New Design Experience Now in A/B Testing

[Heather]

Hi Creators,

We're excited to share that we've launched an updated design experience that's currently in A/B testing! This represents a significant evolution in how design works on Zazzle, moving toward a unified tool that serves both creators and customers.

What's Live Now?: Our design tool experience is being tested, meaning users will see either the current experience or one of three new variants. This tool builds on the features you've been using including frames, grids, design elements, and our royalty-free content library, but is optimized to make design more accessible to customers who may not have your level of design expertise. Your existing post-for-sale flow remains accessible and we intend to improve those workflows as part of the next phase. 

Here's a quick demo from Sean walking through the experience:

Why This Matters for You: Since this A/B test exposes templates to a new design interface, you may notice that some existing designs work differently in this customer-focused environment. 

As an example, to create a smoother customer journey, we’ve improved how “locking” works for layers. Previously , when you locked an object, customers could not unlock the object which caused usability issues when they wanted to make changes. With the new update, both you and your customers can unlock a locked layer. Note, if you originally had a a locked layer, the "disabled" setting is automatically turned on with the update. We’ve added a new toggle called “Disable All Object Interaction” which is located in the “More options” section in the right-hand panel. When enabled, it prevents users from interacting with the layer, and customers cannot change this setting.  Additionally, we’re using the locking feature to automatically hide certain layers, such as large transparent overlays, shields, or borders, that might otherwise interfere with customers trying to upload photos or edit text.

After the test concludes, we'll be sharing tips and best practices to help your templates shine in this new experience to maximize customer engagement and conversion. 

Looking ahead, this optimized experience is the first step toward a cohesive design tool for everyone on Zazzle, designed to add ease for customers and positively increase conversion to benefit creators. We welcome your thoughts and feedback as you see this experience in action, as your insights help us build better tools for the entire Zazzle community. The team will be reviewing this thread so please weigh in as you’d like. 

Thanks for being part of this journey, 

The Zazzle Team

[Wollastonite]

If you haven't found it yet, there's a Settings "gear" icon at the bottom where we can turn on the bleed lines. It's off by default.

[Connie]

This looks almost exactly like Canva, and it's about as clunky and unwieldy. Canva is geared toward clipart and simplistic designs, while the Zazzle design tool used to be almost as functional as Photoshop! While I can see how this makes it easier for customers, we lose a lot of the functionality and precision of the old Design Tool. 

There are some practical considerations, too. Will we be able to access our Image library, with all its folders, or will we have to scroll through hundreds and thousands of images like we have to do in Canva? 

[Fantabuloustef]

Completely agree with you on that point. I don’t have access to the new tool, but I saw the screenshots and watched the video. I’m using canvas for my Pinterest pins and some presentation/promotional stuff of a business my husband owns, and to me, it looks like Zazzle wants to become Canva. I don’t think it will be of a great value, if they don’t have a serious value added and competitive advantage. For now, I don’t see it, and if I was a customer, I would just tell myself, ok, I’m going to do it on Canva or Helloprint ( that also uses Canva as an integrated design tool ), because it’s more efficient and cheaper!  I’d like to know the list of competitive advantages this tool  has !

PS - I never had to scroll through thousands of images in Canva to find mine, they are in my uploads under the folders tab properly ordered in my created folders.

[Connie]

I didn't realize you could make folders of uploaded images in Canva! Right now, I just have to scroll and scroll through all my uploads to find the ones I want. I'll have to see if I can figure it out. (I find Canva extremely unintuitive and clunky compared to Photoshop, and even compared to the Zazzle Design Tool.)

[Fantabuloustef]

It suffers from the biases of all these tools that add more and more new features, but don’t have the adequate ergonomics. So, yes, agree with you. It’s quite heavy to use.  I think at a point this kind of tool should either split into several different environments or allow users to have customized profiles where they could access easily the tools they usually work with regarding their needs. You can do so many different activities in such a tool, that it’s normal  it becomes a heavy monster If everything is listed at the same level without hierarchical order or other mechanisms, it becomes very difficult to handle.

