowed down during the shopping journey.

Participants

5 participants

Age Range

20–30 years old

Format

Voice / video interviews

Session Length

Around 20 minutes

User Type

Frequent Amazon app users

Research Summary

User interviews revealed that while participants generally felt comfortable shopping on Amazon, the experience often became overwhelming during product discovery and decision-making. Users relied heavily on price, reviews, and seller credibility, but struggled with information overload, scattered product details, and difficulty comparing similar items.

Main pattern: Amazon worked well for simple purchases, but became more frustrating when users had to manage multiple items, review costs, or adjust payment options.

Key Insights

01

Product discovery felt visually dense

Users found it difficult to quickly scan relevant products when search results, recommendations, and details competed for attention.

02

Comparison required too much effort

Participants often had to switch between pages to compare price, reviews, shipping, specs, and seller credibility.

03

Checkout became harder with multiple items

Users wanted clearer payment options, cost visibility, and item review when managing more than one product.

These insights shaped the redesign direction around three core needs: reduce cognitive load, improve information hierarchy, and streamline the path from discovery to checkout.

Empathy Map

View FigJam Board ↗

Turning interview observations into user needs

I organized interview insights into five empathy map categories to understand what users say, think, do, feel, and ultimately need when shopping through Amazon.

“

Says

Direct quotes and expressed needs

“I usually input the search keywords, select the item, and proceed to checkout directly.”

“I wish the checkout process was simpler and quicker.”

“Price, arrival time, and reviews are the key factors influencing my decision.”

“I rarely use the Save for Later feature.”

?

Thinks

Concerns and expectations

It would be helpful if the app remembered previous shopping preferences and tailored suggestions.

The cart could feel more intuitive, especially when managing multiple items.

Users worry when delivery times change after they update their address.

A simpler checkout process would improve the overall shopping experience.

→

Does

Observed shopping behavior

Selects needed items and proceeds to checkout without spending much time in cart.

Often bypasses the cart and directly purchases items.

Occasionally abandons a purchase if delivery details or payment options are unclear.

Compares items in cart before finalizing the purchase when uncertain.

!

Feels

Emotional reactions during the journey

Frustrated when checkout takes too many steps or delivery options change unexpectedly.

Satisfied with Amazon’s convenience and speed, but still sees room for improvement.

Anxious about whether cart items match expectations, especially around delivery and payment.

Appreciates reliability and speed when the checkout process functions smoothly.

✓

Goals

Design opportunities translated from user needs

Improve the cart interface so users can manage multiple items and compare products more easily.

Ensure delivery times and payment options are clearly communicated during checkout.

Increase visibility and usability of Save for Later to help users organize their shopping.

Remember user preferences and suggest relevant items or options based on previous behavior.

Streamline checkout to reduce steps and make the process feel more intuitive.

Keep the app reliable while identifying places where small improvements can reduce friction.

Takeaway: users value Amazon’s speed and convenience, but they need clearer control when comparing products, editing cart items, and reviewing checkout details.

Open full empathy map in FigJam ↗

From the user interview, I grouped user insights into six main areas: navigation, decision-making, cart management, checkout experience, transparency, and pain points. I noticed that most users love Amazon’s convenience but still get frustrated when switching between product pages, managing their cart, or checking out multiple items. They also want clearer information, more control over delivery options, and a smoother, more personalized shopping flow. These findings helped me focus my redesign on simplifying navigation, improving the cart experience, and making checkout feel faster and more intuitive.

User Journey & Navigation

Users prefer a direct and simple flow from search to checkout.

Navigation between product details, cart, and checkout can feel disjointed.

Many skip the cart entirely, choosing to buy items immediately for convenience.

Decision-Making Factors

Main influences: price, delivery time, reviews, and Prime benefits.

Users rely on clear, visible information to make confident purchase decisions.

Comparing similar items is common, but switching between pages disrupts flow.

Cart Management & “Save for Later” Usage

“Save for Later” is rarely used or misunderstood due to poor visibility.

Users find managing multiple items cumbersome when reviewing cart contents.

Simplifying cart layout and making “Save for Later” more intuitive could increase engagement.

Checkout Experience

Generally smooth but occasionally confusing, especially with multiple items.

