Back
Clunky returns → 30% faster, frustration-free 🚀
Published Nov 07, 2024 • 6 minutes read
E-Commerce
Design Sprint
Research
Problem Solving
Decoding the Challenge
In this sprint, we tackled the complexities of Amazon India’s return and replacement process. By identifying pain points like tracking struggles and confusing policies, we set out to transform the experience, making it smoother, clearer, and more efficient for customers and operations alike.
In this sprint, we tackled the complexities of Amazon India’s return and replacement process. By identifying pain points like tracking struggles and confusing policies, we set out to transform the experience, making it smoother, clearer, and more efficient for customers and operations alike.
Collaboration at its Best
During the sprint and beyond, I worked closely with design leads and project managers, gathering feedback to refine our approach. We explored the user journey through interviews, feedback analysis, and shadowing support staff to uncover key pain points.
During the sprint and beyond, I worked closely with design leads and project managers, gathering feedback to refine our approach. We explored the user journey through interviews, feedback analysis, and shadowing support staff to uncover key pain points.
Questions we aimed to answer in this SPRINT
Questions we aimed to answer in this SPRINT
How can we simplify and enhance the visual appeal of the return policy?
The terms in Amazon (e.g., replacement, exchange) confusing customers?
Are we clearly communicating item status during returns and replacements?
How can we incorporate sustainability into the returns process?
Is the ORC (Order Return/Cancel) experience seamless and easy for customers?
How can we simplify and enhance the visual appeal of the return policy?
The terms in Amazon (e.g., replacement, exchange) confusing customers?
Are we clearly communicating item status during returns and replacements?
How can we incorporate sustainability into the returns process?
Is the ORC (Order Return/Cancel) experience seamless and easy for customers?
Day 1: Understanding the User and Competition
Day1: Understanding the User & Competition
Customer Anecdotes from User Research
Customers shared frustrations about unclear policies, lack of updates, and confusion between exchanges and replacements.
Customer Anecdotes from User Research
Customers shared frustrations about unclear policies, lack of updates, and confusion between exchanges and replacements.
What's the difference between exchange and replacement? I don't understand — Customer from Tier 2
What's the difference between exchange and replacement? I don't understand — Customer from Tier 2
Why is the service center required now? This wasn’t clear before ordering — Customer from Tier 1
Why is the service center required now? This wasn’t clear before ordering — Customer from Tier 1
Direct & Indirect Competitor Analysis
We compared return and replacement policies across Flipkart, Ajio, Myntra, Tata Cliq, and Meesho to identify best practices, aiming to improve Amazon India's customer experience.
Direct & Indirect Competitor Analysis
We compared return and replacement policies across Flipkart, Ajio, Myntra, Tata Cliq, and Meesho to identify best practices, aiming to improve Amazon India's customer experience.
Day 2: Unpacking the problem
Day2: Unpacking the problem
Throughout the sprint, participants identified key pain points through discussions and post-its on FigJam. These insights revealed several areas needing attention in the Amazon India returns process.
Throughout the sprint, participants identified key pain points through discussions and post-its on FigJam. These insights revealed several areas needing attention in the Amazon India returns process.
Identified Problem Areas
Identified Problem Areas
Challenges
Challenges
🔍 Difficult Access
🔍
Difficult Access
Users struggled to find the returns section
Users struggled to find the returns section
⏳ Lengthy Processes
⏳
Lengthy Processes
Multiple steps caused delays
Multiple steps caused delays
👀 Lack of Transparency
👀
Lack of Transparency
Unclear return, refund, or replacement status
Unclear return, refund, or replacement status
🕒 Refund Delays
🕒
Refund Delays
Manual processing slowed resolutions
Manual processing slowed resolutions
🚫 Fraudulent Returns
🚫
Fraudulent Returns
Fake returns added complexity
Fake returns added complexity
🛠️ Self-Repair & Service Center Options
🛠️
Self/Service Center
Limited visibility on alternatives
Limited visibility on alternatives and repairs
Problem Statement:
Problem Statement:
How might we simplify, speed up, and expand the return process while promoting self-repair and service center replacements, and eliminating fraudulent returns or replacements?
How might we simplify, speed up, and expand the return process while promoting self-repair and service center replacements, and eliminating fraudulent returns or replacements?
Day 3: Ideation
Day3: Ideation
How Might We?
Participants ideated on How Might We (HMW) questions to generate focused ideas. This helped reframe the challenge, prioritize key areas, and guide the ideation phase toward actionable solutions.
Participants ideated on How Might We (HMW) questions to generate focused ideas. This helped reframe the challenge, prioritize key areas, and guide the ideation phase toward actionable solutions.
Affinity Mapping
As participants added post-its, we began organizing the problems into categories through affinity mapping, allowing us to clearly identify recurring pain points and areas of focus.
As participants added post-its, we began organizing the problems into categories through affinity mapping, allowing us to clearly identify recurring pain points and areas of focus.
