Back to all ArticlesWhen designing digital products, we often say that every feature should solve a specific user or business problem. New components, additional buttons, or extra interface sections are not valuable on their own. They become valuable only when they improve the user experience, support business goals, or help users accomplish their tasks more effectively.
A few days ago, as an author publishing books through Amazon KDP, I decided to take a closer look at the A+ Content feature. My initial goal was simple: understand how the feature works and decide whether it was worth investing the time to create additional materials for the more than twenty-five books I have published. However, after reading the documentation and carefully analyzing my own product pages, I quickly realized that A+ Content was not the most interesting part of the experience.
The real issue lies much deeper.
As I examined the product page, I found myself asking questions not about the feature itself, but about the overall architecture of the book product page. Why is information presented in this particular order? What role do sponsored books play on an individual author's product page? At what point does a reader actually make the purchasing decision? Does the current information hierarchy support that decision-making process, or is it primarily designed to serve other business objectives of the platform?
This is not an article about how to use Amazon KDP, nor is it a guide to creating A+ Content. Instead, it is a product analysis written from the perspective of a Product Designer who also happens to experience the platform from the other side—as both an author and a user.
I am not assuming that the current solution is flawed. Amazon has access to data I do not have, conducts its own research, and makes product decisions based on the goals of one of the world's largest marketplaces. At the same time, I believe every design decision should be explainable from a user experience perspective. Rather than judging the existing interface, I want to analyze the current product page architecture, understand the reasoning behind its design, and explore whether alternative solutions could better support readers, authors, and Amazon itself.
Ultimately, this analysis attempts to answer one seemingly simple question:
Has the Amazon book product page been designed around the moment when readers make their purchasing decision, or around the business model of the marketplace itself?
The Book Product Page as a Meeting Point for Four Stakeholders
Whenever I analyze a digital product, I always begin by understanding its purpose. Before evaluating button placement, information architecture, or the order of interface elements, it is worth asking a much more fundamental question: Who is this screen actually designed for?
In the case of an Amazon book product page, the answer is far from obvious. At first glance, it appears to be the author's space—a page dedicated to presenting and selling a particular book. However, a closer look reveals that it is actually a place where the interests of several different groups intersect. Each of them has its own objectives, expectations, and definition of success. The current interface is the result of balancing those competing priorities.
The Reader
From the reader's perspective, everything comes down to one simple question:
Is this book for me?
The answer should be available as quickly as possible. Readers want to understand what the book is about, determine whether it addresses their needs, evaluate the credibility of the author, and decide whether it is worth purchasing. Every additional element that distracts from this decision-making process increases the likelihood that they will abandon the page or move on to another product.
The Author
The author's objectives are equally straightforward. They want to present their book in the best possible way, build trust, and convince potential readers that this particular publication provides the answers, knowledge, or entertainment they are looking for. To achieve that, authors invest time in designing professional covers, writing compelling descriptions, creating promotional materials, and building their personal brand both on and beyond Amazon.
From the author's perspective, the product page is a digital storefront. It should provide an opportunity to showcase the value of the book and communicate the reasons why it deserves to be chosen.
Amazon
Amazon approaches the same page from an entirely different perspective. It is neither the publisher of a single book nor the representative of an individual author. It is the owner of one of the world's largest marketplaces, whose objective is to maximize the value of the entire ecosystem.
As a result, success is not measured solely by the sale of a particular book. Equally important are keeping customers engaged within the platform, increasing basket value, encouraging additional purchases, and expanding advertising revenue. Consequently, the product page becomes more than a dedicated page for one author's work—it becomes part of a much broader commercial system.
Advertisers and the Economics of Selling
There is a fourth stakeholder that is often overlooked: advertisers. In many cases, these are authors themselves who have chosen to promote their books through Amazon Ads. At this point, the author's interests begin to split into two different roles: the creator of a specific book and a participant in Amazon's advertising ecosystem.
Authors want to sell their books and generate revenue from their work. Amazon also earns revenue—not only through sales commissions but also through advertising budgets. As a result, authors are no longer competing solely on the quality of their books; they are also competing for visibility.
From the advertiser's perspective, the goal is not to help sell the book currently displayed on the page. The objective is to capture the reader's attention and redirect it toward a sponsored alternative. From the marketplace's perspective, this is a perfectly coherent business model. It increases revenue while encouraging authors to invest in advertising.
From a user experience perspective, however, this creates an interesting tension. At what point, and in what location, should advertisements appear so that they do not interfere with the reader's evaluation of the current book? And how can the interests of the author, who wants to sell their own publication, be balanced with those of the platform, which also benefits when the reader chooses a different sponsored title?
One Screen, Four Different Objectives
Viewing the product page through the lens of these four stakeholders helps explain why its architecture looks the way it does. This interface is not designed exclusively for readers, nor exclusively for authors. It represents a compromise between multiple business, marketing, and user experience objectives.
For that reason, the following analysis is not an attempt to determine whether Amazon's design is right or wrong. A far more interesting question is how the current interface balances the interests of everyone involved—and whether alternative design decisions could better support readers, authors, and Amazon at the same time.
What Should the Purpose of a Book Product Page Be?
Every digital product is designed to achieve a specific goal. Only after defining that goal can we meaningfully evaluate its information architecture, interface layout, and the priorities assigned to individual sections. That is why any analysis of a product page should begin with a question that ought to precede every UX discussion:
What is the primary purpose of a book product page?
The answer is far less obvious than it might seem.