When I was a young software engineer, many years ago, I attended software ergonomics  courses, and they taught us that the human brain can only handle  seven memes (+ or - 2)  at the same time, meaning that you can only manage seven choices in a same screen, at a same list level…  And it was a prerequisite to help us design our user interfaces. 

this is what I have in my Canva environment, my folders are under folders on the right 

And when I want to move a picture in one of them I click on the three dots , then move and it proposes my existing folders as a destination: 

[Cat]

For those of you who have access to this new tool, are you seeing it on all of your products? I guess what I'm asking is, is the testing by user or by product? I haven't found it on any of my products yet, and I'd really like to be able to test it out. Should I keep looking, or should I look at other people's products? If the testing is by product, I'd appreciate it if somebody could send me a link to a product where this new tool is in effect so I can see it. (I hope that made at least some sense... I seem to be super confused about all this.)

[KeegansCreation]

What I am seeing is if I look at any product of mine in the back end or in the MP, I'm seeing classic design tool. But if I look at anybody else's product in the MP, I see the new design tool.  I looked at a card, a t shirt and a paper plate. All 3 product types were classic design tool when I looked at my own products but new design tool when I looked at somebody else's.
Here is a link to one of my products. I see it as classic design tool but you may see it as new design tool.  I tried logged out and results were the same.
https://www.zazzle.com/congratulations_to_nephew_who_graduated_card-256525555153985570

[Sara_H]

@KeegansCreation same - don't see it on mine saw it on yours 

I accidentally pressed "remove background" and there's no way to revert it oops

[KeegansCreation]

Interesting. I wonder if we are in a group where they experiment with leaving classic design tool when looking at your own products but showing it the new way for customers. They would have to tweak classic design tool a bit for that though because classic design tool only has a lock layer option (which a customer would now be able to turn off) but no option to disable customer unlocking, as required for any purchased graphics.

It looks like the new design tool needs an Undo button. 

[Cat]

Thanks. I'm still seeing the old interface on your product. I played around a little bit last night and found some products that had the new personalize form, but not the new design tool - they still had a button to click to enter the old design tool and none of the features shown in the video. I guess I'll just have to wait until I can happen upon a way to test it out.

[bkthompson]

In Firefox it's giving me the old design tool for your product; in Chrome it's giving me the new one.

[Connie]

I think they said at first it's only for customers, not designers. So we won't see it on our own products, thankfully!

[SheaPrints]

This new format is not working if the text/photos are positioned under other elements (e.g. picture frames or graphics).

Here's an example: https://www.zazzle.com/custom_construction_site_id_logo_qr_code_navy_blue_badge-256273075905369953

This photo is positioned under a frame, so when you select it, only the frame is selected for customization.

You have to select the 'layers' icon , and then select the photo there.

This makes it confusing for customers. They can access some elements on the design, but have to open the layers window for others — they may not work it out!

[Fiorenzo]

This is one more point adding to the ones I made. I already said you won't see nor can you address all available fields and imagery directly, in the end you need the layer panel and work from there. Good luck also with blank image placeholders e.g. for logos that may or not may be wanted. Without any explanation, the customer is now doomed. I also have blank overlays over my backdrop images so I'm able to easily make custom adaptations and send the replacing image directly through API addressing these blanks. Without any remarks, customers have no no idea what these white blank images are in the layer panel. 

[SheaPrints]

It looks like I've been moved to a different version of this new design tool! Now I can access the photo and text.

[SheaPrints]

Within just a few minutes, it reverted to the previous version, with the same problems as before — it keeps changing!

[Cat]

Oy vay!

[SheaPrints]

If a design is a tiled pattern, that uses the 'Horizontal' tiling format (instead of the 6" 'Tiling' format), then there are no options to customize it!

Example:https://www.zazzle.com/custom_name_age_photo_art_deco_birthday_black_wrapping_paper-2565762286303177...

The screenshot below shows how I created the tiling:

When you open the new design tool window, you see the whole design without any options to customize the text/photos.
If you open the 'Layers', and select the design, you still can't change anything.

The only way to access the photo/text is to ungroup the tile. You have to select 'More', and then 'Ungroup'.

