Samsung
E-commerce

Handling product pricing in e-commerce involves complex data and factors like time, discounts, and customer groups.

To assist back-office users with managing sales data, I collaborated with two designers, a solution expert, and three engineers to identify system challenges and develop a new UI to address them.

Role

Design Lead
Prototype
UI Design

Team

Solution Expert
2 UX designers
3 Engineers

Platform & Tools

Responsive web
Figma

Period

2 months

overview

Challenge

Due to changes in workflows, the system no longer aligned with needs

With changes in their workflows, users found that the previous system version no longer aligned with their needs, requiring excessive time and effort to complete their tasks.

Numerous unused features

The previous system included numerous unused features and had an outdated user interface, making it less effective for end users.

What are the real problems

Through in-depth interviews with a process advocate and end users, we gained a comprehensive understanding of the back office data management process, along with its primary challenges and opportunities.

Current workflow and pain points in the as-is system.
Opportunities

Not reflect business process

Applicants did not have a way to discover and apply for internal positions so it was difficult to find internal opportunities and additional job details.

Lack of functions needed - No features for multi- selection and edit causing repetitive tasks

Recruiters managed and screened the candidates manually through spreadsheets and manual report creation which extended the application processing time.

Less confidence for scaling

The lack of privacy in the existing internal job application process caused unwanted tension in the workplace because recruiters needed a referral from the candidate’s managers.

How might we streamline data management tasks, ensuring both speed and accuracy?

Design directions

The approach went beyond just designing UI screens; we also restructured the systems for integration.

One single entry point

Provide a single entry point for data access ensures a consistent user experience.

Quick search

Minimize the time spent searching for items and reduce the reliance on Excel for data management.

Scalable design

Create a design that supports continuous use without requiring a system overhaul, even as data volumes expand in the coming years.

Key improvements and design iterations

  • Simplifying item searches
  • Enabling quick editing of item properties
  • Ensuring scalability
prototype versions

“Easy to find products”

  • Simplifying item searches
  • Enabling quick editing of item properties
  • Ensuring scalability
prototype versions

The Final Design

Easier way to search

Up to 2X faster to search items than before with fewer clicks. This initial step is crucial for determining work efficiency, especially since users usually handle a large number of products, e.g., over several hundred thousand products. Therefore, all different types of filters were categorized and arranged through many iterations.

Multi-selection at once

In the previous version, users couldn't select multiple items at once, leading to repetitive selection and adjustment actions. Now, users can choose and update several items at once with fewer clicks.

Create, edit, and update at once

The popular buttons and checkboxes that users use frequently were placed close to editable fields to minimize the time spent on mouse exploration.

A long scrollable screen for a linear flow

Users' task of updating product information requires a wide screen estate. The UI is designed as a long-scrolling screen instead of several screens, providing more information at once and saving time by minimizing the need to click to jump to different pages. Additionally, other items can be collapsed while users concentrate on editing one item.

Challenge
  • I learned how complex data management can be in online sales, with product offerings ranging from tens of thousands to millions. The experience also highlighted the variability in data associated with each product, which can vary from dozens to several hundred attributes, depending on the selling location and timing.
  • The key lesson from this project is the paramount importance of functionality in tools used for managing online product information. The user interface should be designed to not only accurately locate desired products but also to enable efficient editing of multiple data points.
  • For instance, repetitive and straightforward tasks, such as updating prices or discount amounts, led me to consider the potential of integrating artificial intelligence to enhance productivity. If various systems, like sales or customer management systems, were more interconnected, with computers autonomously determining data editing needs, human intervention could be limited to reviewing the outcomes.