Issues arise from inconsistent delivery times and mismatch between item details and checkout info.

Users value real-time updates and fewer steps during checkout.

Control, Transparency & Trust

Users want more transparency around delivery, payment, and order review.

Visible order details help users feel more in control before purchase.

Trust increases when costs, timelines, and choices are clearly surfaced.

Pain Points & Opportunities

Users often feel slowed down by unnecessary back-and-forth between pages.

Editing cart contents and reviewing multiple items should be easier.

There is a strong opportunity to reduce friction through clearer flows and better information hierarchy.

Key takeaway: the strongest redesign opportunities are concentrated in product comparison, cart editing, checkout clarity, and building confidence during decision-making.

Competitor Analysis

Competitor Analysis Overview

Looking beyond Amazon to understand better shopping patterns

I reviewed several e-commerce platforms to understand how they help users move from browsing to buying with less friction.

Instead of comparing brands broadly, I focused on UX patterns that could directly inform Amazon’s product discovery, comparison, and checkout experience.

01

Product Discovery

How platforms organize search, category entry points, recommendations, and product browsing.

02

Product Comparison

How users compare price, ratings, shipping, product specs, and seller credibility.

03

Checkout Clarity

How checkout flows surface cost, delivery, payment, and final order details.

04

Purchase Confidence

How interfaces reduce hesitation and help users feel confident before placing an order.

Analysis Scope

5 e-commerce competitors Cross-platform UX patterns Discovery and filtering Comparison behavior Checkout and trust cues

I reviewed several ecommerce platforms to understand how they support product discovery, comparison, checkout clarity, and purchase confidence. Instead of comparing brands broadly, I focused on UX patterns that could directly inform Amazon’s shopping flow redesign.

T

Target

UX Pattern

Clearer product filtering and fulfillment options

Target makes product availability, pickup, shipping, and category filters easier to scan during browsing.

★ Takeaway

Amazon could reduce browsing overload by making filtering, delivery details, and product relevance easier to understand at a glance.

A

Apple

UX Pattern

Minimal checkout and focused visual hierarchy

Apple’s checkout experience feels clean, guided, and visually controlled, helping users stay focused on key purchase decisions.

★ Takeaway

A clearer checkout hierarchy could help Amazon users review payment, shipping, and order details with less cognitive load.

E

eBay

UX Pattern

Strong comparison behavior for price-sensitive shoppers

eBay supports users who compare price, seller credibility, condition, shipping, and deal value before purchasing.

★ Takeaway

Amazon could better support comparison by showing key product differences side by side instead of forcing users to jump between pages.

Et

Etsy

UX Pattern

Saved items and browsing continuity

Etsy supports browsing, saving, and revisiting products in a more visual and emotionally driven way.

★ Takeaway

Amazon’s save-for-later flow could feel more useful if it helped users compare and return to considered products more easily.

Key Insights

1

Compare closer to the decision point

Users should not have to switch between multiple product pages to compare price, rating, shipping, and product details.

2

Checkout clarity builds purchase confidence

Payment options, delivery information, and final costs should be easier to review before placing an order.

3

Saved items should support decision-making

Save-for-later can become more useful when connected to comparison and product re-evaluation.

Design Direction

These insights helped shape three redesign priorities:

Inline Cart Editing

Edit product details directly in the cart.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Compare similar products more easily.

Clearer Multi-item Checkout

Review items, delivery, and payment with more confidence.

02/ Define User Personas

Persona Journey

Visualizing the emotional journey behind shopping decisions

I mapped how users browse, compare, manage items, and complete purchases in the Amazon app to identify where the experience creates the most friction.

Key insight: the biggest emotional drops happened when users had to switch between product pages, manage multiple items, or make payment decisions during checkout.

Stage 01 / Discovery

Users feel interested, but the experience becomes crowded quickly.

During product discovery, users are open to exploring options, but dense categories, promotions, and product information make it harder to decide where to focus.

User Goal

Find relevant products quickly.

Friction

Too many entry points compete for attention.

Design Need

Create clearer paths into product categories and search.

2 Gathering & Comparing

Information is scattered, making it difficult to compare products.

