zepto
Designing a Conversational AI Agent for Zepto: From Friction to Flow in Grocery Ordering
App name / Client
Zepto
My Role
UI/ UX designer
Industry
E-commerce
Platform
Figma
Reimagining Grocery Shopping with AI: Zepto’s Conversational Agent
A seamless, human-first AI shopping assistant designed to help users reorder essentials, discover new products, and finish their grocery runs with ease.
Project Overview
- Timeline: 2 weeks
- Tools used: Figma, Canva, Fig jam, Notion
- Goals: Improve task flow for users shopping under time pressure.
Problem Statement
Grocery shopping felt repetitive. Even loyal users had to scroll, search, and remember every time. Zepto was fast, but not helpful. It needed a smarter way to assist, one that felt more human and less like starting from scratch.
Research
Insights Panel
- Users want AI that “remembers”
- ✅Friction comes from repetitive actions
- ✅ Shopping is goal-based (e.g., "Dinner prep", "Weekly restock")
- ✅ Users prefer proactive help over too many choices
Design Process
User Journey
| Stage | Goal | Current Journey (Before AI) | Pain Points | Improved Journey (With AI Assistant) | Delight Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Entry | Open app to reorder groceries | Opens app → Navigates categories | Time-consuming, repetitive | Opens app → Sees “Reorder last week’s list?” prompt | Feels understood instantly |
| 2. Browse | Find additional items | Browses categories manually | Gets distracted or forgets items | AI suggests “Add usual fruits?” or “Low on milk?” | Saves time, fewer forgotten items |
| 3. Decide | Build cart & finalize order | Manually adds each item | Cognitive load, decision fatigue | AI builds cart with options to tweak | Light, easy cart-building |
| 4. Checkout | Finish order quickly | Reviews cart → Checkout | Feels unsure, checks again | One-tap confirmation with smart summary | Confident & quick |
| 5. Post-Order | Feel good about experience | Waits → Forgets what she added | Low recall, little engagement | Gets helpful summary & “Want reminders?” option | Trust builds, repeat assured |
Once I tested the first version, I noticed small things that needed work, users missed the AI prompt or didn’t know where to click.
So, I went back and refined:
- Made the AI prompt more visible, right at the top
- Used warmer, more conversational language
- Cleaned up the flow to remove unnecessary steps
Final UI Screens
Learnings
- Designing for conversations requires empathy, every word matters.
- Predictive UX isn’t about showing more, but showing what matters.
- Users love when the app feels like it knows them.
Expected Impact
- Increase Order Speed: Reduce the time taken to place an order by 30-40%.
- Boost Daily Conversions: Improve conversion rates by approximately 25%
- Enhance User Retention: Increase retention through personalized experiences.
- Reduce Cognitive Load: Simplify the ordering process, making it more intuitive.