Overview:
In this design sprint, I introduced a new set of features to Amazon inspired by social media functionality. These updates aim to create a more interactive and community-driven shopping experience, combining the efficiency of e-commerce with the engagement of a social platform.
Project Context:
Timeline: Designed in 10 days as part of Sprint 2024.
Team Project: Collaborated with a team of 3 designers.
Objective: Redefine Amazon’s marketplace by merging shopping and social interaction, creating a platform where users can discover, engage, and shop all in one place.
Problem Statement:
Amazon’s transactional shopping experience lacks community-driven engagement and personalization. Meanwhile, X (formerly Twitter) faces instability, with users seeking alternative platforms. This creates an opportunity for Amazon to attract these users by integrating interactive, social features. By merging shopping and real-time engagement, Amazon can redefine the marketplace.
Redesign Amazon
Steffi Gundappa Manhalli
002401065
Name:
Nuid:
Solution:
The redesigned Amazon app integrates Twitter-like features to create a dynamic, community-driven shopping experience, including:
1. Chat Feature Integration:
Direct messaging feature allowing users to ask questions and receive personalized responses.
4. Store Integration:
Lists and product availability synced between Amazon Fresh stores and the online marketplace for seamless shopping.
2. Curated Lists:
Themed product lists, updated by sellers or influencers, simplify discovery for both online and physical stores.
3. Live Shopping and Inspiration
Sellers and influencers host real-time product demos to build trust and showcase functionality.
5. Profile Enhancements
What it is: A revamped user profile page displaying orders, subscriptions, and social features (e.g., followers).
Purpose: Personalizes the shopping experience and integrates a social layer where users can follow others for recommendations or shared lists.
Play audio
01:00
Massachusetts Gift Shop
400 Followers
Top Tech Stationary
4.3k Followers
Best Deals in Electronics (USA)
8.3k Followers
Massachusetts Stationary
4.3k Followers
New Apartment Products
3.7k Followers
Top Gifts bellow $50
400 Followers
Amazon List
Amazon Store
Discover new Lists
Live
Live
For Customers: A shopping app enriched with social features like interactive lists, real-time chat, and live shopping streams, offering a personalized and community-driven experience. Customers can easily discover trending products, follow trusted lists, and interact directly with sellers or peers.
Steffi
For Amazon: Seamlessly integrated social features increase app engagement, attract younger, socially active users, and create new revenue streams (e.g., influencer-driven sales and live event promotions). This positions Amazon as a unique platform that blends social interaction with intuitive shopping.
Akash
For Businesses: Tools like curated lists and live shopping features allow sellers to showcase products dynamically and engage directly with customers. Verified recommendations build trust, while chat simplifies resolving queries, leading to higher conversions.
Nisha
we discussed what success would look like for this project, focusing on the benefits for customers, businesses, and Amazon. Here’s what we envision:
Perfect Outcome for This Project
X (Twitter)
What It Does Well
Real-Time Engagement: X excels at delivering real-time updates and facilitating conversations. Features like threads and trending topics keep users engaged.
Personalization and Content Discovery: Personalized feeds and algorithm-driven suggestions (e.g., "For You" tab) ensure users see content they care about.
Social Features: Followers, DMs, and Communities foster connections.
Amazon
What It Does Well
Comprehensive Search and Filters: Amazon’s search bar and detailed filter options are user-friendly and efficient.
Product Recommendations: Amazon’s "Inspired by your browsing" and "Customers also bought" sections are effective for discovery.
Easy Navigation: The categorised homepage and prominent tabs streamline the experience.
Rapid competitive research
TikTok Shop:
Language: Employs engaging, conversational language that aligns with its entertainment-focused content, such as "Discover," "Trending," and "Add to Cart."
UI Elements: Features a prominent "Shop" tab and incorporates product links directly into video content, facilitating a seamless transition from content consumption to shopping.
Target
Language: Welcoming and family-oriented with phrases like "Expect more. Pay less." and "Shop by category" to build trust.
UI Elements: Clean, user-friendly layout with a prominent search bar and well-organized categories for easy browsing.
