Content
User-generated content is one of the strongest drivers of purchase confidence in e-commerce, yet the existing reviews experience was actively working against it. Shoppers couldn't easily find relevant reviews, had limited visual context to evaluate products, and hit friction at nearly every step of the submission flow. The vendor API update created the forcing function, but the real opportunity was closing experience gaps that had been accumulating well before it.
I conducted unmoderated remote user interviews to understand where the experience was breaking down. Shoppers consistently struggled to discover relevant reviews, lacked visual context to make informed decisions, and found the submission flow tedious enough to abandon.
A parallel competitive analysis examined best-in-class reviews experiences across leading retail apps, identifying patterns worth adapting and gaps worth owning.
Research findings were synthesized into clearly defined experience gaps and a set of guiding design principles centered on: discoverability, visual richness, and submission ease.
The solution was developed through an iterative design process. Wireframing cycles explored multiple approaches to layout, content hierarchy, and interaction patterns before converging on a direction validated with design partners. Stakeholder reviews ensured alignment across product and engineering at key milestones.
Final designs introduced enriched photo carousels to elevate visual content, an expanded review sheet for improved readability, a fully native Write a Review flow to reduce submission friction, and enhanced filtering and sorting controls to help users surface relevant content quickly.
Accessibility was incorporated as part of a broader initiative to bring the AE+ aerie mobile app to WCAG AA standards. Cross-functional handoff documentation ensured design intent was clearly communicated and faithfully implemented.
Wireframe Examples (PW: 1234) Wireframe 1 | Wireframe 2
Content discoverability improved through a restructured information hierarchy that surfaced relevant reviews and user-submitted photos without requiring shoppers to dig for them.
Review submission rates increased as a result of replacing a multi-step, non-native flow with a streamlined write-a-review experience built around mobile conventions shoppers already understood.
Session engagement deepened within the reviews surface, supported by richer visual content and interaction patterns that gave shoppers more reason to explore before making a purchase decision.
Accessibility compliance advanced as part of a broader initiative to bring the AE + aerie mobile app to WCAG 2.X standards, making review content more usable across a wider range of customers and devices.
Purchase confidence strengthened by closing the gap between what shoppers needed from user-generated content and what the experience was actually delivering.
