Nov 2024 - May 2025
Nov 2024 - May 2025
• Product Design Intern
• Product Design Intern
Interned with TikTok Shop’s Global E-commerce Creators & Affiliate team, designing 8 projects that strengthened creator–seller collaboration and drove GMV & conversion growth.
Interned with TikTok Shop’s Global E-commerce Creators & Affiliate team, designing 8 projects that strengthened creator–seller collaboration and drove GMV & conversion growth.
Interned with TikTok Shop’s Global E-commerce Creators & Affiliate team, designing 8 projects that strengthened creator–seller collaboration and drove
GMV & conversion growth.
Overview
Timeline
4 Weeks
Team
Minzhe Emily
Product designer
Mengjie He
Product manager
YuYing
Development engineer
Sondra
Copywriter
Jingyi Zhou
Mentor
Wanlin Li
Team leader
Overview
Overview
Timeline
Timeline
4 Weeks
4 Weeks
Team
Minzhe Emily · Product designer
Mengjie He · Product manager
YuYing · Development engineer
Sondra · Copywriter
Jingyi Zhou · Mentor
Wanlin Li · Team leader
Team
Minzhe Emily · Product designer
Mengjie He · Product manager
YuYing · Development engineer
Sondra · Copywriter
Jingyi Zhou · Mentor
Wanlin Li · Team leader
Background
Background
Background
Trending topics channel
Trending topics channel
Trending topics channel
As TikTok Shop scaled globally, the team saw a need to make it easier for creators to discover products to promote. Many struggled to quickly identify popular trends and often missed timely opportunities. In the early exploration, I proposed ideas such as simplifying heat signals, highlighting product relevant trends, and introducing a clear prioritization framework for key features. These directions shaped the Trending Topic Channel, which now serves millions of creators, driving $2M+ in daily GMV, boosting product selection rates by 29%, and significantly improving conversion and exposure.
As TikTok Shop scaled globally, the team saw a need to make it easier for creators to discover products to promote. Many struggled to quickly identify popular trends and often missed timely opportunities. In the early exploration, I proposed ideas such as simplifying heat signals, highlighting product relevant trends, and introducing a clear prioritization framework for key features. These directions shaped the Trending Topic Channel, which now serves millions of creators, driving $2M+ in daily GMV, boosting product selection rates by 29%, and significantly improving conversion and exposure.
As TikTok Shop scaled globally, the team saw a need to make it easier for creators to discover products to promote. Many struggled to quickly identify popular trends and often missed timely opportunities. In the early exploration, I proposed ideas such as simplifying heat signals, highlighting product relevant trends, and introducing a clear prioritization framework for key features. These directions shaped the Trending Topic Channel, which now serves millions of creators, driving $2M+ in daily GMV, boosting product selection rates by 29%, and significantly improving conversion and exposure.
Creators
Creators
User
User
User
TikTok creators
TikTok creators
They use their creativity to earn money, by promote brands and products.
They use their creativity to earn money, by promote brands and products.
They use their creativity to earn money, by promote brands and products.
Reason
Reason
Why build it?
Why build it?
Creators care about "hot & trendy" products or "what everybody wants" by manually checking product sales and product reviews
Creators care about "hot & trendy" products or "what everybody wants" by manually checking product sales and product reviews
Reason
Why build it?
Creators care about "hot & trendy" products or "what everybody wants" by manually checking product sales and product reviews
3 Pain points
3 Pain points
3 Pain points
1
1
Creators struggle with scattered trend sources, often switching between multiple lists and pages.
Creators struggle with scattered trend sources, often switching between multiple lists and pages.
Creators struggle with scattered trend sources, often switching between multiple lists and pages.
2
2
Because video quality is inconsistent, creators waste time filtering irrelevant content.
Because video quality is inconsistent, creators waste time filtering irrelevant content.
Because video quality is inconsistent, creators waste time filtering irrelevant content.
3
3
Many trending topics lack shoppable products, That wasted effort in product selection.
Many trending topics lack shoppable products that wasted effort in product selection.
Many trending topics lack shoppable products, That wasted effort in product selection.
The mission
The mission
The mission
HMW build a seamless user flow to help creators discover and promote trending products?
HMW build a seamless user flow to help creators discover and promote trending products?
HMW build a seamless user flow to help creators discover and promote trending products?
Make it easier to
streamline workflows
boost efficiency
track clear trends
find good video examples
find relevant products
make impactful videos
save time
streamline workflows
boost efficiency
track clear trends
find good video examples
find relevant products
make impactful videos
save time
streamline workflows
boost efficiency
track clear trends
find good video examples
find relevant products
make impactful videos
save time
streamline workflows
boost efficiency
track clear trends
find good video examples
find relevant products
make impactful videos
save time
Opportunities
Opportunities
To better address the creators’ pain points, I revisited the existing trend discovery and product selection process, analyzing where it slows creators down and causes inefficiency. After several rounds of research and brainstorming, we identified key opportunities to unify scattered trend signals, surface high quality videos, and simplify the path from trends to relevant products.
To better address the creators’ pain points, I revisited the existing trend discovery and product selection process, analyzing where it slows creators down and causes inefficiency. After several rounds of research and brainstorming, we identified key opportunities to unify scattered trend signals, surface high quality videos, and simplify the path from trends to relevant products.
Unify trend signals
Centralize scattered heat and trend data into one entry point, making discovery easier and more efficient.
Unify trend signals
Centralize scattered heat and trend data into one entry point, making discovery easier and more efficient.
Find quality videos
Highlight high quality videos through built-in quality indicators, helping find useful references quickly.
Find quality videos
Highlight high quality videos through built-in quality indicators, helping find useful references quickly.