The first possible model is the traditional author's sales page. In this approach, every element of the interface serves a single objective: helping readers make an informed decision about purchasing a specific book. Every section answers the next question in the reader's decision-making process: What is this book about? Who is it written for? What problems does it solve? What will I learn? Why should I trust this author? The cover, the description, supporting visuals, and every call to action work together toward one outcome—the purchase of that particular publication.
The second model is a product page within a marketplace. Here, an individual book becomes one of millions of products available on the platform. Its role extends beyond selling its own content; it also supports the broader objectives of the marketplace. Retaining users within the ecosystem, promoting similar products, expanding the advertising platform, and increasing the overall value of the shopping basket become equally important. In this model, the product page is no longer exclusively the author's space—it becomes one component of a much larger commercial system.
Amazon attempts to combine both approaches within a single interface. On one hand, it provides authors with tools designed to better present their books, including enhanced descriptions, A+ Content, videos, Author Pages, and book series information. On the other hand, the very same page contains sponsored advertisements, recommendations for competing titles, and interface elements intended to support the commercial goals of the entire marketplace.
This is not a design flaw. It is a deliberate consequence of Amazon's business model. The more interesting question is whether the current balance between these two approaches truly supports the reader's decision-making process. Does the interface first provide all the information necessary to evaluate the book before introducing alternative products? Or have different priorities shaped the information hierarchy?
Answering that question requires a closer examination of the current information architecture. Before analyzing individual interface elements, it is worth understanding the order in which Amazon presents information and the level of importance assigned to each section. Ultimately, that hierarchy forms the foundation of the entire user experience.
Analysis of the Current Information Architecture
Before evaluating individual interface elements, it is worth setting personal opinions aside and looking at the product page purely as a structure of information. This is one of the fundamental exercises performed during a UX audit. Rather than asking whether a particular design decision is good or bad, we first examine the order in which information is presented and the level of importance assigned to each element by the interface.
The first element that captures the reader's attention is the book cover. Positioned in the left column, it serves as the primary visual element of the page. Directly beneath it is the Read Sample button, allowing readers to preview part of the book, followed by the Follow the Author section, which encourages users to follow the author before they have even decided whether to purchase the book.
The central column contains the primary information about the publication itself. At the top of the page, readers see the book title, followed by the author's name and the publication format. Below that, the page displays the name of the book series, after which the main book description begins. Only after the description do readers encounter the technical details, including print length, language, publication date, accessibility information, and other metadata. This section represents the core content created by the author and occupies the largest portion of the visible page.
The right-hand column functions as the purchasing panel. It contains the book's price, format, the primary purchase button, the option to send a free Kindle sample, and the ability to add the book to a personal list. Directly beneath this purchase panel appears the first sponsored recommendation for another publication.
At the bottom of the visible screen, a second sponsored book recommendation is displayed. Only after scrolling further does the reader reach additional sections of the product page, including A+ Content, promotional videos, enhanced marketing materials, and other content prepared by the author.
Even this high-level overview of the information architecture demonstrates that the product page has not been designed solely as a traditional book sales page. Alongside the content created by the author, the interface introduces marketplace-oriented elements from the very beginning, including sponsored recommendations and additional engagement mechanisms. This structure provides the foundation for the following analysis, where we will examine how the ordering of information influences the reader's purchasing decision and the overall user experience.
The Author's Perspective
After analyzing the current information architecture, I began to reflect on how I perceive the product page as an author publishing books on Amazon. If I had to identify one expectation for this page, it would be very simple: during the first few seconds after a reader lands on it, I would like their attention to belong exclusively to my book.
This does not mean that I expect Amazon to remove sponsored content or abandon the marketplace model altogether. Amazon operates a business built around millions of sellers, and it would be unrealistic to expect the company to give up one of its revenue streams. However, I believe that before readers are encouraged to explore alternative publications, they should first receive all the information necessary to evaluate the book they intentionally chose to view.
For that reason, I would be perfectly comfortable with sponsored recommendations appearing in the right-hand column, beneath the primary purchase panel and the Add to List button. At that point, advertisements no longer interrupt the reader's evaluation process while still supporting the commercial objectives of the marketplace. Readers first have the opportunity to explore the author's offering and only afterward are presented with alternative titles.
From an author's perspective, this also reflects a form of partnership between the creator and the platform. Amazon earns revenue from selling my book through its commission, while I provide the product that attracts readers to the page in the first place. Therefore, I would expect the elements that directly support the purchasing decision—such as the cover, the book description, the sample, visual assets, the trailer, and enhanced author-created content—to take priority over advertising.
At the same time, it is important to recognize how much the self-publishing landscape has evolved. Amazon remains the world's largest marketplace for books, but it is no longer the only place where authors build their audience. More and more writers invest in their own websites, newsletters, social media profiles, and YouTube channels, treating Amazon primarily as the place where the purchase is completed rather than where the relationship with readers begins.
Visibility on the platform is no longer determined solely by the quality of a book. Authors increasingly invest in Amazon Ads and promotional tools such as Kindle Countdown Deals and Free Book Promotions to improve the visibility of their publications. This is a natural consequence of operating within a marketplace, but it also means that competition for readers' attention continues to grow.
There is another aspect that makes it difficult for authors to evaluate the effectiveness of their product pages. Amazon does not provide data showing how many people visited a particular book page, how long they stayed, or which elements attracted their attention. We do not know whether readers reach the A+ Content section, watch promotional videos, or at what point they most frequently leave the page. In practice, authors can evaluate the effectiveness of the product page only indirectly—through book sales, Kindle Unlimited page reads, or the results of advertising campaigns.
The only clear signal I receive as an author is that my product page also serves as advertising space for other books. Since Amazon has chosen to place sponsored recommendations there, it is reasonable to assume that the company considers the page valuable for capturing readers' attention. What I cannot determine, however, is whether my own book and the content I have invested time in creating receive that attention first, or whether some readers are redirected toward competing titles before they have completed evaluating my publication.
This is not a criticism of Amazon's business model. Rather, it is a consequence of operating a platform that simultaneously functions as a bookstore, a marketplace, and an advertising ecosystem. From an author's perspective, however, an interesting question emerges: can the interests of all participants be balanced more effectively? Readers should have the opportunity to evaluate a book without unnecessary distractions, authors should be able to present the value of their work, and Amazon should continue achieving its commercial objectives. In my opinion, these goals are not mutually exclusive.
One additional thought naturally follows from this discussion. If Amazon is capable of accurately tracking user behavior—from the moment a reader opens a product page, through their interactions with the content, to their final purchasing decision—it may be worth considering a model in which authors are rewarded not only for book sales but also for attracting readers' attention. If someone visits my product page, spends time evaluating my book, and ultimately purchases another publication, my work has still contributed to that customer's journey. From that perspective, it seems reasonable to ask whether authors should share, in some way, in the value generated by the attention their books bring to the platform.
Where Does the User Make the Purchase Decision?
Once the information architecture has been understood, we can move on to the actual user experience analysis. When designing digital interfaces, it is not enough to know what information appears on the screen. It is equally important to understand the order in which users process information, what captures their attention, and at what moment they make a decision. This cognitive process ultimately determines how effective a product page is.
In the context of a book, the user's objective is relatively simple. They are not looking for a specific button or feature. Instead, they are trying to answer one fundamental question:
Is this book worth my time and money?
From a UX perspective, this means that the entire information architecture should support that decision-making process rather than simply presenting every piece of available information.
The First Few Seconds Determine Everything
Research on interface perception consistently shows that users do not read web pages from top to bottom. Instead, they scan the screen, identifying elements with the highest visual priority. Only if those elements appear relevant do they begin reading the supporting content in greater detail.
On an Amazon book product page, the first element that captures attention is the book cover. It creates the initial impression and often determines whether readers will spend the next several seconds exploring the page. Their attention then naturally shifts to the title, the author's name, the price, and the most important publication details. Only after processing these elements do readers begin evaluating the book description.
This is the point at which the actual purchasing decision begins to take shape.
Information Hierarchy
One of the fundamental principles of interface design is establishing a clear information hierarchy. Users should encounter the information with the greatest influence on their decision first, while supporting information should appear later.
For a book product page, a natural hierarchy might look like this:
- Book cover
- Title
- Author
- Ratings and reviews
- Book sample
- Book description
- Decision-supporting content such as illustrations or a book trailer
- Technical details
- Additional information
Each section answers the next question that naturally arises in the reader's mind. Organizing information in this way reduces cognitive effort and enables users to make decisions more naturally and with greater confidence.
Progressive Disclosure
User experience design often relies on the principle of Progressive Disclosure, which means presenting information gradually rather than all at once. Users first receive answers to their most important questions before being introduced to additional details.
Readers do not initially need to know how many pages the book contains or when it was published. Long before those details become relevant, they want to understand whether the subject interests them and whether the author appears capable of addressing their needs.
From this perspective, the book description, sample, visual materials, and trailer play a much more significant role than technical specifications—not because the latter are unimportant, but because they answer questions that arise later in the decision-making process.
Cognitive Load
Another essential UX principle is minimizing cognitive load. The more competing pieces of information presented simultaneously, the greater the mental effort required for users to decide where to focus their attention.
Every additional message, recommendation, or promotional element introduces another cognitive stimulus. This does not necessarily mean such elements should be removed from the interface. Rather, it highlights that their order and timing are critical to the overall experience.
Visual Attention
The final aspect concerns the way designers guide the user's visual attention. Interface designers intentionally use size, contrast, spacing, and layout to influence where users look first and how they progress through the page.
For that reason, the placement of each component on a product page is never accidental. Every element competes for the reader's attention. If content that directly supports the purchasing decision appears below elements serving different objectives, there is a real possibility that some readers will never reach it.
This observation does not automatically imply that Amazon's current architecture is incorrect. It simply demonstrates that the sequence in which information is presented has a direct impact on how readers discover a book and ultimately decide whether to purchase it. For that reason, the following chapters examine each interface element individually, exploring its role within the overall decision-making process.
Analysis of Individual Interface Elements
After examining the information architecture and the purchasing decision process, we can move on to the most detailed part of the UX audit. In this chapter, each interface element will be analyzed using the same framework. First, I will define its role within the purchasing journey, then consider the problem it is intended to solve, the potential consequences of the current implementation, and finally explore alternative solutions from a user experience perspective.
The purpose of this analysis is not to identify mistakes or propose changes for the sake of redesign. The Amazon Books interface is the result of numerous trade-offs between user needs, author expectations, and the platform's business objectives. Nevertheless, examining each component individually is worthwhile because even small design decisions can significantly influence how readers perceive a book and ultimately decide whether to purchase it.
Book Cover
The book cover is the first—and arguably the most important—visual element on the product page. It creates the first impression, communicates the nature of the publication, and within a matter of seconds influences whether readers decide to spend more time exploring the page. In many ways, a book cover serves the same purpose as a product image in an e-commerce store: it represents the reader's first interaction with the author's offering.