Day 1 + 2
Sprint Questions
We thought of a few questions, and these are the first things that came to mind as we brainstormed how to refine and implement our solutions:
1.User Engagement: How can features like chat, curated lists, and live shopping address user needs and enhance their shopping experience?
2.Adoption Strategy: What will encourage Twitter/X users to transition to Amazon’s app and engage with these new social features?
3.Feature Integration: How can we ensure that lists, chat, and live shopping feeds are seamlessly integrated into the Amazon app without complicating the user journey?
3.Differentiation: How do features like interactive product lists and Inspire live streams make Amazon stand out from competitors like Instagram and TikTok?
4.Retention: What strategies can we implement (e.g., rewards, personalization) to ensure users consistently engage with these new features over time?
How might we simplify the interface to ensure new features like lists and live shopping are easy to use and non-overwhelming?
How might we onboard users effectively to highlight the value of features like curated lists and real-time chat?
How might we personalize curated lists and live shopping streams to match individual user preferences?
How might we incentivize businesses and influencers to leverage live shopping and curated lists to boost engagement and sales?
How might we address privacy concerns by giving users control over what they share and ensuring secure interactions?
How might we moderate live shopping and public interactions to maintain high-quality, spam-free content?
Initial Sketches
we created low-fidelity wireframes to explore how features like lists, live shopping, chat, and seller profiles could integrate into the Amazon app. After presenting and discussing each design, we conducted a dot vote to prioritize the most compelling ideas. Each of us had three votes to distribute across the features we found most impactful. Here’s how the voting played out:
How Might We Statements
Onbording
Chat with seller
Chat Spaces
Live Shop
Seller Lists
Play audio
01:00
Recording
1s
01:00
Hi
Hi, How may i help you
Today
1:55 PM
1:55 PM
Now
Added real-time messaging and voice note functionality for better communication between users and sellers.
Designed the onboarding process to make account creation and login
Adding lists
Live Review
Profile, Seller Chat, Filter, Cart , Followers and Ai
Massachusetts Gift Shop
400 Followers
Top Tech Stationary
4.3k Followers
Best Deals in Electronics (USA)
8.3k Followers
Massachusetts Stationary
4.3k Followers
New Apartment Products
3.7k Followers
Top Gifts bellow $50
400 Followers
Amazon List
Amazon Store
Discover new Lists
Amazon Fresh Store
400 Followers
Boston’s Local Favorites
400 Followers
Amazon Fresh Store
3.7k Followers
Boston
Worcester
Best Deals at Amazon Fresh (Boston)
8.3k Followers
Massachusetts Stationary
4.3k Followers
Amazon List
Amazon Store
Discover new Lists
12 Plantation St
Amazon Fresh Store
Amazon Fresh Store - Boston
Boston Fresh
30 Stores
5 Accounts
3.7K Followers
Stock up on your holiday essentials at Boston Amazon Fresh Store—get up to 25% off on fresh produce, baked goods, and festive treats! 🍎🍪✨
Top Tech Stationary
Stationary Shop
118 Sellers
85 Accounts
3.7K Followers
Filters
For you
Live
Live
Live
400 Watching
@EstephenCarpio
Joined June 2009
Artist, drawing , illustrator
Estephen Carpio
Following
Followers
866
206.8M
Posts
Replies
Highlights
Intrests
Media
Books
Music
@Steffiimanhalli
Joined June 2009
Plants and Greenery
Steffi
Following
Followers
866
206.8M
Your Orders
Buy Again
Posts
Your List
Yours
Books
Music
@Steffiimanhalli
Joined June 2009
Plants and Greenery
Steffi
Following
Followers
866
206.8M
Your Orders
Posts
Your List
Yours
Books
Music
Introduced live-streaming reviews for real-time product demonstrations.
Designed seller and influencer profiles with follower features to integrate a social aspect into the marketplace.
Created two types of lists: Amazon Online Lists and Amazon Store Lists, enhancing discoverability and convenience.
Discover Lists section, follow a creator, and observe how followers and lists interact with your shopping journey.
