Amazon
Amazon
[00]
Overview
Over the last decade, televisions have continued to get smarter, but the advertisements we see on them have stayed pretty dumb. Amazon saw an opportunity to think bigger, and asked us to design a future vision to demonstrate the creative potential of interactive television ads. Over several months, we designed a foundational framework and over 80 concepts for how that framework could extend to all kinds of products and services.
Year
2021 (3 months)
Role
Design Director
Deliverables
Experience Architecture, Design Strategy, Product Design, Hi-fi Prototyping, Motion Studies, Evaluative Research
[00]
Overview
Over the last decade, televisions have continued to get smarter, but the advertisements we see on them have stayed pretty dumb. Amazon saw an opportunity to think bigger, and asked us to design a future vision to demonstrate the creative potential of interactive television ads. Over several months, we designed a foundational framework and over 80 concepts for how that framework could extend to all kinds of products and services.
Year
2021 (3 months)
Role
Design Director
Deliverables
Experience Architecture, Design Strategy, Product Design, Hi-fi Prototyping, Motion Studies, Evaluative Research
[01]
Project Goal
Envision new ways that voice-enabled advertisements can create delightful shopping experiences.
[01]
Project Goal
Envision new ways that voice-enabled advertisements can create delightful shopping experiences.
[02]
Research
Designing for lean-back moments.
Discovery revealed that most “interactive” TV ads relied on QR codes and mobile phones, creating friction in what is otherwise a passive viewing experience. Through a collaborative workshop, we established principles to ensure ads respected users’ attention while content remained the hero.
[02]
Research
Designing for lean-back moments.
Discovery revealed that most “interactive” TV ads relied on QR codes and mobile phones, creating friction in what is otherwise a passive viewing experience. Through a collaborative workshop, we established principles to ensure ads respected users’ attention while content remained the hero.
Competitive Review
“I swear, if you pitch us QR codes I’m going to lose my mind...”
Client stakeholder
Workshop recap
[03]
Exploration
Beyond the 30-second spot.
We explored a wide range of concepts that pushed past traditional ad formats, using storyboards to pressure-test novel ideas and moodboards to elevate the visual language of Alexa on TV.
[03]
Exploration
Beyond the 30-second spot.
We explored a wide range of concepts that pushed past traditional ad formats, using storyboards to pressure-test novel ideas and moodboards to elevate the visual language of Alexa on TV.
Concept cards
Storyboards
Early wireframes
Visual sketches
Visual sketches
[04]
Vision
A scalable interaction model
We designed a flexible framework capable of supporting everything from low-cost consumables to expensive cars to tax services. We layer Alexa on top of existing ad creative, signaling interactivity while reserving deeper engagement for a dedicated end-card. This approach allows brands to opt in to interactivity without rethinking their entire creative strategy.
[04]
Vision
A scalable interaction model
We designed a flexible framework capable of supporting everything from low-cost consumables to expensive cars to tax services. We layer Alexa on top of existing ad creative, signaling interactivity while reserving deeper engagement for a dedicated end-card. This approach allows brands to opt in to interactivity without rethinking their entire creative strategy.
Ad indicator
UI layers
Ad flow
Actionable end card
“This is awesome for people who know what they want or don’t have time to research [alternatives].”
Testing participant
[05]
Refinement
Encouraging deeper engagement.
Building on the base framework, we explored how interactions could adapt to different products and levels of commitment. Simple purchases can be added to a cart instantly, while more complex products and services unlock guided walkthroughs, demos, and exploratory experiences.
[05]
Refinement
Encouraging deeper engagement.
Building on the base framework, we explored how interactions could adapt to different products and levels of commitment. Simple purchases can be added to a cart instantly, while more complex products and services unlock guided walkthroughs, demos, and exploratory experiences.
Engagement layers
Interactive product tour
“This is awesome for people who know what they want or don’t have time to research [alternatives].”
Testing participant
Motion studies
Inline reviews
[06]
Refinement
Saving across devices.
Recognizing that many viewers prefer not to interrupt their content, we introduced ways to save ads and experiences for later. These app-like experiences can be revisited across devices, giving brands a richer engagement opportunity without extending ad breaks.
[06]
Refinement
Saving across devices.
Recognizing that many viewers prefer not to interrupt their content, we introduced ways to save ads and experiences for later. These app-like experiences can be revisited across devices, giving brands a richer engagement opportunity without extending ad breaks.
Scheduling appointments
Catalog previews
Mobile notifications
Multi-modal experiences
Saved event reminders
[07]
Validation
From vision to product.
Concept testing showed strong potential across the ideas, and a detailed vision presentation helped the team build internal alignment and support. The work was fast-tracked for development, and early versions of these concepts can now be seen emerging on Amazon Prime Video.
[07]
Validation
From vision to product.
Concept testing showed strong potential across the ideas, and a detailed vision presentation helped the team build internal alignment and support. The work was fast-tracked for development, and early versions of these concepts can now be seen emerging on Amazon Prime Video.
In-lab testing
86
Unique concepts
16
Brand experiences
3
Form factors
“The amount of detail, thoughtful interactions, and vision for how Alexa plays a part in this really shines through.”
Client stakeholder
Design documentation
2026 Chris Mueller Design
2026 Chris Mueller Design