Understanding user needs, behaviors and the domain
We conducted competitor analysis across all the major e-commerce sites in India that were extending efforts to deliver products In rural parts of India.
Users were recruited on the field through a set of screening criteria and the places of study were chosen based on the matrix in the illustration.
Top insights about users needs and behaviours
We identified the major concerns and pain points users in rural India had around online shopping and generated an experience map highlighting these.
Distinct personas of the customer (primary) and shop owner (secondary)were created highlighting their capabilities, concerns and wants.
How did we turn research insights into product features?
The Amazon Easy App
Problems solved:
• Return and support features in
the nav bar create awareness and build trust in users.
• Locally revelant analogies are used such as Bag for Cart.
Problem solved:
• Brand driven filters and brand based
sub-category verticals are built to suit the mental
categorization of users.
Problems solved:
• Prioritization of product details and
locally relevant details helps in efficiency.
•
Local reviews help users to relate more and evaluate products
better.
Problems solved:
• Mobile OTP based login and checkout eliminates the need for
email ids.
• SMS based updates and feedback makes the process smoother
for a mobile-first market.
Proposed design structures
A user journey for the assisted shopping model was proposed where the consumer orders from an in-store tablet with the assistance of the shop owner and waits to pick-up from the same store where the order will be delivered. The illustration besides shows the different steps the consumer has to go through.
Based on the several concepts generated, we narrowed down to a the final concept and generated information architecture for the tablet app.
My top learnings at Amazon
As a UXer, I took the responsibility of communicating the value of user research horizontally and convinced the team to do more foundational research, which in turn helped me take data-driven decisions and influence product strategy.
The internship taught me the value of connecting with cross-functional teams and gathering feedback. Their feedback helped me iterate on my designs and on a higher level, it helped me grow more as a T-shaped designer.
People remember stories more. My first industry experience helped me hone my storytelling skills both as a researcher and designer.