Amazon Prime Merch

New Prime Video Feature

designed a new Prime Video feature that created a human-centered, revenue-generating opportunity without frustrating users.

Entertainment, Streaming Service

INDUSTRY:

Our success metrics focus on increasing user engagement and viewing time without disruption.

OBJECTIVE:

CLIENT

UX Design Challenge, IterateUX

PROJECT

Design a user experience that seamlessly integrates immersive storytelling elements and e-commerce functionalities within a video streaming platform (Netflix, Amazon, etc.) where users can seamlessly transition from enjoying their favorite shows to discovering and purchasing products featured in scenes.

ROLE

UX/UI Designer and UX Researcher

DELIVERABLES

Wireframes and mock-ups for core features, and presenting our research strategies

Overview

IterateUX Hackathon

The IterateUX foundation drives its mission with a focus on designers, organizing 6-week hackathons designed by designers, for designers. They offer a platform to learn UX research, UX and UI design skills, user-centered expertise, but also leadership, collaboration, and presentation skills.

Participants compete in teams of 3-5 UX designers from all over the world. I was fortunate to work alongside 2 super talented UX designers from across Canada on this project.

Challenges

How Might We…?

  • Anything associated with the problem implies the challenges, such as the difficulty of introducing a new feature and encouraging the user to give it a try and stay engaged with it, competing with the new strategy of other competitors ( The more we focus on people, the more we remain the first choice for them). Additionally, we must consider stakeholders' criteria for revenue generation models.

My Process

Research

About Amazon Prime Video

We've studied Amazon Prime Video's services, revenue sources, and advertising model, helping us with strategic decision-making and potential implementation within Amazon Prime Video platform.

  • Services
    Video Streaming Service, offered to subscribers of Prime
    Allows users to watch videos and TV shows on demand

  • Revenue sources
    Subscriptions
    Advertisements
    Digital purchases and rentals

  • Advertising model
    Introduced Ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) model, 2024
    Users watch advertisements before, during, or after video playback

Facts about Prime Video Users

We uncovered fascinating behavioral and consumption patterns among Amazon Prime users:

  • 80% of Prime members watch Prime Video.

  • 87% of TV viewers watch with a second screen in hand (multitaskers).

  • 65% of TV viewers use secondary device to look up information and head to advertiser’s site

  • 15% of TV viewers purchase physical goods through TV.

Competitor Analysis

We analyzed four competitors (both direct and indirect): Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and Tubi. In terms of understanding how well they integrate e-commerce features.

Then we compared Amazon Prime Video with its competitors in terms of SWOT Analysis.

Target Audience

Our target audience comprises engaged subset of Amazon Prime subscribers who are adept online shoppers and tech-savvy millennials, seamlessly transitioning through digital devices.

Value Proposition

Our value proposition focuses on tangible and intangible benefits for both Prime users and the Prime service.

User Views on Shopping Integration in Streaming Platforms

What are viewers' perceptions of adding e-commerce to their streaming platform, and how feasible is it to sell themed merchandise based on their preferences? These are comments from Disney+ discussing the opportunity to add e-commerce features to the streaming platform and their opinion.

Problem Statement

The Amazon Prime subscribers need a way to seamlessly purchase items related to their favorite shows so that they can enjoy shopping without interrupting their viewing experience.

Survey

We conducted a survey with 26 participants, including both prime and non-prime members, and asked 10 broad questions. Some of the topics we explored in the survey were demographics, frequency of streaming usage, ad tolerance, and preferences.

Quantitative Findings

Qualitative Findings

User Interview

We conducted interviews with 2 Amazon member participants, exploring topics such as Immersive Viewing Experience, Product Discovery and Purchase Behavior, and the Impact of New Features on Viewing Experience.

Analyze and Synthesize Findings

Empathy Map

We synthesized our findings from primary and secondary research to create an empathy map, focusing on users thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. This process assists in creating personas and scenarios more effectively.

Pain Points

User preferences and behaviors:
• Users dislike disorganized choices
• Users perceive the X-Ray feature as unhelpful

Advertising and interruptions:
• Users find ads annoying and prefer ad-free experiences.
• Users skip ads when given the option.

Influence and recommendations:
• Users are influenced by recommendations from friends and family. Feeling disconnection without them.
• Users miss out on discovering new shows without recommendations.
• Users may regret missing purchasing opportunities for products featured in shows.

Persona

We developed our personas, Emily using our user-centered design approach, ensuring the success of our product by consistently referencing them throughout the design process.

User Journey

Designing the solutions

Ideating the design solution

We ran a Crazy 8’s exercise. Each team member explained their ideas. We picked out common themes and listed popular functions. We used a voting system to place stars by the functions we felt would best be suited to address the Problem Statement.

  • AI Assistant

  • Searching by listening

  • Movie Anatomy

  • Notifying later by AI search

  • Searching with remote control

  • Searching with voice recognition

  • Movie Anatomy

  • Using mobile phone to control movie

  • AI search for products on screen

  • Points for buying merchandise

Low-fidelity designed solutions

We aimed to enhance the viewing experience with 'live' features providing product recommendations on a personal device.

Low-fi Sketches.png

An organized new look

Mid-fidelity wireframes.png

Usability Testing

Through moderated user testing with 8 participants, we analyzed the effectiveness of our prototypes and evaluated the usability of our solutions.

Method: Through moderated user testing with 8 participants, we analyzed the effectiveness of our prototypes and evaluated the usability of our solutions.

Goal: to ensure that our new features provide a satisfying user experience, ultimately aiming to validate and improve our design decisions based on user feedback.

Task 1: Open the app, and find a new feature called “MERCH”.

Task 2: Explore topics related to the show.

Task 3: Find a product or item that interests you within the show.

Task 4: Purchase the product

What users failed to understand

What we refined after usability testing

Information Architecture (Sitemap)

We aimed to address the majority of issues encountered by participants when navigating through our app quickly and efficiently, while keeping the interface familiar. We started by building the skeleton before implementing functionality. To address the main task, we followed the existing logic of the app's structure, the scenario, and its objectives.

High-fidelity Wireframes

"Bringing together good vibes and merchandise for a memorable experience”

Merch meaning: Merchandise - branded products or promotional items associated with Amazon.
Why a mug: Practical item, appealing to a wide audience and making it easy for users to identify and associate with the merchandise feature.

Hi-fidelity wireframes.png

Takeaways

Learnings:

During the UX Challenge, we found that working with new team members brought different viewpoints and expectations. This made it tough to meet everyone's needs while handling other project constraints. As a result, we improved our ability to adapt to changes and actively listen to others.

Achievements:

We're proud of our solution and genuinely believe it offers a viable alternative for revenue generation for the vendor, it’s a human-centric revenue generation. It promises a seamless and enjoyable user experience, leveraging innovative techniques and technology.

Next Steps

The first step is to integrate the current app with the interaction between the onscreen TV app and the mobile device. We called this Remote Control to make the users feel they are in control while watching.

Second, we will conduct an additional usability test to gain an authentic understanding of the user's experience.

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