Year
2025
Client
REVER®
Category
Web Development
Product Duration
3 Months
REVER had strong early traction in the e-commerce returns space, but internal data revealed a clear bottleneck:
👉 Shoppers were abandoning returns mid-flow (38% dropout, 61% completion rate plateau)
Root causes included:
Confusing UX at reason selection and refund method steps
Trust issues due to REVER-branded experience feeling like a third-party layer
Refund speed — a key selling point — was buried or unclear
This case study focuses on solving that specific shopper-side problem, rather than tackling the entire product. I led the shopper flow redesign, collaborating with 1 PM and 2 engineers, with parallel feedback loops from support and CX.
I focused on uncovering why shoppers dropped off mid-flow and how to rebuild trust during the return experience.
Methods selected for this goal:
Session Replays (FullStory / Hotjar)
Analyzed 40,000+ return sessions. Found consistent drop-off at:
Step 2: Reason selection
Step 3: Refund method
Most common behavior: shoppers backed out when refund timing was unclear.
Customer Interviews (15 shoppers, 6 merchants)
Key insights:
Shoppers didn’t realize returns were instant
REVER branding caused skepticism and felt like a third-party risk
Stepper-style flow made the process feel long and frustrating
Event Analytics (PostHog)
Shoppers who saw an estimated refund time were 3.1× more likely to complete their return.
Design priorities shaped by research:
Reduce cognitive load during the process
Surface refund speed as early and clearly as possible
Rebuild trust at key friction points in the flow
To design an experience that truly addressed shopper frustration, I mapped four key personas based on interviews, analytics, and behavior patterns. Each represented a distinct return mindset — from speed-seeking first-timers to skeptical, security-conscious buyers — and helped guide targeted UX decisions.
Persona | Description | Pain Points | Design Opportunities |
|---|---|---|---|
Ava – Impatient Shopper | First-time customer returning a gift. Mobile-first, expects instant results. | - Doesn’t understand refund timing- Thinks REVER is a 3rd-party scam | - Add refund countdown- Clarify refund policies early- Use trust badges |
Marcus – Mobile-Only Millennial | Buys frequently via mobile. Familiar with returns but easily frustrated. | - UI feels long and clunky- Confused by reason/refund flow order | - Progressive disclosure- Simplified 2-click return- Auto-saved progress |
Linda – Cautious Buyer | Older shopper, skeptical of unknown brands or processes. | - Distrusts REVER branding- Nervous about sharing personal/bank info | - Add visible PCI/GDPR compliance- Live chat fallback- Visual cues of legitimacy |
Raj – Return-to-Exchange Opportunist | Shops often and prefers exchanging over refunding. | - Refund offered too early- Doesn’t see product alternatives he’d rather keep | - Exchange-first flow- Personalized AI suggestions- Pull past purchase data |
Shopper Flow Redesign (Web + Mobile Web)
A. Two-Click Returns
Replaced the dense, multi-step form with progressive disclosure (each step shown only after completing the previous one)
Added a real-time eligibility check before the return flow begins
Outcome:
87% of sessions completed in under 45 seconds, down from 2:43
B. Trust-Building UX and Microcopy
Added a visible live countdown showing refund processing time (e.g., “Funds arriving in ~59 seconds”)
Introduced a fallback call-to-action for live chat to reduce abandonment
Included trust signals at high-friction points: PCI, GDPR, and carrier logos
Outcome:
Refund-related NPS increased from +4 to +38
C. Exchange-First Flow (AI Suggestion Engine)
Redesigned the return path to suggest relevant exchange options before offering a refund
Integrated Shopify catalog sync and past shopper data to power personalized recommendations
Outcome:
Exchange conversion rate increased from 8.7% to 29.4 (3.3× improvement)
In 6 weeks we've got these results:
Metric | Before | After | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
Return Completion Rate | 61% | 91% | ↑ +30% |
Exchange Rate | 8.7% | 29.4% | ↑ +237% |
Refund Experience NPS | +4 | +38 | ↑ +34 |
Avg. Return Duration | 2:43 | 0:44 | ↓ −73% |
Visual Comparison Charts:
