Messenger

Core

Vision

Smarter buyer-seller messaging

Helping people and businesses connect through messaging to make shopping smoother.

Messenger

Core

Vision

Smarter buyer-seller messaging

Helping people and businesses connect through messaging to make shopping smoother.

About Ozon

Ozon is a major e-commerce platform with 74 million monthly active users, also offering fintech and travel services across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and beyond.

Skills

User testing

Prototyping

Stakeholder аlignment

Specs

UX/UI design

Holistic vision

About Ozon

Ozon is a major e-commerce platform with 74 million monthly active users, also offering fintech and travel services across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and beyond.

Skills

User testing

Prototyping

Stakeholder аlignment

Specs

UX/UI design

Holistic vision

About Ozon

Ozon is a major e-commerce platform with 74 million monthly active users, also offering fintech and travel services across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and beyond.

Skills

User testing

Prototyping

Stakeholder аlignment

Specs

UX/UI design

Holistic vision

User problem

Customers didn’t have a smooth way to connect with sellers.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Business problem

Support was overloaded, often acting as a go-between for basic buyer–seller communication.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Empower sellers to handle customer interactions directly, lowering support team dependency and creating new channels for promotion and sales.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Business goals

Role

Product Designer

Team

Core Messenger, PDP, Review

Platforms

Mobile
Desktop

Worked
with

PM
Engineering team
XFN teams

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

User problem

Customers didn’t have a smooth way to connect with sellers.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Business problem

Support was overloaded, often acting as a go-between for basic buyer–seller communication.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Empower sellers to handle customer interactions directly, lowering support team dependency and creating new channels for promotion and sales.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Business goals

Role

Product Designer

Team

Core Messenger, PDP, Review

Platforms

Mobile
Desktop

Worked
with

PM
Engineering team
XFN teams

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

User problem

Customers didn’t have a smooth way to connect with sellers.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Business problem

Support was overloaded, often acting as a go-between for basic buyer–seller communication.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Empower sellers to handle customer interactions directly, lowering support team dependency and creating new channels for promotion and sales.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Business goals

Role

Product Designer

Team

Core Messenger, PDP, Review

Platforms

Mobile
Desktop

Worked
with

PM
Engineering team
XFN teams

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Setup and my role

Setup and my role

I was the senior designer working across multiple teams, including PDP, Reviews, and Messenger. For the Messenger concept, I collaborated closely with product owners to shape the vision for the new platform.

I was the senior designer working across multiple teams, including PDP, Reviews, and Messenger. For the Messenger concept, I collaborated closely with product owners to shape the vision for the new platform.

I was the senior designer working across multiple teams, including PDP, Reviews, and Messenger. For the Messenger concept, I collaborated closely with product owners to shape the vision for the new platform.

Expand more prep details

Process

Architecture and flows

User testing

Process

Kicked things off with research and early sketches to shape the direction.

Worked closely with the product owner to test ideas, gather feedback, and iterate based on what we learned from users.

Architecture and flows

Built new logic on top of the existing system to make sure it works across all platforms.

Designed key areas like chat with sellers, delivery updates, group chats, voice assistant integration, and how to make sharing items in chat feel seamless.

User testing

We ran user interviews and co-research sessions to uncover friction in real chat flows. Based on our findings, we focused on two key improvements:

Make search easy to access

We found that most users start with search. So we made it always visible and added it to the MVP to support starting chats directly from search results.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Show delivery status in chat

Users checked chat to see delivery progress, but info got lost in the thread. We added a pinned summary for quick updates at the top.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Expand more prep details

Process

Architecture and flows

User testing

Process

Kicked things off with research and early sketches to shape the direction.

Worked closely with the product owner to test ideas, gather feedback, and iterate based on what we learned from users.

Architecture and flows

Built new logic on top of the existing system to make sure it works across all platforms.

Designed key areas like chat with sellers, delivery updates, group chats, voice assistant integration, and how to make sharing items in chat feel seamless.

User testing

We ran user interviews and co-research sessions to uncover friction in real chat flows. Based on our findings, we focused on two key improvements:

Make search easy to access

We found that most users start with search. So we made it always visible and added it to the MVP to support starting chats directly from search results.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Show delivery status in chat

Users checked chat to see delivery progress, but info got lost in the thread. We added a pinned summary for quick updates at the top.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Expand more prep details

Process

Architecture and flows

User testing

Process

Kicked things off with research and early sketches to shape the direction.

Worked closely with the product owner to test ideas, gather feedback, and iterate based on what we learned from users.

Architecture and flows

Built new logic on top of the existing system to make sure it works across all platforms.

Designed key areas like chat with sellers, delivery updates, group chats, voice assistant integration, and how to make sharing items in chat feel seamless.

User testing

We ran user interviews and co-research sessions to uncover friction in real chat flows. Based on our findings, we focused on two key improvements:

Make search easy to access

We found that most users start with search. So we made it always visible and added it to the MVP to support starting chats directly from search results.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Show delivery status in chat

Users checked chat to see delivery progress, but info got lost in the thread. We added a pinned summary for quick updates at the top.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Overview

Overview

Overview

We started with mobile as a proof of concept, then moved on to the web version. My main goal was to explore different chat and widget setups to show how the messenger could work for users and teams.

