Leading Amazon Global Communities UX
How can we make “community” a product?
My role
I started as the sole UX designer, standing up the UX vertical while defining our product vision and leading user research efforts across 4 separate customer bases in NA and EU. With vision buy in, I secured headcount and then grew and managed a multifaceted team of 9.
About the product
Amazon Global Communities was focused on figuring out how to make "community" a 0-to-1 product. The intention was to help key Amazon partners, typically small business owners, be successful by creating a shared, supportive space to learn from each other. Our original “product” was made up of a mobile community app, in-person events, and creating personalized, quality content.
Why it was important
For business owners
Each digital community gave business owners a place to be heard by both peers that could emphasize and by Amazon. As engagement in the tool increased ( + 1,180% over four years), we were able to build automated insight tools aggregating feedback and capturing community sentiment. Multiple new and/or improved changes to the business operating models were implemented addressing these insights.
For Amazon
Since launch, community CSAT across customer bases has remained strong, and analysis shows that participation in the digital community is a leading indicator of overall satisfaction within the respective business programs. Insights the AGC product team aggregate from each community inform the roadmaps of product and program organizations powering more than 80% of Amazon’s Last Mile and 25%+ of its Middle Mile transportation network. In addition, our user research identified distinct communication personas which we built targeted engagement strategies for.
Some of my accomplishments
Drove the initial product vision for the digital community app, securing senior leadership buy-in to pivot their original direction after reviewing customer research insights I gathered
Established user research mechanisms to support five customer segments across North America and Europe
Started, grew, and led the UX org from 1 to 9, directly responsible for user experience, user research, and brand design functions.
Designed and launched our in-house digital community app and supporting web interface for five digital communities (DSP NA, UK, DE, Upshift, Pulse) in < 12 months across NA and EU
Drove a multi-faceted foundational user research initiative, Project Mammoth, that uncovered both immediately actionable insights and long term, strategic opportunities to improve communication pathways for owners. These insights have driven the 3 year roadmap still in place today.