But, now there is no way to return the design to the original tiled format!

I've used this 'Horizontal' tile format for so many designs! So far, I've seen this issue on wrapping paper, aprons, tea towels etc. Now customers cannot personalize them!

[Colorfulgalshop]

Thanks for the link to your product - I tried to replace your photo and have no idea how to do that and I've been designing on Zazzle for YEARS. This is so confusing. Customers are just going to give up!

[KeegansCreation]

Oh man!! I just tried with your design and like you said, the image I put in does not tile. It takes up the entire wrapping paper.

[SheaPrints]

It looks like I've been moved to a different version of this new design tool! Now I can access the photo and text.

[plumb4me]

I placed an image and it tiled, but it messed up the image and half the text.

[SheaPrints]

Thanks for testing it out! So far, I've had access to three different versions of the new customer design tool. While they all have similar issues, this one is completely unusable for personalizing text and photos that use the "Horizontal" tiling feature. The only way to access the text/photos is by ungrouping them, but when you regroup them, it seems like there's no way to tile them again (only single items can be tiled). Besides, a customer wouldn't know the tile size or format I used anyway!

[Ricaso]

The template options previously would help customers with more complex personalization.
Previously we could write a short description of what a customer needed to do, or could do, an example being a certain text where using glyphs required a customer to place text between the glyph options to maintain the font. 
Now they won't know they need to do that and the font will be messed up. 
It doesn't make it easier for the customer and it limits our ability to offer a more complex design. 

[Fantabuloustef]

Definitely, as a designer I’ve spent a lot of time defining accurate labels that would really provide precision, information and guidance to customers. Now regarding the new tool, I just think « So many efforts and wasted time for nothing! » Same when I take the time to add explanation videos on how to customize things precisely in my design media, and I see I’ll have to redo everything now that it has changed… These new changes, in addition to all the preceding changes of this year, just tend to convince me that Zazzle is not worth it anymore for designers… Because whatever the time you have spent, they will always make huge changes that will oblige you to redo everything… Really too unsteady for me ! My conclusion today is that I’ll never spend as much time I have already spent on this platform anymore.

[Jadendreamer13]

This potential change is really disheartening, but hopefully Zazzle will take my suggestion and create a toggle switch for designers and customers, so the Design tool will remain unchanged for designers, and customers will be able to see and use the new version. That would be a win-win situation.

Designers REALLY need a win-win solution right now. We’re all still reeling from the damage that the Ambassador Program did to our businesses.

We can’t take another hit now.

[dotellabelle]

@Jadendreamer13  I completely agree with you. I still have tears over what the Ambassador Program did ... it dramatically cut my earnings too. I’ve had my store since 2014, but it was always a side hustle while I worked full time. Just over two years ago I was laid off and decided to pour myself into Zazzle full time. Since then, I was finally seeing YOY growth from all the 12-hour days and 7-day weeks I was putting in… until the program set me back. It’s been such a blow to both income and morale.

You’re right! Designers really do need a win-win solution this time. We can’t afford another hit.

Victoria | Do Tell A Belle

[Fiorenzo]

Same here. I have often text variants, optional text and logos that can be placed, and more, and all my designs come with a get started info at the start of the form. Plus I provide image sizes for good results, hints, etc., Then I have objects overlapping others... Basically all my designs are doomed with the new changes, and the purchase chance of pretty all my designs have dropped significantly that way, when customers have no clue what to do. The worst part is that this affects also holiday cards. basically it means I have to hurry and create simple designs for basically every product that may sell, and especially cards. What a mess.

[Laura]

I'm finding the crop tool in the new layout only allows repositioning of the photo from the top/bottom, not left/right. The only way to slide it left/right is to use the Design Editor (which in my a/b test was the old editor).

[Laura]

I'm seeing other a/b versions now. On most, the crop tool works as expected so that's good.

There is one a/b version where the image is masked with a circle/oval shape (from elements), the image itself is inaccessible unless one finds it in layers. At that point though, it needs to be unmasked before the image can be changed. Once changed however, there is no option to remask it! 