We started with mobile as a proof of concept, then moved on to the web version. My main goal was to explore different chat and widget setups to show how the messenger could work for users and teams.

We started with mobile as a proof of concept, then moved on to the web version. My main goal was to explore different chat and widget setups to show how the messenger could work for users and teams.

User chats
Between buyers, sellers, support,
and group threads

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Notifications
Promo, subscriptions, and product updates

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Channels
Topic-based feeds with posts from brands, users or products

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Bots
Handle tasks and requests automatically

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Group chats
Invite friends to share finds, decide together, and split purchases

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Messenger Home:
types of chats

Messenger Home: types
of chats

The messenger brings together multiple chat types, from simple conversations to automated flows.

Channels

Flexible content spaces for anyone from brands to users.

Channel creators
Buyers, sellers, brands and teams can all create their own channels

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Build-in widgets
Сoupons, product previews, bots with actions, and custom promos right inside the chat

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Smart bots
Bots automate actions like placing orders or answering questions

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Product growth space
Dedicated channels for promoting and scaling services like Travel, Fashion, Banking, and more

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Smart bots
Bots automate actions like placing orders or answering questions

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Product growth space
Dedicated channels for promoting and scaling services like Travel, Fashion, Banking, and more

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Message formats
in channels

Message formats in channels

Flexible formats for different
content and communication types.

Flexible formats for different content and communication types.

Comments from users
Lets users ask questions or share feedback directly under posts

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Covers and illustrations
Visual previews improve recognition and keep the channel consistent

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Photo galleries
Compact way to show more content in one post

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Video embeds
Helps explain ideas or show products quickly with short videos

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Live streams
Supports real-time events

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Widgets in chat

Built-in tools for smart actions and content. Teams can also add custom widgets on top.

Promo code widget
Displays a discount offer with a clear CTA button

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Sale highlight widget
Visual block with an image, timer or date label, and a short promo

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Product list widget
Displays one or multiple products in a scrollable or grid layout

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Service booking widget
Interactive block for selecting parameters and booking a service directly

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Chat customization
for teams

Chat customization for teams

Teams can tailor their chat setup to promote their products and better support users.

Add a chatbot
Automate answers, actions, or service flows with custom logic

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Set up chat identity
Choose the chat name, avatar and background

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Define push messages
Write your own push notification text for updates or promos

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Use or create widgets
Add shared components or build your own for content and actions

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

More communication formats

Audio messages
Voice messages with text transcriptions

Video calls
Lives for product demos or personal help from sellers

Picture-in-picture
Keep the call on screen while chatting or browsing

More details

Here are a few extra details on the layout, formats, and styling decisions we made to keep the system clear, flexible, and easy to adapt across teams and use cases.

Here are a few extra details on the layout, formats, and styling decisions we made to keep the system clear, flexible, and easy to adapt across teams and use cases.

Here are a few extra details on the layout, formats, and styling decisions we made to keep the system clear, flexible, and easy to adapt across teams and use cases.

Different formats for different needs

Each chat type comes with pre-configured settings and widgets, optimized for support, seller comms, promos, or channels.

Plug-and-play building blocks

Widgets for promotions, coupons, tabs, and more, easy to drop into any header.

Flexible styling with brand consistency

A color system designed for scale, built to support diverse teams, internal products, and third-party sellers.

Web version

The web layout adapts chat for desktop, with the same tools and flexibility built in for teams and users.

The web layout adapts chat for desktop, with the same tools and flexibility built in for teams and users.

The web layout adapts chat for desktop, with the same tools and flexibility built in for teams and users.

Overall summary for the three experiments

We built a scalable messaging system that helps users get answers faster, eases the load on support, and opens new growth opportunities for sellers and the business.

We built a scalable messaging system that helps users get answers faster, eases the load on support, and opens new growth opportunities for sellers and the business.

We built a scalable messaging system that helps users get answers faster, eases the load on support, and opens new growth opportunities for sellers and the business.

Сonnection between buyers and sellers

Сonnection between buyers and sellers

Users could finally message sellers directly, speeding up decisions and removing pressure from support.

Users could finally message sellers directly, speeding up decisions and removing pressure from support.

Users could finally message sellers directly, speeding up decisions and removing pressure from support.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Flexible vision used across use cases

Flexible vision used across use cases

The system worked for both internal teams and sellers: from quick answers to promos and channels.

The system worked for both internal teams and sellers: from quick answers to promos and channels.

The system worked for both internal teams and sellers: from quick answers to promos and channels.

Apex Inc.

Data dashboard

Next study

Templates

Core

Library for reusable content in Miro

Streamline work with reusable building blocks created and saved by users.

Templates

Core

Library for reusable content in Miro

Streamline work with reusable building blocks created and saved by users.

Templates

Core

Library for reusable content in Miro

Streamline work with reusable building blocks created and saved by users.

Kate Lya 2025

Amsterdam

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Contact

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Contact

Messenger

Core

Vision

Smarter buyer-seller messaging

Helping people and businesses connect through messaging to make shopping smoother.