Shopify POS App Content Audit
Challenge: Holistically evaluate the quality, consistency, and clarity of content in the Shopify point-of-sale (POS) app
Solution: Audit content throughout the app and use findings to improve the user experience
My impact: Identified potential problems and inconsistencies in the existing content, then suggested and implemented fixes
Eliminating redundancies
Context
The Shopify POS app is a critical tool for merchants, but inconsistencies and unclear messaging across its interface hindered usability. My task was to conduct a thorough content audit to identify and address issues, ensuring the app delivered a seamless experience to its users.
For the purposes of showing my own work, I have only included the issues that I was able to personally help influence.
Findings included are:
issues I could personally influence.
content within my team’s area of ownership.
problems that hadn’t already been flagged or assigned to others.
The audit was conducted on iOS (iPhone 12 Pro Max) and tracked using Google Sheets for organization and issue categorization.
The process
I evaluated content by issue type:
Unclear - content meaning isn’t clear
Unnecessary - content could be shorter, removed completely, or replaced with a visual design element (e.g. icon)
Inconsistent - content varies but the intended meaning is the same
Truncation - content is truncated (…) or one word is broken into two lines
General UX - the interaction or flow works differently than expected
Findings and Solutions
Smart Grid | Unclear
Smart grid screens in the POS app
What users see on an empty page of the smart grid
Problem:
The title and description do not match, making the title and call-to-action (CTA) feel like two separate actions
The description is vague—how will creating a new page make workflows more efficient?
Solution:
Change wording to tie the title and CTA together
Use a more familiar empty state template:
Title - describe what is missing
Description - explain what the user will be able to achieve
Button - tell what will happen once the button is pressed
Improved copy that more closely adheres to UX principles
Result:
This made it easier to understand the benefits of creating a new Smart Grid page, leading to faster action and less confusion.
Checkout | Unnecessary
Dialogs for marking orders as unpaid or partially paid
Problem:
Dialogs for unpaid and partially paid orders included redundant details
For unpaid orders, the term “unpaid” already implied $0.00, making the explanation unnecessary
Past design
Solution:
Removed monetary amounts for unpaid orders, simplifying the dialog while retaining clarity
New design
Result:
The streamlined dialog was easier to read and understand, reducing cognitive load during checkout.
Settings | Unclear
Past explanation of smart grid lock
Problem:
The description for locking Smart Grid tiles used the term "change," which was vague. It didn’t clarify what specific actions could or couldn’t be performed
“Change” is vague—in what way are we changing the tiles and pages?
Solution:
Replaced "change" with "edit," a term that better conveyed the available actions (e.g., rearranging tiles, changing colors, adding/deleting tiles)
New design
Result:
The updated language is more intuitive, reducing confusion about customization options.
Challenges and Learnings
While the quick fixes were implemented successfully, some issues presented complexities:
Inconclusive User Feedback: Merchants often misinterpreted vague or truncated content, making it harder to pinpoint the root cause of confusion.
Clutter vs. Clarity: Simplifying content often revealed underlying design challenges, like whether a visual element (e.g., iconography) might better serve the purpose.
For unresolved issues, I escalated them to the appropriate teams or flagged them as bugs in GitHub.
Conclusion
After presenting my findings, I received positive feedback for improving the app’s content clarity and reducing redundancies. The quick fixes I implemented directly enhanced the app’s usability, while unresolved issues were documented for further refinement.