Task 1
Navigate to the chat feature, send a message, and see how it supports your interaction with the store (e.g., inquiries about products or promotions).
Task 2
Engage with Live Videos/Reels
Participant 1
Participant 2
Participant 3
Participant 4
Participant 5
Task 3
Observation: The chat feature was intuitive to access,
Observation: I use chat about ongoing discounts
Observation:
Chat will help with quick questions
Observation: Great for discovering holiday deals.
Observation: easy to follow.
Observation: The live video Seem to be engaging
Observation: The live video made me more confident about its quality
Observation: The live video Seem to be engaging
Observation: easy to follow.
Observation: Entertaining and informative.
Observation: helpful chat to inquire about discounts
Observation: Intuitive and saved time.
Observation: list had everything I need in one place
Observation: Personal and well-curated by influencers/sellers.
Observation: Good grocery recommendations.
Quote: "I like the quick response, but I’d appreciate clarity on who’s responding."
Quote: "Let me chat while browsing other pages."
Quote:"I’d like the chat to suggest other deals automatically."
Quote:The chat made me feel supported.".
Quote: "I like The chat makes the doubt cleared
Quote: "I loved the community interaction,
Quote:I wish I could ask questions during the live stream.
Quote: "I loved the community interaction,
Quote: "Add a save or share option so I can revisit videos."
Quote: The video made the product easy to understand."
Quote: I’d prefer lists that prioritize discounted items.
Quote:"The lists were intuitive and saved me time."
Quote: The list was spot-on and very well curated
Quote:Adding filters would make the lists even more useful.
Quote:Show stock availability upfront.
Issue: It wasn’t clear if I was chatting with an AI or a real person,
Issue: Couldn’t multitask during chat.,
Issue: No proactive suggestions for similar deals..
Issue: None
Issue:None.
Issue: I couldn’t interact with the video
Issue:The deals weren’t categorized by location
Issue: I couldn’t interact with the video
Issue: Couldn’t save the video for later.
Issue: None.
Issue: The list didn’t show if the items were currently on sale.
Issue: None.
Issue: None.
Issue: No filtering options..
Issue: Some items can be out of stock.
About analyzing results
01:00
Hi
Hi, I am Alex, How can I help you Today
Today
1:55 PM
1:55 PM
Now
You will be texting agent Alex
Design Iteration
Reflection
Live
400 Watching
Top Tech Stationary
Stationary Shop
118 Sellers
85 Accounts
3.7K Followers
50% Off
Made it look like the seller Himself is texting not Ai
Making the sale more visible for the users
Ensuring users are informed about product availability at their nearest store in real-time.
Adding Q&A Option to the live so that the customers can Enquire about the reviewed product
Prioritize feedback
Low
High
User Value
Effort for the organization
High
Low
Unclear Chat Identity
Interactive Live Q&A Missing
Stock Availability in Lists
Clear
info od sale
Amazon Fresh Store
Amazon Fresh Store - Boston
Boston Fresh
30 Stores
5 Accounts
3.7K Followers
Stock up on your holiday essentials at Boston Amazon Fresh Store—get up to 25% off on fresh produce, baked goods, and festive treats! 🍎🍪✨
InStock at Amazon Fresh Boston
This project highlighted the potential of integrating social engagement features into an e-commerce platform, transforming it into a community-driven marketplace. By addressing user feedback, I learned the importance of balancing interactive elements like live reviews and chat with practical enhancements such as stock visibility and curated lists. The design process reinforced how thoughtful, user-centric solutions can elevate the shopping experience and bridge the gap between commerce and connection.
Participants appreciated features like personalized chat support, interactive live reviews, and curated lists for simplifying shopping. However, they highlighted concerns such as unclear chat identity, lack of product links in live streams, and the need for real-time stock updates in lists.
Identified key user issues like "Unclear Chat Identity" and prioritized fixing features that offer high value, such as "Interactive Live Q&A."
Improved the chat interface for seamless communication, added live Q&A for interactive product reviews, and created curated lists to enhance product discovery both online and in physical stores.
Discover Lists section, follow a creator, and observe how followers and lists interact with your shopping journey.
