Visual Design System for Amazon Pay

Project Overview:

Project Avataar was focused on creating a cohesive and scalable visual design system for Amazon Pay. The goal was to craft a visual language that could enhance usability, resonate with younger users, and build trust—while staying aligned with Amazon’s core brand values.

Project Duration: Q1 2022 to Q2 2022 (6 months)

The Problem:

Amazon Pay’s user engagement was declining, particularly among younger demographics, due to an outdated and cluttered interface.

The Goal:

Create Amazon Pay’s visual design to increase user engagement, appeal to younger users, and maintain brand trust with a consistent and scalable design system.

Team:

Cross-functional team including UX researchers, visual designers, and product managers

My Role:

Lead Visual Designer

Responsibilities:

•Mocks (Design)
•Quantitative research
•Create playbook
•Templates release

Results:

25% increase in user engagement
15% improvement in task completion rates
increase in positive user feedback regarding app trustworthiness and youthfulness

Design Process

Analysis

Reviewing previous user research results and brand guidelines (if any)

Analyzing the visual experiences of competitors and other famous brands

Exploration

Drawing up keywords on design routes

Converting keywords in to mood board

Explore visual design routes

Testing

Quantitative testing
Qualitative user testing

Finalising one moodboard based on user testing data

Final Design

Creation of assets and collaterals on finalized moodboard

Complete Transformation of Visual Experience

1. Analysis

Amazon Universe:

Competitors:

Key Visual Takeaways:

Vertical scrolling

works better than horizontal scrolling

Organized layout

is the key to guide the user

Color determines mood

of the user

Dual color icons

looks great (with enough contrast)

Light & mid tone colors

help make the layout breathe

Unified, consistent icons

are important

Secondary colors

are important to highlight

2. Explorations

Brand Attributes Keywords Foundation:

Brand attributes are the core qualities or characteristics that define a brand’s personality, values, and tone—basically, how the brand wants to be perceived by its audience.

These attributes guide everything from visual design to messaging, tone of voice, and user experience. Think of them as the human traits of a brand.

Brand attributes shape visual decisions like:

Colors (e.g., blue = trust, yellow = optimism)

Typography (e.g., rounded fonts = friendly)

Imagery (e.g., human faces = approachable, illustrations = playful)

We want Amazon Pay as a brand to be?

Developed moodboards aligned with brand attributes like:

Simple

Relaxing

Easy

Convenient

Minimal

Trendy, Bold

Energetic

Bright

Youthful

Confident

Approachable

Impactful

Conversational

Friendly

Rooted

Exploration of Concepts: Moodboards

Concept	Keywords	Vibe
Concept 01	Simple, Relaxed, Easy	Clean, Minimalist UI
Concept 02	Bold, Energetic, Trendy	Youthful, High Contrast
Concept 03	Rooted, Friendly, Conversational	Cultural, Localized

Concept 1:

Route 1

Route 2

Concept 2: References and Moodboards

Route 3

Route 4

Concept 3: References and Moodboards

Route 5

Concept 4: *Just another design exploration that caught my eye

Route 6

3. Testing

Quantitative testing

After internal review, out of the 6 design routes presented, following 3 were taken forward for a customer survey of around 3,000 Amazon customers and a round of expert interview.

Survey Process

User Base:

We participated in open lab wherein 5 customers
were selected.

Tested Stimuli:

Dashboard UIs

Color schemes

QR Code assets

Marketing banners

Icon systems

Key Inputs Captured:

First impression & visual appeal

Perceived trust and rewarding

Brand alignment (Amazon-ness)

Youthfulness and friendliness

Willingness to click/interact

Results & Insights

Route X – Visually Strong but Less Engaging

Considered professional and clear, especially for offline signage
Perceived as too formal and not youthful enough
Preferred by older users for QR and POS visibility
Scored lower on emotional connection and vibrancy

Route Y – Strongest Overall Performer

Top-rated for trust, clarity, and Amazon brand alignment
Preferred by all user groups, especially for in-app UI and offline banners
Icons and compact layout were called out as intuitive and easy to navigate
Dark blue + yellow color palette was seen as professional yet lively

Route Z – Youthful & Unique

Rated highest in terms of playfulness and visual freshness
Strong preference from younger users (18–25 age group)
Green and yellow tones evoked a “summer, happy vibe”
However, perceived as less trustworthy and not as intuitive due to softer icon contrast

Qualitative Testing:

Remote moderated interviews via Microsoft Teams

Results & Insights

Route Y – Clear Winner in Trust & Usability

Rated highest overall for:
- Trustworthiness
- Ease of navigation
- Brand recognition
Users liked the bold color contrast, outlined icons, and compact layout
Felt closely aligned with Amazon’s brand due to yellow + dark blue palette

What Users Said:

Very Good change of icons & easy to understand. If you change, then change it to dark style

Krish Thakkar, 20Ahmedabad

“Really Attractive” the dark color combination is really good and catchy. I feel this screen is very informative

Kavya, 31 Bangalore

Colorful as compared to the UI she uses at present. Dark blue color & the QR code option caught my attention first. More convenient as the font is bolder

Bhavya, 25Bangalore

Route Z – Strong on Youthfulness, Weaker on Trust

Users aged 18–25 appreciated its playful, fresh look
Green & yellow palette, rounded shapes, and illustrations gave it a friendly vibe
However, some users felt it was:
- Too light and “pale”
- Less intuitive in terms of navigation
- Not as aligned with Amazon’s visual tone

What Users Said:

Picture and rewards is grabbing attention.
Color Combination is ok, Dull Colors

Sajisha, 32 Cochin

Soothing colors are nice to see and not irritating to view.
I feel happy

Kavya, 31 Bangalore

I have been working with these guys for years now! With lots of hard work and timely communication, they made sure they delivered the best to me. Highly recommended!

Bhavya, 25 Bangalore