Company
Square
RolE
Product designer & researcher
When
Q2 2023
Scope
MVP to scale
Square's payment links let merchants sell products, collect payments, and host events without a website, but sellers were dropping off before completing a link or never sharing what they built. While reviewing customer support notes, I noticed a pattern and worked with our PM to validate it. About 25% of support questions were about how to set up a link or find a specific feature, consistent across seller types from repair services to healthcare to nonprofits.
The root problem was that features were hard to find and unclear, even for sellers who were actively trying to set up a link. I explored two concepts to fix this: a step-by-step setup guidd and a live preview that updated in real time as sellers filled in details. Testing with 8 participants made the answer clear. Sellers trusted a link they could see taking shape, and the preview concept also had the added benefit of scaling to support more advanced features down the road.
The redesigned flow is live today and improved both link creation rates and usage of advanced features, a signal that they're easier to find. Beyond the feature itself, I contributed a set of builder layouts to Square's design system, giving other teams a foundation for building similar editor experiences going forward.