3 Gather & Comparing

Hidden fees and cluttered interface make checkout confusing.

Cart Frustrations

Hidden fees and cluttered interface make checkout confusing.

S

Amazon Journey Map

Sophie is a frequent Amazon shopper who enjoys efficient, visually appealing shopping experiences but dislikes cluttered, complicated checkouts when buying items for her new home.

Goals

Reduce information overload from search results and product pages.
Quickly compare product options to make confident decisions.
Simplify checkout and reduce unnecessary steps.
Reduce cognitive load and save time while shopping.
Actions
🛍️

Explore

🔍

Search

💬

Compare

🛒

Cart

📦

Confirm

Actions
Browse categories and recommendations.
Look up a specific product.
Evaluate features and reviews.
Add items and proceed to checkout.
Final order is placed.
Emotional Journey
😄
😟
😞
☹️
😎
😄
Problem

1 Information Overload

Searches and browsing feel overwhelming with many irrelevant results.

2 Gathering & Comparing

Information is scattered, making it difficult to compare products.

3 Gather & Comparing

Hidden fees and cluttered interface make checkout confusing.

Cart Frustrations

Users struggle to manage items and review changes clearly.

4 Lack of Cost Clarity

Additional fees are revealed late in the checkout process.

Opportunity

Simplified Navigation

Streamline categories and surface more relevant recommendations.

Improved Search & Filters

Sharpen search relevance and make filters easier to use.

Enhanced Product Comparison

Display crucial product details side by side.

Cart Editing Support

Let users adjust details without leaving the cart.

Streamlined Checkout Flow

Reduce steps, show costs earlier, and smooth out checkout friction.

Based on user interviews and behavioral insights, two primary personas were developed to represent distinct but overlapping Amazon shopping needs. Sophie Duan reflects users who value inspiration, aesthetics, and efficient product discovery when shopping for their home, while Joyce Zhu represents frequent, mobile-first shoppers who prioritize control, accuracy, and efficiency when managing multiple items and projects. Both personas highlight common challenges around information overload, cart management, and checkout complexity, while differing in their goals around exploration versus efficiency.

User Personas

Defining two shopper types to guide design decisions

Based on user interviews and behavioral insights, I developed two primary personas to represent distinct but overlapping Amazon shopping needs. Sophie reflects users who value inspiration, aesthetics, and product discovery, while Joyce represents mobile-first shoppers who prioritize control, accuracy, and efficiency when managing multiple items and projects.

Persona profiles / exploration vs. efficiency

Sophie Duan user persona View persona in Figma ↗

Persona 01

Sophie Duan

“I love when I can find exactly what I’m envisioning for our home without spending hours searching.”

Mindset

Inspiration-led

Need

Clear discovery

Focus

Home shopping

Goals

  • Find products that match her style quickly.
  • Compare similar items with less effort.
  • Feel confident before purchasing.

Pain Points

  • Overwhelmed by too many product options.
  • Hard to compare details across pages.
  • Unclear delivery or product information.
Open Sophie persona ↗
Joyce Zhu user persona View persona in Figma ↗

Persona 02

Joyce Zhu

“It’s frustrating when I can’t quickly manage items in my cart, especially when I’m juggling multiple projects.”

Mindset

Efficiency-led

Need

More control

Focus

Multi-item tasks

Goals

  • Manage multiple items without confusion.
  • Checkout faster with clear review steps.
  • Save and compare items more easily.

Pain Points

  • Cart management feels cumbersome.
  • Checkout can feel complex with multiple items.
  • Payment and delivery details are easy to miss.
Open Joyce persona ↗

Use Case Scenarios

Translating personas into shopping scenarios

I created two use case sketches to visualize where each persona experiences friction and how the redesign could support more confident product discovery, comparison, cart management, and checkout.

Use case sketch showing shopper journey from product discovery to checkout
01

From overwhelmed browsing to confident purchase

This scenario highlights a shopper’s journey from product discovery to checkout, focusing on improving comparison clarity, price transparency, and a more streamlined purchase path.

Comparison clarity Product discovery Checkout flow
Use case sketch showing mobile-first shopper managing multiple items
02

Helping mobile-first shoppers manage complex tasks

This scenario focuses on enabling a user to compare products, manage multiple items across projects, and complete checkout with clearer control and fewer interruptions.

