This blog aims to explore and evaluate the interaction design principles of website design, such as amazon.com. By assessing the elements of interaction design principles, such as seven usability goals, we can critically evaluate the website. This evaluation and analysis will guide the creation of general websites and personal websites that may be created in the future. Highlighting how various elements in their design work, and how they can be incorporated within your designs.
You might never think about it or feel it, but you’re probably using it. Every detail, every product, and the typical item you use—from smartphones to laptops, apps, and websites—when there’s an interaction, there’s always a design. Designs are everywhere, they are “highly synthetic and strongly concerned with the real-world subject matter” (Razzouk, 2012, p. 334). Our world is built around thinking, processing, and understanding—the things around us, and why things work the way they do. As the world’s grown rapidly in the digital age, there’s even more need for better design. Since website interactions have been developed, designs are playing a pivotal role in engagement, and experience. Understanding these core functionalities of interactive design, such as identifying strengths and weaknesses, can bring valuable insights and information for the designs of new websites.
With the widespread growth of e-commerce websites, the chosen website for these interactive design principles is Amazon (amazon.com). This is due to their success and ranking as the number one website under the type: Marketplace. Having a good interface is extremely important for e-commerce websites. “Good interface design is the key factor to meet the needs of consumers and enterprises to survive in competitive online sales” (Cheng, 2019, p. 1). This means that a user’s interface affects their purchases and is pivotal for them to continue to operate and get customers. It’s no wonder why websites have updates and evolutions to their designs. That way they can continue to stay relevant, effective, efficient, safe, and more. Ever see a pop-up requesting cookies, and consent and permission to use your data? They’re used in web analytics. “Web analytics is a gateway for your organization to become deeply invested in what your customers are doing online” (Cheng, 2019, p. 9). These are part of the interaction design process, to find out how well their website is performing. From visits, to click rates of each item, the time they spend looking at an item, this data can be used in analysis to optimize their website accordingly. Companies and organizations will use this data to update their services so that they perform well in the interactive designing areas. That way they are efficient and effective toward their targeted audience.
While this project is targeted toward a website, keep in mind that from the “human-machine interface perspective, the Internet can be understood as an abstract interface between the knowledge of one user and other users” (Jiang, 2020, p. 2). This means that the usage of the keys, screen, mouse, and even the internet are interactive designs toward a targeted group, in this case, most humans. Additionally, healthcare needs good interactive design, since health information is vital in saving lives, helping people, and carrying out real-life health issues. Let’s begin with the website that is selected: Amazon (amazon.com). A website that has a variety of features, from navigation to searching, to interactive elements, and more. This gives us a good base of features to examine and analyze for a more complete and comprehensive analysis. First, we will begin with initial observations, these are the first impressions when someone stumbles or goes to look up a website. Next, we will analyze the website using a detailed evaluation method: the usability goals assessment. Seven total usability goals are in the 2023 version of interaction design, beyond-computer interaction.
This begins by heading to Amazon (amazon.com), searching for the website is easy, and intuitive. If you have been using Google and the internet, the website domain is recognizable and easy to spell. As I look around, I see a variety of products, a search bar, and items that I may be interested in. I can see how the homepage is visually appealing and draws attention to the navigation features such as tabs, searches, and exploration. Images for items are large and texts outline what they are. The site also recommends the user sign in, this way they may begin collecting data and try to influence a return from the customer. While there is quite a bit going on, there is not too much clutter, everything looks organized and compartmented. A pop-up even comes up for new customers to guide them into what they may be looking for. The site is also secure since it utilizes “https” and has a lock icon in the URL. Overall, it seems like a good website that is not overwhelming but directs you towards exploring more and finding out about their website without congestion or overly forcing interaction on their users.