Its primary role is to capture attention and encourage readers to take the next step, which is usually reading the title and the book description. From that perspective, the current layout fulfills its purpose. The cover is positioned in the upper-left corner, the area where most users naturally begin scanning the page.
However, it is worth asking whether Amazon fully utilizes the potential of this element.
The first issue concerns image quality. The cover image appears to be compressed to the point where compression artifacts and visible pixelation become noticeable, particularly on more detailed cover designs. For books with descriptive subtitles, this creates a practical problem: the subtitle often becomes impossible to read without enlarging the image. Yet the subtitle frequently contains the book's most valuable sales message. It explains what the book is about, which problem it solves, or what knowledge readers will gain after finishing it. If this information cannot be understood during the first interaction with the product, part of the cover's communication value is lost.
The second consideration is the role of the cover itself. I do not believe that simply adding more static images would automatically increase conversions. What matters much more is consistency. Book covers should be instantly recognizable and contribute to building the author's visual identity. A well-designed series identity allows readers to recognize future publications before they even notice the author's name. A concise title, a meaningful subtitle, and a consistent visual language across all books can contribute far more to long-term brand recognition than a single promotional illustration.
At the same time, I wonder whether the space currently dedicated to the cover could be used more effectively. By the time readers arrive at the product page, they have already seen the cover in Amazon's search results, on the author's page, or within recommendation lists. Once they open the product page, their objective changes. They no longer need to see the cover alone—they want to understand whether the book is worth buying.
For that reason, an interesting alternative could be a multimedia product gallery. The first slide would remain the book cover. The second could present a concise infographic answering the reader's most important questions: What is the book about? Which problem does it solve? What knowledge or skills will readers gain after finishing it? For fiction, this slide could instead feature a memorable quote, artwork establishing the atmosphere of the story, or illustrations introducing key characters. A third slide could present a book trailer or a short video message from the author explaining why the book was written and who it is intended for.
The key aspect of such a solution would be discoverability. Readers should immediately understand that additional materials are available beyond the cover itself. Visible thumbnails, a "1 of 3" indicator, navigation arrows, or slide counters would clearly communicate that the gallery can be explored interactively. Without these visual cues, many users would likely never discover the additional content.
It would also be worth considering a subtle animation during the first visit to the page that functions as a brief, almost invisible onboarding experience. Its purpose would simply be to indicate that the gallery contains more than one item. After a short pause, the first slide could automatically transition to the second, demonstrating how the gallery works in practice. This would not be intended as an automatically playing slideshow, but rather as a lightweight introduction that teaches users the interaction. Once this initial hint has been displayed, all further navigation should remain entirely under the reader's control.
Such an approach would offer one additional advantage. Today, the most engaging asset an author can create is a promotional video. Ironically, on the current product page it appears much further down, where many readers may never reach it. Making it one of the first elements in the gallery would allow authors to present their strongest storytelling medium precisely at the moment when readers are evaluating whether to purchase the book. The cover would no longer function as the only visual representation of the publication but would instead become the beginning of a short, engaging product presentation designed to support the purchasing decision.
Follow the Author
The Follow the Author section appears very early on the product page. It is positioned directly beneath the book cover, before readers have had a chance to read the book description, explore additional materials, or decide whether the book meets their needs.
The feature itself is valuable. Following an author helps build a long-term relationship with readers and increases the likelihood that they will be notified about future publications. From an author's perspective, it is one of the most valuable actions a user can take. Unlike a single purchase, it contributes to building an ongoing audience around the author's work.
The question, however, is whether readers have reached the appropriate stage of the decision-making process to make that commitment.
Following an author is rarely the primary objective of someone visiting a product page. In most cases, readers arrive because a particular book has caught their attention. They want to understand whether it is worth buying, what they will learn from it, or whether it addresses the problem they are currently trying to solve. Only after those questions have been answered does another one naturally emerge:
Would I like to read more books by this author?
From the perspective of decision psychology, clicking Follow requires an existing level of trust. It represents a higher level of commitment than reading a sample chapter or watching promotional materials. Rather than expressing interest in a single publication, readers are indicating interest in the author's future work as a whole.
For that reason, the current placement of this section may be premature. At the moment it appears, readers often know very little about the author, have not yet read the book description, and cannot judge whether the publication meets their expectations. It is therefore difficult to expect them to take an action that establishes a long-term relationship.
One possible alternative would be to move the Follow the Author section further down the page—for example, after the book description, multimedia gallery, or A+ Content. At that stage, readers have significantly more information about both the publication and the author's way of thinking. If the book has met their expectations, following the author becomes a natural next step rather than a request presented too early in the journey.
Another possibility would be to make the feature more contextual. Instead of displaying only a Follow button, the section could briefly introduce the author, present the number of published books, highlight primary areas of expertise, or showcase book series. This would answer the more important question:
Why should I follow this author?
rather than simply asking readers to perform another action.
In my opinion, the issue is not the Follow the Author feature itself, but the moment at which it is presented. In user experience design, deciding when to present a feature is often just as important as deciding what to present.
An even more effective approach might be to invite readers to follow the author only after they have purchased the book—or even after they have finished reading it or submitted a positive review. At that point, readers have already formed an opinion about both the publication and its author, making them far more likely to make a genuine long-term commitment.
Read Sample and Send Free Sample
On Amazon's product page, readers encounter two very similar features: Read Sample and Send Free Sample. Both allow users to preview a portion of the book before purchasing it, yet they are placed in different areas of the interface and presented as two separate actions.
