Optimizing the Wishlist Experience
During my internship at ZEIT Shop, I focused on reimagining the wishlist feature to better meet user needs and increase purchase likelihood. By analyzing user behavior and competitor features, we identified key improvements and prioritized features that enhance usability and motivation. I designed mobile-first prototypes incorporating these insights, refined them through stakeholder feedback, and prepared detailed specs for smooth developer handoff. The result is a more engaging, user-friendly wishlist that supports customer retention and drives conversions.
Empathize
The initial analysis revealed that the wishlist played a significant role in the purchasing decision process. To better understand its impact, I collected and evaluated key performance metrics, including the average number of products saved per wishlist, the number of wishlist page visits relative to total active users, and the purchase likelihood for products added to a wishlist. These insights showed a strong correlation between wishlist usage and the conversion rate. To identify potential pain points, I analyzed real user interactions using Microsoft Clarity session recordings. Interestingly, no clear usability issues emerged, likely due to the very limited functionality of the wishlist.
Define
It became clear that the wishlist was underutilized due to its limited functionality. Drawing on competitor analysis and internal user data, I identified key goals to enhance its value within the purchase journey: making the wishlist more actionable and helpful, introducing features to support product comparison, prioritization, and clarity, and improving the visibility and accessibility of wishlist functions across the site. Additionally, I explored the potential benefits of allowing temporary, non-account-based wishlists to boost adoption. Competitive benchmarking revealed a mixed approach, with a slight preference for supporting guest users, particularly in retail contexts with shorter decision-making cycles.
Ideate
I documented and categorized potential features to guide development priorities. These were divided into must-have features—such as product availability indicators, price change notifications, and a streamlined add-to-cart option and nice-to-have features, including wishlist sorting, sharing capabilities, and reminder functions. In parallel, I proposed enhancements to the wishlist button on product detail pages. These improvements included relocating the button closer to the cart to increase visibility, visually highlighting saved items, and prompting non-registered users to sign up when interacting with the wishlist.
Prototype
To bring the concept to life, I first created a mid-fidelity prototype that incorporated the prioritized features. Following an internal review, we defined a MVP focused solely on registered users, aligning with business goals around user retention and existing resource constraints. I then continued refining the design and developed a high-fidelity prototype for final stakeholder review. To enhance responsiveness and overall usability, I adopted a mobile-first approach. Designing for smaller screens first proved both efficient and effective in ensuring a seamless user experience across devices.
Test
After validating the high-fidelity prototype internally, I prepared all necessary design specifications and documentation for handoff to the development team.
Key Takeaways
One key takeaway from this project was the realization that user experience improvements can directly support business goals when guided by data. By analyzing user behavior and conversion patterns, I was able to demonstrate the strategic value of the wishlist and translate those insights into a more meaningful, action-oriented design. Adopting a mobile-first approach also proved highly effective, helping streamline the interface and improve usability across all devices. The iterative prototyping process made collaboration with stakeholders more efficient and ensured that the final solution was both user-centered and technically feasible.