ETA: If I don't change the image after I've unmasked it, but instead undo the unmasking, and if I don't click on anything else, the change image option is still available so then I could change it. Don't think a customer would stay long enough to figure it out.

[Connie]

I've tried out the new versions on other people's products just to see it from a customer's point of view, and before I watched Zazzle's video, I had no idea there even WAS a layers option! And I couldn't figure out how to change the image. So definitely customers won't be able to figure it out easily before they just leave and shop elsewhere. A few customers who want the design badly enough might take the time to send us a message, but then that means that WE have to take the extra time to try to walk them through it, or even make their design for them! (Which is definitely NOT worth it!) 

[CrazyMermaid]

No. It means I will be sending them to Customer Service with their questions. I am not tech support. I am trying not to over-react. The title of their post was A/B testing, so I am not changing a thing on my templates until they definitively say what is going to change and how. 

[Fiorenzo]

The problem with this sort of A/B testing is that it is on live servers. This means real customers will have to deal with it, not testers in a closed environment, as it should be. This means we designers will lose sales because of that. With a packed holiday season knocking at our doors. At least the designers with more sophisticated designs that go beyond the image + put-your-text-here basics. I agree on your responses, though, it's not our job to provide support unless we want to, and it's definitely not the time to make any changes on existing products and templates, cuz what works in one case doesn't work in the other case.

[Anne]

@CrazyMermaid  "I am trying not to over-react." LOL. How am I doing so far?
I am glad you brought some humor in this 🙂

[MaggieA]

You seem to forget that most customers might not be used to digital design tools. Have anyone had a friend or relative who is not into design to test this out? Without any help? The old version was easy to understand without having any prior knowledge. 

I watched the video with a friend, she asked how to get the top text back since it went missing when the image was switched to a new one (the concept of "layers" means nothing to her in this context). She admitted she would probably have looked for somewhere else to shop since this was outside her comfort zone.

I really really hope you have a lot of personel hired to take care of the customer questions arising from this experiment. Also you would need very easily found contact info for assistance/help,  since I very much doubt that the designers would be willing to take on the roll of teaching customers how to use this new feature. 

[Fiorenzo]

The personalization form was indeed a perfect way to guide customers through an easy-to-master personalization process made explicitly for that specific design. No headaches, just simple scrolling, text field editing, and image swapping. And this all even with related instructions and hints where provided by the designer. The customers who wanted more and had enough confidence to jump into a powerful design tool, were served, too. Let alone that you saw all the changes in real-time on the preview you had chosen.

All that had to be done was uncluttering the personalization form, adding some new features that are missing (e.g. hide/unhide images), and giving it a fresh look.

But no.

[SheaPrints]

I agree, there must be a lot of customers who like a design as is, and simply want a quick step to personalization. A window that looks uncomplicated, and avoids overwhelming them with lots of elements, terms and icons. Having the additional button/step to advanced customization works, because a customer chooses to enter that area, and they're more likely to see it as a creative opportunity and take ownership of their changes. Offering everything upfront suggests that it's all appropriate for the design; for example, not all the color swatches will work well with every design, but a new customer might think it's a viable color variation option!

[Fiorenzo]

The funny thing is that, as it is done right now, it will confuse both casual buyers and experienced customers who like to use a powerful tool to adjust things to their liking. The actual design is too complicated for the first and too annoying to use for the latter.

[Windy]

---

@MaggieA wrote:

I really really hope you have a lot of personel hired to take care of the customer questions arising from this experiment. Also you would need very easily found contact info for assistance/help,  since I very much doubt that the designers would be willing to take on the roll of teaching customers how to use this new feature. 

---

Zazzle might not need much in the way of personnel to help customers, because customers will probably just go back to Canva, which by all accounts is a lot easier to use.

[Barbara]

I'm in the group without access to the changed design surface. I can see it as a customer might by going to someone else's product, and that's all well and good, but since I can't test a single aspect from the designer's point of view, I don't dare design anything unless it's a simple single layer with perhaps a short line of text. Come to think of it, that's often the format for Christmas cards. At least there's that, which is something I'd been considering doing anyway.

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