From the user's perspective, an important question arises: are these truly two different features, or simply two ways of achieving the same goal?
The Read Sample button, located directly beneath the book cover, allows readers to begin reading the sample immediately in their browser or Kindle app. In contrast, Send Free Sample, positioned within the purchase panel, delivers the very same sample to the user's Kindle device or Kindle app so it can be read later.
The difference, therefore, is not the content itself but the method of delivery.
The challenge is that the interface does not communicate this distinction clearly enough. Readers encounter two buttons referring to the book sample, placed in two separate parts of the page. Unless they are already familiar with the Kindle ecosystem, they may assume these are competing features or that each provides access to different content.
From an information architecture perspective, this is an example of similar actions being separated spatially despite serving the same user need.
In my opinion, this part of the interface could be simplified—but not by placing both buttons beneath the book cover. At first glance, that might seem like the most logical location. However, within the concept proposed in the previous section, that area becomes occupied by the multimedia gallery. As a result, readers would need to scroll past the gallery to reach the buttons. Furthermore, even well-designed calls to action are unlikely to compete successfully for attention against visuals such as book covers, illustrations, or videos.
A more effective solution would be to move both actions into the central column, directly beneath the book title, alongside the beginning of the book description. This is where readers naturally focus their attention while learning about the product and deciding whether it is worth purchasing.
Within that context, the two options become immediately understandable:
- Read Sample — start reading now.
- Send Free Sample — send the sample to your Kindle device.
This approach would not change the functionality of the system. Instead, it would make the interaction easier to understand. Readers would no longer need to wonder why two nearly identical actions appear in different areas of the page or whether they provide access to different types of content.
It is also worth considering the hierarchy of actions. If Amazon considers reading a sample to be one of the most important elements supporting the purchasing decision, both methods of accessing that sample should be presented within the same context. Placing them together in the central content area removes the need for readers to shift their attention between columns and reinforces their role within the decision-making process.
From a UX perspective, this is not a major usability issue but rather an example of a small inconsistency. Eliminating inconsistencies like this does not change how the system works, yet it can reduce cognitive load and make the interface feel more intuitive. In many cases, the overall quality of a user experience is defined precisely by these seemingly minor design decisions.
Book Trailer
One of the features Amazon offers authors is the ability to add a promotional video for their book. The feature itself is valuable. The issue lies in where that video is placed within the product page.
Currently, the trailer appears only in the lower part of the product page, typically after the Product details section and often before or alongside the A+ Content. As a result, users must scroll through a significant portion of the page before they even discover that a video is available.
From a user experience perspective, this placement is rather surprising. Video is one of the most engaging communication formats. By combining visuals, audio, and storytelling, it can communicate more in a few dozen seconds than several paragraphs of text. A well-produced trailer not only introduces the book but also conveys its atmosphere, reflects the author's perspective, and helps readers quickly determine whether the publication is relevant to them.
At the same time, it is important to recognize that users visiting a product page are not there to watch lengthy videos. Their primary goal is to make a purchase decision as efficiently as possible. For that reason, a trailer should not dominate the page but instead complement the information that supports the buying process.
In the information architecture I propose, multimedia is organized differently. The first screen focuses primarily on the book cover together with the mini slider described earlier in this article. Additional content, such as videos or supporting graphics, can be added optionally and is presented in a dedicated column next to the book description. Users can easily navigate to this section by clicking the "Explore the book ↓" link, which scrolls directly to the extended book presentation.
This approach follows two important UX principles. First, it improves feature discoverability. Users no longer have to accidentally encounter the trailer after scrolling through most of the page—they immediately know that additional multimedia content is available. Second, it preserves user control. The trailer does not distract from the most important information or interrupt the reading flow, yet it remains easily accessible whenever users decide they want to explore the book in greater depth.
In my opinion, the first few seconds of interaction with a product page are when video has the greatest impact. This is the moment when readers form their first impression and decide whether the book deserves more of their attention. A short, well-crafted trailer can often generate more interest than another block of text positioned several hundred pixels lower on the page.
This does not mean that every book requires a promotional video. Many authors may not want—or be able—to produce one. Multimedia should therefore remain an optional enhancement rather than a mandatory component. However, if authors choose to invest in creating these materials, the interface should present them where they can genuinely support the purchase decision, instead of placing them so far down the page that many visitors may never discover them.
A+ Content
A+ Content is one of the most interesting features Amazon has introduced for authors and publishers. It extends the standard product page with additional illustrations, infographics, comparison tables, quotations, and a richer presentation of a book or an entire series. As a result, authors gain a tool that allows them to showcase their publications far more effectively than through text alone.
From an author's perspective, however, the situation looks somewhat different. In many cases, A+ Content requires creating another set of materials that already exist on the author's or publisher's own website—the very place from which readers are often directed to Amazon. This creates an additional presentation layer for the same book or series without necessarily providing new information. Instead, it frequently repeats content that has already been prepared elsewhere. At the same time, users must discover this section on their own, which raises an important question: will they actually look for it? If the essential information has already been presented and is sufficient to support a purchase decision, another presentation hidden further down the page may become unnecessary from both the author's and the reader's perspective.
Currently, A+ Content is placed near the bottom of the product page. To reach it, users must scroll through the book description, product details, and several additional sections. As a result, these supplementary materials appear only after many visitors may have already made their purchase decision—or left the page altogether.
