Amazon: Transparency

The Transparency program helps brands stop counterfeit products, improve customer engagement, and gain valuable insights into their supply chain.

Overview

I was the Senior UX Designer for the entire Transparency organization working with 14 Product and Program Managers on a variety of Tools & Platforms. Day to day projects include:

  • Transparency portal: Web app where brands such as Microsoft or Samsung log in to do various tasks such as:
    - Onboard to the platform and enroll their products
    - Order/Print Transparency codes
    - Review dashboards to validate the success of the Transparency program (product returns, customer scans, customer feedback)
    - Internal tools: Tools used & visible only by Account/Brand managers to perform manual tasks on behalf of a brand
  • Seller Central: Integrating Transparency features into Amazon's platform for businesses to manage product sales and authenticity.
  • Fulfillment Centers: Designed UX for Transparency features to integrate with FC systems, enhancing product authenticity verification for warehouse workers.
  • Amazon.com: Integrating Transparency into highly trafficked pages such as:
    - Search
    - Detail page
    - Product Owner Page
    - Progress Tracker
    - Amazon Lens (scanning workflow in the Amazon mobile app)

About this case study

The study highlights my contributions to creating a cohesive UX vision for high-traffic customer experiences, including the Search, Detail, and Amazon Lens pages.

1. Investigate

I investigate the problem through competitive analysis, customer feedback, and product team collaboration. This multi-faceted approach provides insights to define the problem and set design goals.

What does the process of authenticating an item look like?
How do other companies visually represent authenticity?
What are the customer benefits from authenticating?

2. Ideate

In this case study, I used Lean Canvas for ideation, which offers a structured approach to generating and evaluating ideas. It helps me focus on problem identification, customer segments, and unique value propositions. Techniques like 'How Might We' questions foster creativity, allowing me to explore innovative solutions that align with user needs and business goals.

Other ideation tools I've used in the past include:
Affinity diagramming: Using FigJam and (in the old days) Post-it notes to collectively organize ideas, establishing potential patterns for the next design phase.
Sketching: I prefer to use modern design tools to generate low-fidelity (boxes and arrows) designs to structure some of the collaborative ideas we've generated. Well versed in Balsamiq, Axure, Sketch, Figma, Adobe.

3. Prototype

For this project, I created user flows and interactive prototypes that simulate authentic experiences. This approach facilitates rapid communication of ideas to Product/Engineering teams and senior leadership, while also enabling unbiased customer feedback.

A comprehensive prototyping process includes:
a. Initial wireframes in Figma or Sketch
b. Refined mockups in Figma
c. High-fidelity, interactive prototypes in Figma or Axure
View Figma

4. Evaluate

In the evaluative stage, I employed a multi-faceted approach to assess design effectiveness:
A/B Testing: Compare designs to optimize user comprehension and satisfaction.
Quantitative Surveys: Quantify customer preferences for product terminology.
Qualitative Surveys: Assess customer sentiment and experiences from the prototype/screens.
Customer Interviews: Conduct one-on-one sessions to gain deeper insights into user needs and pain points.

Feedback-based improvements
I utilize a variety of tools and methods for user research and testing:
UserTesting.com• Moderated 1:1 interviews
• Unmoderated surveys
• Prototype walkthrough questionnaires
Qualtrics• Complex, branching surveys
• Studies requiring statistical significance
Mechanical Turk• Integrated for automated incentive payments
In-person sessions• One-on-one interviews
• Roundtable discussions
Eye tracking view brief• Used to compare stated preferences with actual behavior
View video

5. Produce

In the Produce phase, I transform concepts into functional designs, collaborating with engineers. I iterate based on user research, balancing user needs and business goals to create effective digital products.

Consistently praised for facilitating cross-functional collaboration, enabling Product, Engineering, and Design teams to directly observe and engage with authentic customer feedback.
Organized and facilitated small roundtable discussions with customer service associates
Presented eye-tracking study results from Amazon fraud investigators
Presented sentiment analysis results from over 350 UserTesting participants, focusing on verbiage preferences
View report