wayfair
Redesigning the mWeb cart experience
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In Spring 2023, I joined Wayfair as a Product Design Co-op, where I worked on two impactful projects that addressed both enterprise tools and customer-facing experiences. One project involved creating a mobile portal for warehouse staff, aimed at simplifying tasks like managing time-off requests, accessing benefits, and tracking hours. The other focused on redesigning Wayfair’s mobile web cart—a crucial part of the online shopping experience.
Both projects presented exciting challenges, but for this case study, I’m focusing on the cart redesign. The cart plays a pivotal role for millions of shoppers, and my goal was to streamline the checkout process to make it smoother, more intuitive, and engaging. By leveraging competitive analysis, user research, and iterative design, I crafted solutions that aligned user needs with business objectives, contributing to Wayfair’s mission of enhancing the overall shopping journey.
Shoppers faced a fragmented checkout experience due to inconsistent design and unclear actions, hindering usability and overall satisfaction.
The goal was to identify best practices and key areas for improvement, ensuring an enhanced and competitive cart experience for our customers.
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Competitive Analysis
discovery
I looked at 10 leading e-commerce players (direct and indirect), some of which include Amazon, Target, Home Depot, Ikea, Walmart, Nike, Apple, Zara, and Gymshark.
key takeaways
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User Testing Feedback
Validation
I conducted unmoderated mobile user tests with 8 participants to evaluate updates to the header, footer, and product cards. The testing also focused on the "My Saved Lists" and "You May Also Need" carousel features, aiming to identify their impact on user engagement and ease of navigation.
To measure impact at scale, we ran an A/B test with 7,500 users over three weeks, splitting traffic between the old cart and the redesigned version.
On a scale of 1-5, how likely are you to purchase home related items on your mobile device?
General Takeaways
Overall, users felt that the redesigned cart was informative and concise.
Most users prioritized final price, taxes, shipping, delivery date, product details, returns, and quantity. Only 2/8 users felt the inclusion of Home Services information was necessary. 6/8 found the redesigned saved items section intuitive and successfully completed tasks, while 7/8 didn’t consider product IDs or ratings essential for making purchase decisions.
High Level Takeaways
Product Cards
Current state
Redesign
What worked: Users valued delivery dates, price clarity, and visual organization.
Pain Points: Bulk savings and product codes felt unnecessary and cluttered. Grouping items by delivery dates was suggested for better tracking.
Save for Later
Current state
Redesign
Redesign Impact: The updated section introduced friction, horizontal scrolling felt out of place.
Key Insights: Users felt that certain details were still buried.
Proceed to Checkout
Current state
Redesign
Current State: The header CTA and subtotal placement caused redundancy and confusion.
Redesign Feedback: Users preferred a sticky footer with a unified subtotal and checkout button for better accessibility.
Variation A (Current)
Words used to describe current Cart page
Variation B (Redesign)
Words used to describe redesigned Cart page
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Next steps
Refining Post-Launch
Incorporate user feedback to improve the "Save for Later" interaction.
Explore alternate carousel controls and delivery grouping methods.
Reevaluate the inclusion of SKU codes and prototype horizontal scroll behavior.
Further Validation
Conduct additional user testing to validate recent updates.
Potential Future Features
Introduce "Compare with Similar Items" in the cart.
Develop a price tracker for better purchase planning.
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Reflections + Learnings
Wayfair was an incredible learning experience in designing with real-world constraints. The ESP project taught me to adapt to business needs and create something functional yet intuitive for warehouse employees, balancing usability with operational goals. Working closely with PMs and engineers, I learned how collaborative problem-solving can push a project forward, even with limited resources.
Redesigning the mWeb cart showed me the impact of data-driven decisions on customer retention. Using A/B testing and user feedback, I crafted a more seamless checkout experience that directly boosted conversions. Through both projects, I gained practical insights into navigating design systems, understanding user needs, and making a measurable impact—skills that will stick with me as I grow!
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