A similar approach can be observed in WordPress-based e-commerce websites, where the extended product description is also positioned lower on the page. There, it often serves SEO purposes or provides space for additional content, such as web stories. While these sections can present a product in a more engaging way, their role within the customer's purchasing journey is not always clearly defined.
From an information architecture perspective, this raises an important question: is this really the moment when users need a richer presentation of the book? The primary purpose of A+ Content is to support purchase decisions. If its goal is to explain the book's value, present its key ideas, or showcase its contents, it seems more logical to make this information available much earlier in the user journey.
In the previous chapters, I proposed introducing a dedicated "Explore the book" section positioned alongside the book description. It does not replace A+ Content but instead becomes its natural entry point. On the very first screen, readers immediately see that additional materials—such as a trailer, infographics, sample pages, or illustrations—are available if they wish to explore the publication further. Alternatively, these extended materials could become available after readers finish the free sample, creating a more sequential and structured product discovery experience.
This approach does not require removing A+ Content or changing its functionality. It simply changes how users become aware of its existence. Instead of relying on visitors to accidentally reach the bottom of the page, the interface deliberately informs them that additional book content is available whenever they choose to continue exploring.
There is another important consideration. Much of the information presented within A+ Content often duplicates material already included in the standard book description. When authors communicate the same value proposition twice—first through text and later through graphics—users may feel they are consuming the same information in a different format. A clearer separation of responsibilities between the different sections of the page would provide greater value. The short description should answer the question, "Why should I be interested in this book?", while A+ Content should expand on that answer by presenting materials that cannot be effectively communicated through text alone.
In this model, A+ Content is no longer simply another version of the book description. Instead, it becomes an extension of the user experience—a dedicated space where authors can present richer content and readers can consciously decide whether they want to explore the book in greater depth.
Sponsored Content
The presence of sponsored content on a product page is hardly surprising. Amazon is a marketplace whose business model relies not only on sales commissions but also on paid product promotion. From this perspective, sponsored placements are a natural part of the platform's ecosystem, and it would be difficult to imagine a marketplace of this scale operating without them.
A more interesting question, however, is not whether sponsored content should appear, but at what stage of the user journey it best serves the interests of Amazon, the author, and the customer at the same time.
The figure below shows the product page of a highly successful book. Unlike the previous example, which analyzed a less popular publication, this page clearly demonstrates how the information architecture changes as a product becomes more commercially successful. Amazon allocates significantly more screen space to sponsored placements and recommendations for other books.
After the product description, users are guided through sections such as Frequently Bought Together, Deals on Related Products, Customers Also Bought or Read, additional sponsored recommendations, and only later reach From the Publisher—the section containing the publisher's or author's A+ Content.
This illustrates that the product page architecture is not static. Instead, it is dynamically assembled by Amazon's algorithms and appears to vary depending on factors such as a book's popularity, sales performance, and advertising opportunities.
Interestingly, this behavior also has an unexpected advantage for authors of less popular books. While analyzing my own product pages, I noticed that Amazon displays considerably fewer sponsored modules and competing book recommendations. As a result, readers have more opportunity to focus on the book itself before being encouraged to browse alternative titles. Paradoxically, lower visibility within the marketplace may also mean facing less competition on your own product page.
This observation does not change the central design question: should users who intentionally open a specific book's product page be encouraged to leave it before they have fully explored the product? From the marketplace's perspective, the answer is understandable. Amazon's objective is to maximize overall sales across the platform rather than optimize the conversion of a single book.
From the author's perspective, however, the situation is different. A product page is the destination for visitors arriving from the author's website, newsletter, social media channels, or advertising campaigns. Authors invest time, effort, and often money to attract readers to a specific book, only to place them in an environment designed to keep users within Amazon's ecosystem by continuously presenting alternative products.
In my opinion, the interests of all stakeholders can be balanced without reducing Amazon's monetization opportunities. Users should first have the opportunity to fully explore the selected book, including the materials prepared by its author, before being presented with sponsored recommendations. Once the evaluation of the current product is complete, introducing additional book suggestions becomes a natural continuation of the shopping experience rather than a distraction from it.
This approach does not eliminate sponsored content or challenge Amazon's business model. It simply changes its position within the information architecture. The interface first supports the purchasing decision for the product the user intentionally selected and only afterwards encourages further exploration of the marketplace.
Such an approach creates a better balance between all participants in the ecosystem. Readers experience a clearer and more focused purchasing journey, authors gain a fairer opportunity to present their work, and Amazon continues to achieve its commercial objectives by recommending additional products at a more appropriate moment in the customer journey.
Author Page and Book Series
Another aspect that caught my attention while analyzing the product page is the way Amazon presents information about the author and their other books. The platform provides several mechanisms that, in theory, help readers discover more about an author, yet each of them operates independently.
On the product page, users see the author's name, a brief reference to the book series, and the Follow the Author button. Additional information may appear within A+ Content, while further details are available on the Author Page. Readers may also encounter the author's other books through recommendation modules or series links. Each of these features serves a specific purpose, but together they create an experience that feels fragmented rather than cohesive.
From a user's perspective, it is not immediately clear where they should look for information about the author. Should they visit the Author Page? Is A+ Content sufficient? Or is the complete overview of a book series available only through the individual product pages? The interface does not establish a clear hierarchy between these destinations.
A similar issue exists with book series. Although the product page indicates that a book belongs to a particular series, it provides only a basic link. There is no dedicated space that presents the series as a coherent collection—its concept, the recommended reading order, the relationship between individual titles, or the overall journey the author intends readers to follow. As a result, information about the same series becomes scattered across individual product pages, the Author Page, and A+ Content.