Product-linked trends
Filter and surface only trends that are directly linked to products, help user save time on shoppable topics.
Product-linked trends
Filter and surface only trends that are directly linked to products, help user save time on shoppable topics.
Turning opportunities into priorities pyramid
Turning opportunities into priorities pyramid
Opportunities
To better address the creators’ pain points, I revisited the existing trend discovery and product selection process, analyzing where it slows creators down and causes inefficiency. After several rounds of research and brainstorming, we identified key opportunities to unify scattered trend signals, surface high quality videos, and simplify the path from trends to relevant products.
Unify trend signals
Centralize scattered heat and trend data into one entry point, making discovery easier and more efficient.
Find quality videos
Highlight high quality videos through built-in quality indicators, helping find useful references quickly.
Product-linked trends
Filter and surface only trends that are directly linked to products, help user save time on shoppable topics.
Turning opportunities into priorities pyramid
I. Discover trends
I. Discover trends
I. Discover trends
From transactions to dapps — explore every corner of the Bitcoin universe with ease.
II. Explore videos
II. Explore videos
II. Explore videos
Video to product
After clicking a trend, show the BEST performing videos, helping creators quickly grasp the trend vibe and make smarter product choices.
Video to product
After clicking a trend, show the BEST performing videos, helping creators quickly grasp the trend vibe and make smarter product choices.
1. Video to product
After clicking a trend, show the BEST performing videos, helping creators quickly grasp the trend vibe and make smarter product choices.
Inspire and create
From related videos, creators enter a video pool of product-linked content under the topic, bringing inspiration and prompting them to act.
Inspire and create
From related videos, creators enter a video pool of product-linked content under the topic, bringing inspiration and prompting them to act.
2. Inspire and create
From related videos, creators enter a video pool of product-linked content under the topic, bringing inspiration.
Video insights
When creators open a video, they see product info, key metrics, and AI insights on why it works, making it easier to learn.
Video insights
When creators open a video, they see product info, key metrics, and AI insights on why it works, making it easier to learn.
3. Video insights
When creators open a video, they see product info, key metrics, and AI insights on why it works, let it easier to learn.
III. Pick products
III. Pick products
III. Pick products
Entry points design
Entry points design
Entry points design
SPEC
Edge cases
SPEC
Edge cases
SPEC
Edge cases
Creators
shared
waves of positive feedback!
"
I love the trending channel! It helps me find hot products faster and learn from viral videos.
"
I love the trending channel! It helps me find hot products faster and learn from viral videos.
"
Now I check this channel every day. Love it! It really helps me save so much time searching around.
"
Now I check this channel every day. Love it! It really helps me save so much time searching around.
"
I used to rely on others’ content to figure out what’s hot. Now I can just follow the topics here!
"
I used to rely on others’ content to figure out what’s hot. Now I can just follow the topics here!
Creators
Creators
shared
shared
waves of positive feedback!
waves of positive feedback!
"
I love the trending channel! It helps me find hot products faster and learn from viral videos.
"
Now I check this channel every day. Love it! It really helps me save so much time searching around.
"
I used to rely on others’ content to figure out what’s hot. Now I can just follow the topics here!
"
I used to rely on others’ content to figure out what’s hot. Now I can just follow the topics here!
"
I used to rely on others’ content to figure out what’s hot. Now I can just follow the topics here!
"
I used to rely on others’ content to figure out what’s hot. Now I can just follow the topics here!
"
I used to rely on others’ content to figure out what’s hot. Now I can just follow the topics here!
"
I love the trending channel! It helps me find hot products faster and learn from viral videos.
"
I love the trending channel! It helps me find hot products faster and learn from viral videos.
"
Now I check this channel every day. Love it! Really helps me save so much time searching around.
"
Now I check this channel every day. Love it! Really helps me save so much time searching around.
What we heard is now visible in the data
What we heard is now
visible in the data
What we heard is now visible in the data
%
More picks per creator
Each creator adds more products than before, showing stronger interest in exploring products.
%
More picks per creator
Each creator adds more products than before, showing stronger interest in exploring products.
%
32
More picks per creator
Each creator adds more products than before, showing stronger interest in exploring products.
%
+
Active selectors
More visitors moved from just browsing to actively choosing products.
%
+
Active selectors
More visitors moved from just browsing to actively choosing products.
$
M
+
Daily GMV growth
GMV means the total sales generated by creators in a single day.
$
M
+
Daily GMV growth
GMV means the total sales generated by creators in a single day.
$
2
M
+
Daily GMV growth
GMV means the total sales generated by creators in a single day.
$
2
M
+
Daily GMV growth
GMV means the total sales generated by creators in a single day.
%
+
86
Active selectors
More visitors moved from just browsing to actively choosing products.
%
+
86
Active selectors
More visitors moved from just browsing to actively choosing products.
Behind the scene process
Behind the scene process
Thanks for sticking with me! Below is a partial overview of my early-stage process. These unpolished moments reflect how I think, explore, and derive each key design decision.
1
2
3
4
What I learned
What I learned
What I learned
Product thinking
Partnered with PMs to understand goals, built independent judgment, balanced user and product needs with a full-picture mindset.
Product thinking
Partnered with PMs to understand goals, built independent judgment, balanced user and product needs with a full-picture mindset.
Cross-team collaboration
I learned to clarify scope, prioritize core issues, and strengthen communication. And stand by well reasoned design choices while staying open to feedback.
Work pattern
Align early to catch blockers and double check key points after meetings to keep everyone on the same page.
Cross-team collaboration
I learned to clarify scope, prioritize core issues, and strengthen communication. And stand by well reasoned design choices while staying open to feedback.