Cart management Save for later Payment clarity

From these scenarios, I created How Might We statements to define which problems were most valuable to solve first.

How Might We...

Based on user interviews, affinity mapping, and journey analysis, I translated recurring pain points into focused design opportunity questions for the Amazon shopping experience.

Product Discovery
& Navigation

How might we help users find relevant products faster without feeling overwhelmed by excessive options?

Search & Filtering

How might we make search results easier to scan, filter, and compare at a glance?

Product Comparison

How might we help users compare similar products without switching between multiple pages?

Cart & Checkout Clarity

How might we help users edit cart items, review costs, and complete checkout with more confidence?

These questions guided the redesign toward three core flows: inline cart editing, product comparison, and a clearer multi-item checkout experience.

03/ Map the User Journey

I mapped the Amazon shopping journey from product discovery to checkout to understand where users felt overwhelmed, lost context, or needed more control.

The journey map revealed three key friction points:

01

Comparison friction

Users had difficulty comparing similar products because key details like price, rating, shipping, and specs were scattered across different pages.

02

Cart editing friction

Users had to leave the cart to update product details, which interrupted the shopping flow and added unnecessary steps.

03

Checkout friction

Users wanted clearer payment options and order review steps when checking out multiple items.

End-to-End Shopping Journey

01

Browse & Discover

Search, filter, and explore products

02

Compare & Evaluate

Compare options, reviews, price, and shipping

03

Add to Cart & Manage

Add items, edit quantity, and change variations

04

Checkout & Payment

Review order, choose payment method, confirm

05

Order Confirmation

Track order and receive updates

+
~
!
~
+
+ Positive
~ Neutral
! Frustrated
◎

These findings helped me prioritize three core flows for the redesign:

1

Inline Cart Editing

Allow users to edit product details directly in the cart.

2

Flexible Multi-item Checkout

Enable different payment methods and clearer order review.

3

Save-for-Later & Compare

Help users save items and compare similar products easily.

▦

I used the sitemap and user flows to clarify how users move between homepage, product pages, cart, and checkout, and to ensure a smoother and more intuitive experience across key touchpoints.

▦ Sitemap ⌁ User Flows

Sitemap / Information Architecture

Mapping a clearer path from discovery to checkout

I restructured the Amazon app sitemap to make the shopping journey easier to understand. The map highlights the core flow from homepage to product pages, cart editing, comparison, and checkout.

Interactive sitemap

Hover through each group to see how the app structure is organized.

Horizontal scroll supported

Amazon App

Core shopping structure

Homepage

Search, deals, categories

Product Pages

Details, reviews, delivery

Shopping Cart

Edit, save, review

Compare / Save

Compare and revisit

Checkout

Review and place order

Top Navigation
Deals & Offers
Recommendations
Search & Filters
Reviews & Ratings
Related Products
Cart Overview
Inline Editing
Save for Later
Compare Products
Saved Items
AI Summary
Delivery Address
Payment Method
Place Order
Homepage → Product Detail → Compare / Save → Cart Editing → Checkout

Design takeaway: this sitemap keeps users oriented across product discovery, product comparison, cart editing, and checkout, reducing unnecessary back-and-forth between pages.

User Flows

Turning the sitemap into task-based flows

After establishing the sitemap, I mapped detailed user flows to define how key features translate into real interactions. I prioritized three task flows around decision-making, cart management, and checkout completion to guide prototyping and usability testing.

Interactive flow map

Choose a flow, drag to pan, zoom the map, and click a node to view details.

Flow 01

Compare cart items then checkout

This flow supports product comparison before checkout, helping users make a more confident final decision.

Action step
Screen / input
Decision point
View original flow image ↗

Design takeaway: mapping these flows helped me identify where users needed clearer comparison, faster cart edits, and stronger checkout confidence before moving into prototype testing.

04/ Ideation & Concept Development

I used quick sketching to explore different ways to reduce shopping friction across product comparison, cart editing, and checkout. Instead of focusing on visual polish at this stage, I used sketches to test layout options, interaction entry points, and user flow structure before moving into wireframes.
01

Sketch Direction

Inline Cart Editing

Explored ways for users to edit quantity, color, size, and product details directly from the cart without returning to the product page.

Design goal: Reduce back-and-forth navigation and give users more control while staying in the cart context.

Inline cart editing sketch

Pencil sketch / process artifact
Sketch showing inline cart editing flow
02

Sketch Direction

Product Comparison

Tested different entry points for comparing saved items and similar products without forcing users to open multiple product pages.

Design goal: Bring key details like price, rating, shipping, and specs closer to the decision point.

Product comparison sketch

Pencil sketch / process artifact
Sketch 01 / Comparison entry Product comparison sketch first page
Sketch 02 / Comparison table Product comparison sketch second page
03

Sketch Direction

Multi-item Checkout

Explored checkout layouts that make payment, delivery, item review, and order confirmation easier to scan when users purchase multiple items.

Design goal: Reduce checkout uncertainty by making costs, payment options, and final order details easier to review.

Multi-item checkout sketch

Pencil sketch / process artifact
Multi-item checkout sketch

Low-fidelity Wireframes

Turning early sketches into testable app flows

After completing the initial sketches, I moved into low-fidelity wireframes to organize the concepts into tangible interfaces. At this stage, I focused on layout hierarchy, decision points, and interaction consistency before moving into high-fidelity design.

Low-fidelity wireframe overview

Open in Figma ↗
Click to view full flow ↗ Low fidelity Amazon app wireframe overview

Interactive prototype preview

View prototype ↗

Design focus: this wireframe stage helped validate how users move from product discovery to comparison, cart editing, and checkout before investing time in visual polish.

05/ Prototyping & Testing & Iteration

Mental Model

Structuring the shopping experience around how users decide

After mapping user behaviors, I grouped the Amazon shopping experience into three decision moments: editing items, checking out multiple products, and comparing similar options.

Design goal: reduce back-and-forth navigation and help users stay oriented from browsing to purchase.

Key Flow 01

Edit product details directly in the cart.

Users often realize they need to change quantity, size, color, or delivery options after adding an item to cart. This flow keeps the edit action in context, so users do not need to return to the product page.

User Need

Make quick changes without losing cart context.

Friction

Editing product details currently feels separated from checkout intent.

Design Response

Use an inline edit panel with clear update, cancel, and availability states.

Interactive Prototype

Click through the redesigned Amazon shopping flow

This prototype demonstrates the redesigned flow for product comparison, inline cart editing, and a clearer multi-item checkout experience.

Tip: interact with the prototype on the right to see how users can compare products, adjust cart details, and move through checkout with less friction.

Having trouble viewing it? Open the prototype in Figma ↗

Key Flow 02 / Interactive Prototype

Seamless multi-item checkout with flexible payment options

This flow simplifies checkout when users purchase multiple items and need more control over payment decisions.

Design focus: let users split payments, select saved payment methods, or add a new card without restarting the checkout process.

Having trouble viewing it? Open the prototype in Figma ↗

Key Flow 03 / Interactive Prototype

Smart decision support through comparison and saving

This flow supports users who are not ready to purchase immediately but want to keep evaluating similar products.

Design focus: help users save items for later, compare similar options, and return to the cart with more confidence.

Having trouble viewing it? Open the prototype in Figma ↗

High-fidelity Wireframes

Refining the Amazon app into a high-fidelity prototype

After validating the low-fidelity structure, I moved into high-fidelity screens to refine visual hierarchy, interaction states, and key shopping flows. The final prototype focuses on product comparison, inline cart editing, and a clearer multi-item checkout experience.

High-fidelity wireframe overview

Open in Figma ↗
Click to view prototype ↗ High fidelity Amazon app wireframe overview

Design focus: the high-fidelity prototype turns the core research insights into polished shopping flows, helping users compare products, adjust cart details, and review checkout information with less friction.

Usability Testing

Testing the redesign across three core shopping tasks

I tested the prototype with five participants to understand whether the redesigned flows reduced friction around cart editing, multi-item checkout, and product comparison.

Testing summary

5 participants / 3 task flows

5

Participants
tested the redesigned prototype

3

Task flows
focused on shopping friction

100%

Completion rate
across all assigned tasks

<30s

Most tasks
completed under 30 seconds

Task 01 / Inline cart editing

Participants were asked to change product details directly in the cart without returning to the product page.