In my opinion, each of these sections should have a clearly defined responsibility. The product page should focus on selling a specific book and answering the question: "Why should I buy this particular title?" A+ Content should expand on that book through visual storytelling, infographics, trailers, and other supporting materials. Meanwhile, the Author Page should become the central destination for presenting the author's work as a whole—their background, philosophy, complete bibliography, book series, and the relationships between individual publications.
Such a separation of responsibilities would make the experience far more intuitive. Readers would no longer need to guess where specific information is located. Each section would have a distinct purpose, complementing the others instead of partially duplicating their content.
From the author's perspective, this approach would also provide greater control over how their work is presented. Instead of preparing similar content for several different locations, authors could build a coherent narrative: the product page introduces a single book, A+ Content enriches the understanding of that publication, and the Author Page presents the author's entire body of work and personal brand. As a result, readers could more easily distinguish between information about an individual book, the broader book series, and the author's overall publishing journey.
A Proposal for a New Information Architecture
The previous chapters focused on understanding the current information architecture and evaluating the individual components of Amazon's product page. The objective was not to identify flaws for the sake of criticism, but to understand how the existing structure supports—or sometimes hinders—the user's purchasing decision.
The natural conclusion of such an analysis is to propose an alternative solution.
This is not intended to be a visual redesign of Amazon's interface. The existing product page remains the starting point. What changes is primarily the order in which information is presented and the role each section plays throughout the decision-making process.
Figure presents the first iteration of a proposed information architecture for the product page.
Interestingly, while preparing this publication, I began to question some of my own design decisions. My initial wireframe placed multimedia content directly beneath the book cover. As the analysis progressed, however, I started asking whether that was truly the right moment to introduce trailers, infographics, and other supporting materials.
This is a good example of what the design process actually looks like. The first idea rarely becomes the final solution. Research leads to new questions, and those questions often challenge earlier assumptions.
I am now increasingly convinced that the space directly beneath the book cover could be used more effectively to introduce the author rather than additional book media. Instead of displaying a Follow the Author button, the interface could present a small Meet the Author section containing a short introduction together with a link to the complete Author Page.
This approach better reflects the natural cognitive journey of the reader. Before deciding to follow an author, users first want to understand who wrote the book, what experience or expertise the author brings, and why they should trust the perspective presented in the publication. Only after establishing that context does it become meaningful to explore additional book-related materials.
The multimedia content does not disappear from the design—it simply changes its role. Rather than competing with the book cover on the first screen, it becomes an extension of the book description. The Explore the Book section, positioned alongside the description, guides readers toward trailers, infographics, sample pages, illustrations, and A+ Content. As a result, multimedia appears precisely at the moment when users begin looking for more detailed information about the publication.
Moving the author section also changes the placement of sponsored recommendations. Sponsored content remains part of the product page, but it appears only after readers have had an opportunity to discover both the book and its author. This gives users the chance to evaluate the selected publication before being encouraged to explore competing titles.
This example demonstrates that designing an information architecture is about far more than arranging components on a screen. Every design decision influences the surrounding elements. Modifying one section often requires reconsidering the entire user journey, leading to a more coherent organization of information.
For that reason, the proposal presented here should not be viewed as a finished design but rather as the result of an iterative design process. Its purpose is not to argue that there is only one correct solution. Instead, it illustrates how questioning initial assumptions can lead to an information architecture that better supports users throughout their purchasing journey. In many ways, the willingness to challenge one's own ideas is one of the defining characteristics of Product Design itself.
What Does Each Stakeholder Gain?
At the beginning of this article, I introduced the four stakeholder groups that shape Amazon's product page: the reader, the author, Amazon itself, and advertisers. Each of these groups has its own objectives, and those objectives do not always align. The role of a product designer, however, is not to optimize the experience for a single stakeholder, but to find a solution that balances the needs of all of them as effectively as possible.
The proposed information architecture does not remove any of the existing features. Instead, it primarily changes their order and the moment at which users encounter them. As a result, each stakeholder can achieve their goals in a more natural and coherent way.
Reader
The greatest benefit for readers is a clearer and more structured decision-making process. Instead of evaluating the book description, advertisements, additional materials, and technical information simultaneously, users are guided through the product in a logical sequence.
They first discover what the book is about and who wrote it. Next, they can read a free sample, explore the book description, review additional materials that expand their understanding of the publication, and only then continue exploring the rest of the page. This structure reduces cognitive load and allows readers to focus on one decision at a time.
Author
For authors, the primary advantage is greater control over how their book is presented. Before readers are encouraged to explore competing titles, they have the opportunity to discover the materials prepared specifically for that book and learn more about the person behind it.
At the same time, the proposed division of responsibilities between the product page, the Explore the Book section, A+ Content, and the Author Page reduces unnecessary duplication of information. Each section serves a distinct purpose, making it possible to build a more coherent narrative around both the publication and the author's overall brand.
Amazon
From Amazon's perspective, the proposed changes do not require abandoning its current marketplace business model. The platform retains all of the features that support sales, product recommendations, sponsored placements, and the broader Kindle ecosystem.
The proposal simply changes the order in which information is presented. This allows users to better understand the value of the selected book before being encouraged to browse additional products. Such an approach has the potential to improve both the overall user experience and the effectiveness of the product page itself.
Advertisers
Advertisers do not lose their promotional space. Sponsored books remain an integral part of the product page and continue to support Amazon's marketplace business model.