Effectiveness is defined as how good a product is at doing what it is supposed to do” (Sharp, 2023, p. 20). According to Amazon, they extensively utilize usability goals to upgrade and update their service. We can see that the search bar provides accurate results by examining Amazon's product search. Filtering for refining searches by prices, brands, ratings, and more. Users are also able to navigate using the subcategories or tabs within Amazon. Which has grouped top searches within categories essentially compartmentalizing their products into a specific category for easier navigation. Another feature that Amazon has is the personalization of recommendations. This allows users to quickly load back their last search sessions and give suggestions to the user based on what they purchase and browse. The difficulty of this is balancing what may be too much for users, since too many options may overwhelm them. Causing them to leave in confusion, it may also be difficult to differentiate sponsored products from recommended, interesting products that the user may want. Another part that can be evaluated is the product information. Amazon offers a detailed product description, which includes specifications, images, videos, brands, and customer reviews. This means that users will be able to accurately select what they want. Additionally, Amazon has a feature to compare items, which is helpful for users to evaluate and select their choices. While this is a good effective design, there are some weaknesses, such as an inconsistency in quality and description by third-party sellers. This may lead to inaccuracy or misleading information. The checkout process is another major part that should be evaluated. Amazon offers the ability to buy now, add to a cart, enter coupon codes, and even subscribe to save. Amazon also has multiple payment methods from Amazon credit to gift cards, PayPal, and credit cards. Orders are also tracked, which allows users to monitor their orders. While these features are great, they may confuse a first-time user since there are so many options to select. To checkout customers also must log in, while this may increase customer return, some customers may not want to create an account. However, Amazon has made it easy to create one. Another issue that may be improved upon is the ability to add multiple payment methods for items. Amazon does not have the feature to allow users to select multiple cards and pay certain amounts on each card. This may be effective for users who use gift cards and only have a certain amount on them. Customer service is another major part of Amazon’s design, and they offer chatbots and contact options for users. While this is good, it may not be as intuitive for new users. Account settings and management are another major part of Amazon’s interactive design. Allowing users to easily access their past orders, initiate returns, write reviews, and manage their accounts means that their account has options for a more robust experience tailored to their liking. While this is most of the time good interaction design, some users may not like the abundance of options.
Efficiency is defined as “the way a product supports people in carrying out their tasks” (Sharp, 2023, p. 21) Similarly to effectiveness, we begin with the search and navigation. Their search system allows a variety of filter options to get the user to their appropriate product quickly. Additionally, autocomplete or text suggestions are given to the user based on what they are typing. Again, recommendations and frequently bought items may be paired together, this reduces the time users spend browsing, navigating, and looking for the product they may be looking for. While for the vast number of cases, this should increase efficiency, some users may be unfamiliar with the features and may find it difficult to decide what product is best for them. Which would overall increase their time searching, however, amazon does offer their recommended choice for similar products, which increases efficiency. During the checkout process, once again the buy now option offers minimal time for users shopping for one specific product. Addresses, payment methods, and options to repurchase past purchases are great interaction designs for efficiency. Delivery options such as fast shipping and same-day delivery are also ways that Amazon has increased its efficiency in interactive design. While these are good ways to increase efficiency, saving payments and addresses could be a safety concern due to data breaches. Suggestions for additional products during this process may slow down this process. Managing orders, tracking, initiating returns, and buy-again options are again efficient features that Amazon provides. The customer support section has AI chatbots, and FAQs, for common questions and solutions so that users do not have to contact human support. This can save a lot of time which increases the efficiency of Amazon.
Safety is defined as “protecting a person from dangerous conditions and undesirable situations” (Sharp, 2023, p. 21). Safety should be the top priority, however often it is not. Logging into Amazon, logins are secured by authentication either through texts, calls, or the use of authenticator apps. This makes sure that there is not someone randomly accessing a user’s account without their permission. While this is good in almost all cases, some users may find this part tedious, but it is necessary for their user’s safety. Confirmation screens, product reviews, and ratings are all part of safety on Amazon within the usability goals. This means that users are less likely to buy unintended products, make poor choices, be misled by products, and receive a detailed summary of their orders, before confirming. While this is a great use of safety for interaction design, some products may find loopholes, manipulate the results, and utilize these features to boost and increase their product sales. Another safety feature on Amazon is being able to easily cancel, return, and refund products, especially if defective. Amazon’s policy allows users to take minimal financial risk. However, the use of third-party sellers could cause potential arguments, delays, and or confusion about who is at fault. The top results that may come to mind when thinking about website safety are payments, data, privacy, and information security. Having security measures such as encryption, two-factor authentication, policies, and monitoring potentially unusual activities are ways Amazon protects its users from potential threats. This means by updating and implementing the most modern safety measures Amazon can keep their systems safe. The downside of this is that this may be expensive, and there may be challenges storing so much personal information.
