SPACES
Amway's digital transformation: scaling systems for global impact
Client
My Role
INDUSTRY
Background
Amway, a global leader in direct selling, needed custom solutions to enhance both internal operations and customer-facing experiences. As the Design Lead and Manager at KIS Solutions, I led the design efforts for multiple key projects at Amway, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams and managing talented designers. Initially, we started with one iteration of a Product Recommender, and as its success unfolded, we were trusted with a suite of additional products, each more complex than the last.
My role and challenges
As Design Lead, I was tasked with aligning business objectives, user needs, and technical constraints while guiding the team through complex design and development cycles. My responsibilities included hands-on work and oversight, creating design specifications, managing timelines, and delivering solutions that were not only functional but also scalable. The main challenges were designing high-performance tools for the client, creating consistency across their multiple applications, and managing client expectations across global markets.
Product Design - Several Applications
I was involved in the design and development of several complex applications, including the Amway Product Recommender (APR), a Product Information Management (PIM) tool, a Content Compliance Reviewer, and a Data Catalog. Each of these tools had distinct user groups, workflows, and technical requirements. My challenge was to deliver intuitive, user-friendly interfaces while ensuring the products met Amway’s business goals.
Systemizing for Scale
As we expanded our design output across multiple products, it became evident that consistency and scalability were key. I led the development of a comprehensive design system, which included a robust component library, style guide, and design tokens. This system allowed our team to maintain consistency across different applications, speeding up both design and development processes.
Many states, many filters
One of the biggest challenges we faced was managing the complexity of data states, filters, and sorting options within Amway’s various tools. For example, the APR needed to account for over 40 recommendation models, and the PIM and Data Catalog tools handled vast datasets with multiple states and conditions. This required a thoughtful approach to UI/UX design, ensuring that users could navigate and manipulate large amounts of data efficiently without becoming overwhelmed.
Designing useful and usable internal tools
The journey began with a product recommender tool the client was using internally to test recommendation results based on different filters.
Amway required a fast, configurable, and reliable recommendation engine capable of handling heavy website traffic, while being a configurable system for over 40 recommendation models.
I worked directly on early designs, managing both interface complexities and underlying systems, ensuring the engine met all technical and business requirements.
The APR was built and deployed to the first market in just three months, saving Amway millions in commercial licensing fees while outperforming their existing enterprise software in both speed and efficiency. Our design decisions improved click-through and conversion rates, leading to over 24% of sold items being directly recommended through the tool.
"Screen flows and specifications for a Product Recommender application"
More requests came along
APR’s success earned us more projects. Amway realized the value of our design-led approach, requesting additional projects like a Product Information Management (PIM) tool, a Content Compliance reviewer, a Customer Data Platform and a Data Catalog, among other smaller initiatives.
The confidence that Amway developed in our team allowed us to expand our scope, leading to even larger, more intricate projects. Each new project had unique challenges, but the common thread was ensuring usability and scalability across their operations in multiple markets.
Systemize for scale
As we expanded our design output, it became necessary to create a systemized design framework that could be used across Amway’s various projects.
This led to the development of a component library and style guide, which evolved into a fully functional design system. We implemented tokens, variables, and variants in Figma, which allowed the team to scale their designs rapidly and consistently.
This system was more than just a collection of reusable components—it was a foundational approach to product design that ensured quality, consistency, and speed across all of Amway’s applications.
The design system was directly adopted by developers, who used it to build functional prototypes with minimal oversight, drastically reducing the time and resources needed for future projects.
Components and variants
Styles, tokens and variables
Complex states, tags and filters
One of the most challenging aspects of our work with Amway was designing solutions that could manage complex datasets, extensive filtering options, and dynamic data states. Whether it was the APR handling over 40 recommendation models or the PIM managing product data across global markets, the sheer volume and variability of information meant that our designs had to be incredibly flexible without sacrificing usability.
To tackle this, we employed a data-driven approach to understand the intricacies of Amway’s business logic and user needs. We collaborated closely with the engineering team to map out all potential states, tags, and filters that would be applied across various tools. This included designing interfaces that allowed users to easily toggle between different views, apply multiple filters, and sort through large datasets in a way that felt intuitive and fast (easier said than done).
Ultimately, this challenge pushed us to innovate in how we approached data-heavy design, leading to tools that empowered Amway’s teams to efficiently manage and act on complex information. Our ability to balance complexity with ease of use became a defining feature of the tools we delivered, and this approach was later adopted as a best practice for similar internal tools across the company.
From ideas to full-scale applications
Our work wasn't just about delivering tools; it was about helping Amway redefine how they approached digital transformation.
Each project we worked on—from internal systems like the PIM and Content Compliance Reviewer to the more customer-facing platforms like the Product Recommender—played a pivotal role in modernizing Amway’s operations. We weren't just creating solutions; we were laying the foundation for scalable, long-term growth.
This was particularly evident in the development of the Content Compliance Review tool, which involved in-depth UX interviews with key stakeholders - the content reviewers themselves. We made it a point to ask questions that previous team hadn't considered, delving into their daily struggles, workflow bottlenecks and desired improvements. The insights we gained from these interviews were invaluable, highlighting gaps that their managers hadn't uncovered.
Through these efforts, Amway was able to build a more agile, data-driven digital ecosystem that would evolve alongside their global markets.
Outcomes
Increased conversion rates and revenue growth
One of the most measurable impacts of the Amway Product Recommender was its effect on conversion rates and revenue. Amway saw a significant increase in engagement, with 36% of website visitors clicking on a recommended product. Of those, 20% completed a purchase. This led to a major boost in sales, with 24% of all products sold on the platform coming from recommendations, generating millions in additional revenue. The success of this tool demonstrated the power of personalized, data-driven user experiences in driving both customer satisfaction and financial growth.
More efficient operations through scalable systems
By building a robust design system, complete with reusable components, style guides, and tokenized variables, we created a scalable framework that streamlined both design and development. This system allowed us to deliver new features and updates more efficiently, reducing production time and ensuring consistency across Amway’s many applications. This approach cut design review time drastically and improved cross-team collaboration, setting the stage for rapid deployment across multiple markets and projects.
Empowering internal teams with efficient tools
One of the most impactful outcomes of our work was how we enabled internal teams like the Compliance Reviewers to perform their jobs with greater efficiency and effectiveness. Before our solution, their process would take days, with reviewers manually combing through transcripts and videos for potential issues. With our tool, we revolutionized this process, cutting review time from days to less than an hour.
Conclusion
From a single initiative, the APR, to delivering six major projects for Amway, we consistently met and even exceeded the client’s goals. By leveraging design thinking and a scalable approach, we were able to create tools that enhanced Amway’s operations and positively impacted their global markets.
This project was not only a personal success but also a testament to the team's ability to drive innovation, streamline complex workflows, and deliver consistent, impactful results.