Result: all users completed the task successfully.
Observation: users understood the edit action quickly.
Iteration need: make the update confirmation more visible.

Task 02 / Multi-item checkout

Participants reviewed multiple items, checked delivery groups, and selected payment options before placing an order.

Result: task completed successfully by all participants.
Observation: grouped order review reduced scanning effort.
Iteration need: make payment switching feel more direct.

Task 03 / Save & compare items

Participants saved an item for later, compared similar products, and moved the selected item back to cart.

Result: users completed the comparison task successfully.
Observation: side-by-side comparison improved decision confidence.
Iteration need: make the transition from comparison back to cart more seamless.
How can payment switching feel faster and clearer?
How can primary actions stand out more in checkout?
How can cart edits feel more confirmed and visible?
How can multi-item checkout feel simpler?
How can saving and comparing feel more seamless?

Key takeaway: the redesign performed well overall, but testing revealed opportunities to improve payment clarity, CTA hierarchy, and feedback states after users edit cart items or move products between flows.

Iteration

Refining the experience after usability testing

The first prototype helped validate the core shopping flows, but usability testing revealed moments where users needed clearer feedback, stronger hierarchy, and more realistic checkout logic.

What changed after testing

Click each flow to interact with its prototype

From functional prototype to clearer interaction flow

Users were able to complete the tasks, but they hesitated when editing cart details, switching payment methods, and comparing similar products. Based on these findings, I refined the interaction hierarchy, confirmation states, and comparison entry points to make the experience feel more guided and realistic.

Clearer feedback

Stronger confirmation after editing cart details.

Complete checkout logic

Address, payment, review, and confirmation steps.

Decision support

A clearer comparison entry point and aligned details.

Flow 01

Cart Editing Flow

Problem found during testing

The cart editing feature worked, but the product detail dropdown lacked clear visual hierarchy. Some users felt unsure when modifying quantity or product variants.

Iteration made

I refined dropdown spacing, improved selection states, and made the confirmation button more prominent and consistent across screens.

Design impact

Users can edit cart items without leaving the cart, while clearly seeing when price, quantity, or product detail changes have been applied.

Interactive prototype / Flow 01
Try it: edit item details inside the cart and check the updated state.
Flow 02

Checkout Flow

Problem found during testing

The first checkout version felt incomplete because it mainly relied on Apple Pay. It was missing credit card input, shipping address, payment detail, and review order steps.

Iteration made

I added a full checkout process with shipping address, payment details, review order, confirmation, and order summary screens.

Design impact

The checkout flow now feels more complete and realistic, giving users clearer control over payment, delivery, and final order review.

Interactive prototype / Flow 02
Try it: move through address, payment, review, and order confirmation.
Flow 03

Compare Flow

Problem found during testing

Users did not have a clear entry point to compare similar items. Key differences such as price, rating, and shipping were not visually aligned.

Iteration made

I added a dedicated “Compare with Similar Items” entry point, created a side-by-side comparison view, highlighted differences, and added a direct Add to Cart CTA.

Design impact

The comparison flow now supports faster decision-making by helping users evaluate products in one place and move directly from comparison to purchase.

Interactive prototype / Flow 03
Try it: compare similar items and add the selected option to cart.

Key takeaway: testing showed that the prototype was functional, but the refined version needed stronger clarity around feedback, checkout logic, and product comparison. These iterations made the shopping flow feel more complete, predictable, and decision-focused.

06/ Key takeaways



1. Small interaction details matter most in high-intent moments.

In checkout, users are already close to purchasing, so unclear buttons, missing feedback, or extra navigation can quickly create hesitation.

2. Redesigning a mature product means improving clarity without breaking familiarity.

‍Because Amazon users already understand the platform, my goal was not to reinvent the experience but to make key flows feel more focused and easier to complete.

3. Testing helped me separate visual polish from real usability issues.

‍Some screens looked clear visually, but testing revealed where users still needed stronger feedback, clearer payment hierarchy, and more obvious comparison entry points.
MADE by JESSICA ZHOU
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