Utility is defined as “the extent to which the product provides the right kind of functionality so that users can do what they need or want to do” (Sharp, 2023, p. 21). Amazon has a diverse catalog of options. From small products to large ones. Even prefabricated homes can be bought. This is due to their third-party sellers, which allow products from around the world to be sold on Amazon. The difficulty of this may be identifying good quality items. Since there may be many low-quality items, in this case, both Amazon and the seller must make profits. The search features on Amazon are another utility tool, from pricing to brand, rating, and other attributes. Amazon has many functions that users may want to use. Allowing users to compare products, giving users multiple payment methods, delivery options, and management over their orders allows users to do what they need or want to do. Not only can Amazon be looked up on a website. They even have an app; this mobile option allows users to easily use their mobile devices for their services. This ultimately increases where Amazon can be used. Even their Alexa assistant allows shopping for products. Another feature that may not come to mind about Amazon, is that they don’t just offer product services. From eBooks to videos, to music. They offer a diverse range of user needs, bundled up in one company.
Learnability is defined as “how easy a product is to learn to use” (Sharp, 2023, p. 21). The main concept of learnability is intuitive design. On the home page, Amazon displays a search bar, categories, and recommendations. This allows users to understand the navigation system more easily before being overwhelmed by all the other features. Finding a good balance for users with the content will help users adapt to the Amazon environment. Amazon also always has a homepage for users to never get lost. This allows users to return to the main screen. The search features on Amazon are relatively straightforward like Google with popout filter options. This means that users who use the internet normally will not have much difficulty understanding. It’s like what they have always been doing. The layout of Amazon is also structured in a way for users to understand and find details or information about. The cart function and checkout process are like what users would expect, and this means that they can use it with relative ease. While tips and guides are popped up for new users when the task becomes more complex. Amazon’s design allows users to learn as they navigate and allows users to see for themselves as they are in control while understanding the website.
Memorability is defined as “how easy a product is to remember how to use, once learned” (Sharp, 2023, p. 22). This means that there should be consistency in the design, once users learn the process, they should all be similar, and consistent. Amazon maintains a uniform layout and always has its top bar remaining throughout the entire website's product searches. This ensures that users can see that they are still on the same website and allows them not to get lost. In the search feature, the design remains in the same area and allows users to change and initiate searches within the same spot. Within the account area, many of the management options of the various processes are the same. For example, tracking orders, managing information, and subscriptions are all in the account tab. The checkout process is again simple to remember. Always in the area that users are expecting.
Satisfaction is defined as “how acceptable a product is when being used” (Sharp, 2023, p. 23). Generally, Amazon is easy to use, easy to discover, transparent, and straightforward. This allows almost anyone to use their services and understand within time. For the most part, customers are satisfied with Amazon, they have a 4.4 rating in the app store for their mobile app. Additionally, their services continue to be used, and people do not run into too many problems. When they do customer support is there to help them. Amazon wants to strive to help its customers so that they remain a returning customer. Most people across the United States accept Amazon and their services, they are not overwhelmed by controversy or drama. While their products have faced scrutiny for being low in quality or possibly unsafe. Amazon has taken steps towards resolving these issues.
Examining and analyzing how interaction design is used within Amazon means that I am better prepared to create the right features for the right audience. While I still need to be able to create a website, I have a framework for what I can implement onto the website. Effectiveness, efficiency, safety, utility, learnability, memorability, and satisfaction are key to running a successful website. Like Amazon, with this information in mind, I can apply their features to my website.
Design is a synthetic real process created for growth. By comparing and analyzing using the usability framework. You’ll be able to understand what it is that makes their design do well, and not. Included in this analysis are various key points that can be integrated into other purposes including in your designs. Highlighting the power of interaction design and what it can do.
Resources
Cheng, H. (2019). How does interaction design affect user experience through online shopping interfaces? IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 573(1), 12076-. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/573/1/012076
Graham, T., & Henman, P. (2019). Affording choice: how website designs create and constrain “choice.” Information, Communication & Society, 22(13), 2007–2023. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2018.1476570
Jiang, X., & Han, K. (2020). Analysis of Visual Experience of Network Interaction Design Based on Cognitive Psychology. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1533(3), 32004-. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1533/3/032004
Li, Y., Yuan, X., & Che, R. (2021). An investigation of task characteristics and users’ evaluation of interaction design in different online health information systems. Information Processing & Management, 58(3), 102476-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2020.102476
Norman, D. A. (2013). The design of everyday things: Revised and expanded edition. Basic Books.
Razzouk, R., & Shute, V. (2012). What Is Design Thinking and Why Is It Important? Review of Educational Research, 82(3), 330–348. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654312457429
Sharp, H., Rogers, Y., & Preece, J. (2023). Interaction design: Beyond human-computer interaction. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.