Task 1
Navigate to the chat feature, send a message, and see how it supports your interaction with the store (e.g., inquiries about products or promotions).
Task 2
Engage with Live Videos/Reels
Participant 1
Participant 2
Participant 3
Participant 4
Participant 5
Task 3
Observation: The chat feature was intuitive to access,
Observation: I use chat about ongoing discounts
Observation:
Chat will help with quick questions
Observation: Great for discovering holiday deals.
Observation: easy to follow.
Observation: The live video Seem to be engaging
Observation: The live video made me more confident about its quality
Observation: The live video Seem to be engaging
Observation: easy to follow.
Observation: Entertaining and informative.
Observation: helpful chat to inquire about discounts
Observation: Intuitive and saved time.
Observation: list had everything I need in one place
Observation: Personal and well-curated by influencers/sellers.
Observation: Good grocery recommendations.
Quote: "I like the quick response, but I’d appreciate clarity on who’s responding."
Quote: "Let me chat while browsing other pages."
Quote:"I’d like the chat to suggest other deals automatically."
Quote:The chat made me feel supported.".
Quote: "I like The chat makes the doubt cleared
Quote: "I loved the community interaction,
Quote:I wish I could ask questions during the live stream.
Quote: "I loved the community interaction,
Quote: "Add a save or share option so I can revisit videos."
Quote: The video made the product easy to understand."
Quote: I’d prefer lists that prioritize discounted items.
Quote:"The lists were intuitive and saved me time."
Quote: The list was spot-on and very well curated
Quote:Adding filters would make the lists even more useful.
Quote:Show stock availability upfront.
Issue: It wasn’t clear if I was chatting with an AI or a real person,
Issue: Couldn’t multitask during chat.,
Issue: No proactive suggestions for similar deals..
Issue: None
Issue:None.
Issue: I couldn’t interact with the video
Issue:The deals weren’t categorized by location
Issue: I couldn’t interact with the video
Issue: Couldn’t save the video for later.
Issue: None.
Issue: The list didn’t show if the items were currently on sale.
Issue: None.
Issue: None.
Issue: No filtering options..
Issue: Some items can be out of stock.
About analyzing results
01:00
Hi
Hi, I am Alex, How can I help you Today
Today
1:55 PM
1:55 PM
Now
You will be texting agent Alex
Design Iteration
Reflection
Live
400 Watching
Top Tech Stationary
Stationary Shop
118 Sellers
85 Accounts
3.7K Followers
50% Off
Made it look like the seller Himself is texting not Ai
Making the sale more visible for the users
Ensuring users are informed about product availability at their nearest store in real-time.
Adding Q&A Option to the live so that the customers can Enquire about the reviewed product
Prioritize feedback
Low
High
User Value
Effort for the organization
High
Low
Unclear Chat Identity
Interactive Live Q&A Missing
Stock Availability in Lists
Clear
info od sale
Amazon Fresh Store
Amazon Fresh Store - Boston
Boston Fresh
30 Stores
5 Accounts
3.7K Followers
Stock up on your holiday essentials at Boston Amazon Fresh Store—get up to 25% off on fresh produce, baked goods, and festive treats! 🍎🍪✨
InStock at Amazon Fresh Boston
This project highlighted the potential of integrating social engagement features into an e-commerce platform, transforming it into a community-driven marketplace. By addressing user feedback, I learned the importance of balancing interactive elements like live reviews and chat with practical enhancements such as stock visibility and curated lists. The design process reinforced how thoughtful, user-centric solutions can elevate the shopping experience and bridge the gap between commerce and connection.
Participants appreciated features like personalized chat support, interactive live reviews, and curated lists for simplifying shopping. However, they highlighted concerns such as unclear chat identity, lack of product links in live streams, and the need for real-time stock updates in lists.
Identified key user issues like "Unclear Chat Identity" and prioritized fixing features that offer high value, such as "Interactive Live Q&A."
Improved the chat interface for seamless communication, added live Q&A for interactive product reviews, and created curated lists to enhance product discovery both online and in physical stores.