Brainstorming led to several innovative ideas
Brainstorming led to several innovative ideas
Usability and Design Goals
Usability and Design Goals
💡 Simplicity
💡
Simplicity
Easy navigation & user-friendly experience
Easy navigation & user-friendly experience
🚀 Speed
🚀
Speed
Minimize time for returns & replacements
Minimize time for returns & replacements
👀 Transparency
👀
Transparency
Clear, real-time tracking
Clear, real-time tracking
🌀 Flexibility
🌀
Flexibility
Self-repair & service center options
Self-repair & service center options
🛡️ Security
🛡️
Security
Reduce fraudulent returns
Reduce fraudulent returns
Day 4: Sketching & Paper Prototype
Day4: Sketching & Paper Prototype
During sketching, I quickly visualized ideas along with the team, enabling rapid iteration, clarifying concepts, and identifying potential issues early. Later, we presented our design sketches, sharing the goals behind our ideas while focusing on concepts rather than design clarity, design systems, or business constraints.
During sketching, I quickly visualized ideas along with the team, enabling rapid iteration, clarifying concepts, and identifying potential issues early. Later, we presented our design sketches, sharing the goals behind our ideas while focusing on concepts rather than design clarity, design systems, or business constraints.
Day 5: Testing
Day5: Testing
On Testing Day, we reviewed all the groups' sketches and paper prototypes 📝, discussing which solutions could be implemented and developed into high-fidelity designs.
With the entire team 👥 — including Product Managers, Leads, Developers, and Designers — present, we were able to make rapid decisions . Having everyone on the same page made it easy to align on the direction, ensuring clarity and shared understanding across the team.
On Testing Day, we reviewed all the groups' sketches and paper prototypes 📝, discussing which solutions could be implemented and developed into high-fidelity designs.
With the entire team 👥 — including Product Managers, Leads, Developers, and Designers — present, we were able to make rapid decisions . Having everyone on the same page made it easy to align on the direction, ensuring clarity and shared understanding across the team.
Going Forward
I teamed up with the Amazon Lead UX Designer to craft high-fidelity prototypes that not only aligned with business goals and design standards but also made the user experience a breeze.
Our mission? To create something intuitive, fun, and super easy for users to interact with—making design feel effortless and enjoyable!
I teamed up with the Amazon Lead UX Designer to craft high-fidelity prototypes that not only aligned with business goals and design standards but also made the user experience a breeze.
Our mission? To create something intuitive, fun, and super easy for users to interact with—making design feel effortless and enjoyable!
Want a sneak peek at our polished designs and the testing results?
Let’s connect and dive deeper into the design process
Want a sneak peek at our polished designs and the testing results?
Let’s connect and dive deeper into the design process
Learnings
Collaboration is Key
Close collaboration with design leads, project managers, and team members ensured alignment on objectives and refined designs through regular feedback loops.Customer-Centric Approach
User research and insights from customer anecdotes and competitor analysis guided the design, emphasizing the integration of user needs to create intuitive solutionsIterative Design Process
Rapid prototyping and testing allowed for quick idea visualization, early issue identification, and continuous refinement, ensuring a user-centered final productAlignment with Business Goals
High-fidelity prototypes balanced user needs with business goals, ensuring solutions enhance the user experience while meeting business objectives
Collaboration is Key
Close collaboration with design leads, project managers, and team members ensured alignment on objectives and refined designs through regular feedback loops.Customer-Centric Approach
User research and insights from customer anecdotes and competitor analysis guided the design, emphasizing the integration of user needs to create intuitive solutionsIterative Design Process
Rapid prototyping and testing allowed for quick idea visualization, early issue identification, and continuous refinement, ensuring a user-centered final productAlignment with Business Goals
High-fidelity prototypes balanced user needs with business goals, ensuring solutions enhance the user experience while meeting business objectives
OTHER WORKS
INDIA
Can an app make loans hassle-free?
Amazon Pay says YES!Hassle-Free & Instant Personal Loan
FinTech • End to End Research & Design
Why do students miss the Library Map?
A Study on UsabilityUX Research on Improving University Library Maps
UX Research • Web Navigation
COMING SOON!!
Transforming Temu: A Storyboard Journey
Enhancing Focus and Flow with Attention Models
Storyboarding • Psychology in HCI • E-Commerce
OTHER WORKS
INDIA
Can an app make loans hassle-free? Amazon Pay says YES!
Hassle-Free & Instant Personal Loan
FinTech • End to End Research & Design
Why do students miss the Library Map? A Study on Usability
UX Research on Improving University Library Maps
UX Research • Web Navigation
COMING SOON!!
Transforming Temu: A Storyboard Journey
Enhancing Focus and Flow with Attention Models
Storyboarding • Psychology in HCI • E-Commerce
© Aishwarryabp2025
4:25 AM
Love what you see?
Let’s connect to create something meaningful!
Clunky returns → 30% faster, frustration-free 🚀
Published Oct 11, 2024 • 6 minutes read
E-Commerce
Design Sprint
Research
Problem Solving
© Aishwarryabp2025
4:25 AM