Overview

Crafting a modern checkout experience for John Deere’s global e-commerce platform

As the sole UX designer on this initiative at John Deere, I led the end-to-end redesign of the checkout experience for shop.deere.com, not just for the U.S., but also for Canada, Brazil, and the U.K.

I set out to reduce cart abandonment and bring the checkout flow in line with modern e-commerce expectations.

My Role:

UX Designer II - Purchase Experience

Team:

UX Designer, Product Manager and various developers

Timeline:

June 2024 - April 2025

The Problem

The existing checkout experience was outdated and lacked clarity. Users were often unsure of where they were in the process or what steps remained. This ambiguity contributed to a cart abandonment rate of 44.03%.

From a technical standpoint, the team was transitioning from a legacy Hybris platform to a more flexible system. While this opened the door for custom solutions, it also introduced development delays and data limitations — such as the inability to surface dealership hours due to a lack of centralized data.

Designing for four distinct markets added another layer of complexity, requiring a solution that was both globally adaptable and locally relevant.

🔍 Research & Insights

To ground the redesign in real user needs, I built on existing usability research while conducting my own competitive and heuristic analysis. The prior research provided valuable insights into user pain points, which I translated into actionable design improvements.

What I leveraged:

  • Usability testing findings from a previous researcher highlighted key friction points, such as confusing error messages and a lack of clarity around pickup logistics.

  • I used these findings as a foundation to prioritize improvements and validate early design decisions.

What I added:

  • Conducted a heuristic evaluation of the existing checkout flow to identify usability issues related to clarity, error prevention, and mobile responsiveness.

  • Analyzed 30+ e-commerce sites — including Amazon, Home Depot, and Tractor Supply Co. — to identify common UX patterns and best practices.

  • Studied research from Baymard Institute and Nielsen Norman Group to guide decisions around form design, trust signals, and checkout flow structure.

Rather than reinventing the wheel, I focused on applying proven UX principles to create a checkout experience that felt familiar, intuitive, and scalable across global markets.

🧠 Ideation & Design Process

I explored three checkout flow models:

  1. Accordion Flow – Compact but often overwhelming

  2. Single-Page Checkout – Fast but cluttered

  3. Multi-Step Flow – Guided and focused

After evaluating each against usability heuristics and technical feasibility, we moved forward with a simplified multi-step flow. This approach allowed us to:

  • Introduce progress indicators for better orientation

  • Break the process into digestible steps

  • Support regional variations in address formats and fulfillment options

I created wireframes and prototypes in Figma, iterating with feedback from the PM and developers to ensure alignment and feasibility.

📈 Results & Impact

The redesigned checkout experience led to measurable improvements:

  • 🛒 Cart abandonment dropped by 10%, exceeding our goal

  • 📱 Mobile usability improved, with fewer user errors and smoother form completion

  • 🧭 User flow clarity increased through step-by-step navigation and progress indicators

  • 🌍 Localized design successfully launched across 4 countries

  • 🧩 Development-ready designs were delivered on time, despite platform migration challenges

Reflection

This project was especially meaningful to me as it was my first major initiative at John Deere. Having the opportunity to lead the checkout redesign from start to finish — and see it through to launch — was both challenging and incredibly rewarding.

One of the most valuable aspects of this experience was gaining a deeper understanding of how UX decisions intersect with technical constraints. Working within a legacy system meant navigating limitations that shaped what we could deliver in the short term, while also planning for future enhancements. It pushed me to think creatively, prioritize ruthlessly, and collaborate closely with developers and stakeholders.

The checkout experience continues to evolve based on customer feedback and emerging e-commerce trends, and I’m proud that this redesign laid the foundation for ongoing improvements. It’s a reminder that great UX is never “done” — it’s a continuous process of listening, learning, and iterating.