Overview

This project demonstrates the critical importance of systematic thinking in information architecture, showing how user research, strategic framework development, and collaborative governance can transform both user experience and organizational capability at enterprise scale.

Scope: 1.5M active users across iOS, Android, and web platforms; 21 product teams impacted

Timeline: 2023 project spanning 6 rounds of research with cross-functional team offsite

Tools: Card sorting platforms, tree testing tools, Figma for design systems, cross-platform prototyping

Constraints: Live product with millions of daily users, complex stakeholder ecosystem, need to maintain existing functionality while implementing structural changes

The Challenge

Amazon's AtoZ workplace platform serves as the central hub where 1.5 million employees manage their work lives, from schedule management and benefits access to career development and HR support. The platform spans both mobile and web, supporting 1.2M operations employees and 300K corporate employees across iOS, Android, and desktop platforms.

The Problem

• Critical usability failure: App store reviews had hit an all-time low of 3.5/5, with evaluative research revealing major usability concerns and poor user confidence in navigation choices
• Scalability crisis: Legacy navigation model and information architecture were not designed for the massive business expansion from 2020-2023, which added multiple new verticals including recruiting, diversity initiatives, team management, and career development tools
• Governance gap: The product lacked operational mechanisms to manage information architecture at scale, creating inconsistent feature placement and user confusion
• Cross-platform inconsistency: Many employees use both desktop and mobile versions, but navigation differences were disorienting users as they moved between platforms

My Approach

Discovery: Understanding User Mental Models and System Constraints

I led a comprehensive research initiative to understand how users conceptualized the expanding feature set and identify structural problems with the existing taxonomy. The discovery phase involved systematic analysis of content types, user workflows, and navigation patterns across the platform's growing ecosystem.

Key findings revealed 5 critical needs:

1. Intuitive categorization that matched user mental models rather than internal org structure
2. Scalable framework that could accommodate rapid feature expansion without constant restructuring
3. Cross-platform consistency to reduce cognitive load for users switching between mobile and desktop
4. Clear governance model for feature placement decisions and ongoing IA maintenance
5. Improved discoverability through better labeling and logical information hierarchy

Strategy: Building a Foundation for Scale

My strategy centered on creating a sustainable information architecture that would serve both immediate usability needs and long-term business growth. Rather than simply reorganizing existing content, I focused on establishing systematic principles that teams could apply consistently.

The strategy centered on 3 pillars:

User-Centered Taxonomy

• Conducted card sorting with both general workplace app users and Amazon employees
• Preserved familiar high-level categories (Schedule, Pay, Time off, Profile) while introducing logical new groupings
• Created separate but aligned structures for operations vs. corporate employee needs

Systematic Design Framework

• Defined 5 standardized object types (Section, Subsection, Subpage, Fullscreen sheet, Bottom sheet) to support specific content types and user flows
• Established clear vertical and lateral navigation patterns across all platforms
• Built comprehensive page templates to enable consistent implementation

Governance and Operations

• Created cross-functional governance model involving UX, product, and engineering teams
• Developed clear criteria for feature placement and labeling decisions
• Established ongoing processes for taxonomy maintenance and evolution

Key Deliverables

Unified Information Architecture Framework

A comprehensive taxonomy system that scales across both operations and corporate employee needs, with clear definitions and use cases for each category to guide future feature placement.

Cross-Platform Navigation System

Consistent navigation patterns across mobile and web platforms, featuring:

• Bottom tab navigation for primary sections
• Dynamic shortcuts elevated by personal usage frequency
• Featured links promoted based on global traffic and business impact
• Standardized "More" section serving as organized overflow space

Design System Templates

Complete set of page templates and navigation components:

• 5 standardized object types with specific content guidelines
• Vertical flow patterns for drilling down within sections
• Lateral flow patterns for moving between sections
• Reusable templates for dashboard, section pages, subpages, and modal experiences

Impact & Results

Quantified Improvements

• Time on Task: 101 seconds → 30 seconds (70% reduction)
• Task Completion: 56% → 77% success rate without help
• Failure Rate: 40% → 17% (57% reduction)
• User Satisfaction: SEQ score improved from 2.1 → 3.8
• App Store Rating: 3.5 → 4.7 stars since redesign launch

Qualitative Outcomes

• Users consistently praised "easy navigation" and "intuitive interface" in app store reviews
• 80% of users successfully used "More" page as intended for ambiguous items
• Reduced reliance on catch-all "Resources" page improved content discoverability
• Clear governance framework enabled 21 product teams to confidently place new features
• Cross-platform consistency eliminated user disorientation when switching between mobile and web

Key Learnings

Information Architecture as Living System

This project reinforced that IA work is never truly "finished" for a live product serving millions of users. The resources required to establish and operationalize new information architecture extend far beyond the initial design phase, requiring ongoing attention to taxonomy evolution and user behavior changes.

Collaborative Governance Enables Scale

Distributing governance and operations ownership across UX designers, researchers, product managers, and engineers created both a larger pool of thoughtful collaborators and improved efficiency for specific scaling tasks like team onboarding and change management.

Documentation Strategy Matters

Teams resist reading lengthy IA documentation. Providing templates, illustrations, and interactive prototypes proved far more effective for crystallizing complex structural decisions and addressing knowledge gaps across large organizations.