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:
https://youtu.be/TUMP-xSCJno

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

[plumb4me]

The problem comes with grouped designs. The design I posted below this message, is grouped and the customer doesn't know to ungroup it. If and when they figure out how to ungroup the design, they can't replace the images and crop the images, because there is a template on top of the images, that is not locked. If and when they figure out how to go the left side of the screen and click on layers, there is the grouped design, now what are they suppose to do? If and when they figure out how to ungroup the design in the layer, they still don't know they have to lock the top layer, so they can replace the images, underneath the template.

After all of these steps, I gave up and closed the product and the customer will too. This is so confusing and all of these steps are so unnecessary.

Why does Zazzle always release majors update right before the Holiday Season and why can't Zazzle announce the change, before it even goes live, so we can at least have a chance to update designs or decide how we want to move forward with future designs? 

This is all the steps I had to take, just to figure out how to replace a collage of images. Why is this so complicated for a simple collage? I will lose sales and Zazzle will also sales, because there are alot of shops, that are full of just simple collages with templates, that are now unlocked and there is no simple way just to replace images.

[Fiorenzo]

Hint: We may create a tutorial mockup to counter the issues with the new layout where needed. At least for the most important designs, maybe make a few generic ones. I know, extra stress, but in extreme cases where people need instructions, this may prevent sales losses.

[Fiorenzo]

Technical issue: If you edit a field and delete the content/keep it blank, the field is deleted after you submit the change.

[plumb4me]

Here is another version I see, not sure what's going on with the black outlined boxes. It's probably a bug, hope it's fixed soon.

[Connie]

At least this version is better because the customer can still go into the old design tool to make changes by clicking on Customize with Design Editor. This version is simple enough for customers to quickly change important images and text, without having to fiddle with anything. It is very similar to Minted's editor. Really, the only thing wrong with this version was that they left off the text template instructions. 

[jparrottmerrell]

So far, i like what i saw in the video. It's clean, simple, very intuitive and seems to offer quite a bit. I think it'll do a lot to help customers feel empowered. 👍 

[Connie]

I don't know what video you were watching, but for any designs that are more complicated than a simple image layer, or a few bits of clipart, it is anything BUT intuitive! Customers have to do several clicks to make any changes, and most features that we relied on for complex designs are either hidden or removed. 

[Anne]

I don't see this yet, but I have a big problem with this being thrown on us on a Friday right before the Holiday season and not being announced by email, but accidentally having to come across it in the forum. And clearly this should be pinned on top. It also fits nicely in the annual Zazzle tradition to do everything they possibly can to destroy the Holiday season. Please stop "fixing" things that aren't broken and address the LONG list of problems. Thank you.

[Barbara]

I've tried the new design tool on a number of other people's products (I don't have it), and find it's not in the least intuitive. In the effort to simplify as much as possible, it's gone to the complete opposite in which too much has been hidden from view. Every time I open it up, my first thought is, "Where did everything go?!" As a designer, I know what I'm looking for, but how about the customer? The outcome will either be that customers leave or, instead, contact the designer because they know what they want and are hoping the designer will do it for them. Not a good outcome either way.

Colorwash's Home    Colorwash on Benable   Benable invite link

[dotellabelle]

@Barbara  I hope Zazzle takes a closer look at the impact on both designers and customers, and the long-term effects it could have on the business itself. If customers feel overwhelmed and leave, or if designers lose trust in the platform, that’s a lose-lose situation. Zazzle has always thrived because of the creativity of its designers and the confidence of its shoppers. Both need to be protected for the business to stay strong.

Victoria | Do Tell A Belle

[SheaPrints]

I've used the new text 'outline' feature quite a lot since it was launched, but I'm not sure it will be noticed when customers change the text color - especially where it's used to make small text bolder on dark backgrounds. I think the 'text color' and 'Text Effects' should be in the same place, especially 'Shadow' and 'Stroke' that involve color.

[Anne]

I wish Zazzle would think in terms of functionality instead of just randomly moving things from left to right (like the front/back views) and vice versa. The main problem with the "old"/current design tool as I see it, is that adding the template option is not thought through well enough. If you need to add a lot of templates, it means constantly moving your vision from left to right and back, like watching a tennis game.
And why on earth, after ALL the feedback from designers about the font tool, is that also in the new tool?
Clearly Zazzle does not give a s*** about the opinion of designers. (they don't like it, but here it is)

[plumb4me]

I totally missed reading this and with all these changes, where does this fit into the "New Design Experience." 

Per Zazzle,

"Update to Image Templates and Masks for Easier Customization

Creator Team

‎09-05-2025 05:22 AM

Hi Creators,

We’ve made an update to Image Templates and Masks for Easier Customization for Customers:

Image templates:

• Image templates that are likely to be replaced by customers now behave like frames. 
• We’re able to determine if an image template is likely to be replaced by checking if the placeholder image set by the creator has personal content like faces, etc.
• With an eligible image template selected, when a customer presses the delete key, the green placeholder will appear instead of the image disappearing completely. 
• This change makes customization for customers a lot smoother so they do not need to resize or reposition their photo again after deleting it. 

Masks are now frames: 

• Most masks that were in your designs were automatically converted to frames
• This change was applied to eligible masks with only one image.
• This change makes customization for customers a lot smoother because cropping is now more intuitive and easier to use. Previously, it was possible for customers to drag their image “inside the mask”, leaving the possibility for creating gaps in the design.
• If you wish to make edits to your frame, you can always use the “change image” button.

We recommend reviewing your top-sellers, especially holiday cards to ensure everything is working as expected! With this change, we have noticed some technical issues for select mask designs, which are already on our team's radar and they are looking into fixing. 

The Zazzle Team"

[dotellabelle]

Speaking as someone who has worked in marketing for many years, my biggest concern is what this rollout does to the integrity of Zazzle’s brand. A company’s value proposition is built on consistency and trust. Customers know what to expect when they come here: professionally designed products that are easy to personalize. When you suddenly shift that experience — especially by dropping them into a tool that feels more like Canva — it risks confusing loyal customers and weakening the identity that made Zazzle successful in the first place.

In marketing, we always talk about evolution over revolution. Packaging refreshes, rebrands, and user experience updates are most successful when they feel natural and familiar, not like a jarring change. Move too quickly, and you don’t just risk short-term frustration, you risk long-term erosion of customer trust and loyalty.

That, ultimately, could have a lasting effect not just on Zazzle’s business, but on the businesses of every designer in this marketplace. Please, Zazzle, take this to heart. Every CEO I’ve had the pleasure of knowing has cared just as much about the people who make their company successful as they did about the dollars coming in. I truly hope the same care is shown here.

Sincerely,
Victoria | Do Tell A Belle