The only difference is their placement within the user journey. Instead of competing with the core presentation of the selected book, sponsored recommendations appear after readers have completed the primary evaluation of the product. Users first make an informed decision about the book they intentionally selected, and only then are they invited to discover additional publications.
Balancing Stakeholder Needs
Designing digital products is rarely about maximizing the benefits of a single stakeholder. More often, it is about finding a balance between the objectives of multiple participants within the ecosystem.
The proposed information architecture is not an attempt to redesign the product page solely from the author's perspective, nor is it intended to optimize only Amazon's commercial interests. Its goal is to organize the purchasing journey in a way that enables each stakeholder to achieve their objectives more effectively while respecting the needs of everyone else involved in the experience.
Questions for the Amazon Books Team
The purpose of this publication is not to argue that the current product page architecture is flawed or to present a single "correct" solution. Quite the opposite. The deeper I analyzed the product page, the more questions emerged—questions that I could not answer using the publicly available documentation.
As an author, I can only observe the final outcome. I see the interface, analyze my own product pages, and draw conclusions based on the user experience. What I do not have access to are the research findings, performance data, usability studies, or experiments that likely influenced the Amazon Books team's design decisions.
From a Product Design perspective, those missing pieces of information are perhaps the most interesting part of the discussion.
After completing this analysis, I was left with several questions that I hope may eventually be answered.
1. What role is A+ Content intended to play for books?
Is its primary objective to increase conversion, strengthen the author's brand, present an entire book series, improve discoverability within Amazon, or achieve something else entirely? Understanding its intended purpose would help authors decide how to invest their time and resources most effectively.
2. What data influenced the current information architecture of the product page?
Is the current layout based on user research, A/B testing, sales analytics, long-term behavioral studies, or a combination of these factors? It would be fascinating to understand the evidence that led to the current organization of information.
3. Has Amazon tested alternative placements for book trailers and video content?
Video is one of the most engaging ways to present a book, yet trailers currently appear near the bottom of the page. Has Amazon evaluated their performance in more prominent locations? Or does existing data indicate that the current placement delivers the best results?
4. Has Amazon studied how the sequence of information affects purchasing decisions?
Has research been conducted to understand the order in which readers prefer to consume information about a book? Which elements have the greatest influence on purchasing decisions, and which primarily serve as supporting content?
5. How should authors decide whether investing time in A+ Content is worthwhile?
Creating high-quality visual materials requires time, expertise, and often additional financial investment. At the same time, authors have no visibility into how frequently visitors reach the A+ section or how it influences the sales performance of a specific book. What criteria should authors use to evaluate whether investing in A+ Content is likely to deliver meaningful value?
6. How can authors evaluate the effectiveness of their own product pages?
Authors have access to sales figures and advertising metrics, but they cannot see even the most basic behavioral data related to their product pages. They do not know how many people visited the page, which sections attracted the most attention, or at what point users abandoned the page. Access to this type of information could significantly improve decisions about book descriptions, supporting materials, multimedia content, and A+ Content.
I do not expect that all of these questions have simple answers. On the contrary, I understand that every design decision represents a balance between business objectives, technical constraints, and the needs of multiple stakeholder groups.
Nevertheless, I hope this analysis can serve as the beginning of a broader discussion about how book product pages could evolve to better support readers, authors, advertisers, and Amazon itself.
Conclusion
This analysis did not begin with an intention to criticize Amazon's product or identify flaws in its interface. It started much earlier—with a very practical problem faced by many self-published authors.
My books sell only occasionally. I understand that one of the main reasons is limited visibility. Over the years, Amazon has introduced an increasing number of tools designed to help authors promote their books: KDP Select, Amazon Ads, Author Central, Kindle Countdown Deals, and even programs that allow authors to nominate their eBooks for additional promotion. I have used several of these tools and know that they can increase a book's visibility, but in most cases this happens only when supported by advertising budgets or other marketing activities.
When Amazon introduced A+ Content for books, my immediate reaction was simple:
As an author, should I invest even more time creating additional promotional materials if I don't know whether readers will ever see them?
I do not have access to Amazon's internal data. I don't know how many visitors scroll far enough to reach the A+ section, how much it influences conversion, or whether completing A+ Content affects the visibility of books within Amazon's search results. I can only observe the interface and try to understand why it has been designed the way it is.
At that point, another part of my professional background naturally took over. Over the years, I have worked as a graphic designer, a UX Designer, and a Product Designer. Instead of asking only whether creating A+ Content was worth the effort, I found myself analyzing the entire product page architecture. Why are specific elements placed where they are? What role does each one play? How do they influence the reader's purchasing decision? And could the experience be organized differently to better balance the needs of readers, authors, Amazon, and advertisers?
That is how this article came to life.
It is not an attempt to prove that Amazon's current product page has been designed incorrectly. Nor is it an attempt to present the ultimate solution. Instead, it documents a design process—from a practical question raised by an independent author, through a UX and Product Design analysis, to several iterations of alternative information architectures.
It is entirely possible that some of the ideas presented here have already been tested by Amazon and rejected based on data that is not publicly available. It is equally possible that some of my own proposals would not perform well in practice. That is precisely how digital product design works: ideas are valuable only when they are tested against real user behavior.
My hope is that this article will become the starting point for a broader discussion about designing book product pages and improving the user experience within the self-publishing ecosystem. More and more authors are building their personal brands outside Amazon, treating the platform as one sales channel rather than the entire customer journey. In that context, the way a book is presented becomes almost as important as the content itself. And that is where UX extends beyond websites and applications—it becomes an essential part of modern publishing.
