# Product Page Design Decision Framework
## Research vs. Convention vs. Context

**Date:** November 26, 2025  
**Question:** Should we follow research or follow what big players do?

---

## 🤔 The Dilemma

### The Argument FOR Following Big Players:

**You're absolutely right:**

1. **Cognitive Load is Real**
   - Users have learned Tokopedia/Shopify patterns
   - "Don't make me think" - users expect familiar patterns
   - Breaking convention = friction = lost sales

2. **They Have Data We Don't**
   - Tokopedia: Millions of transactions
   - Shopify: Thousands of stores tested
   - A/B tested to death
   - Real money on the line

3. **Convention > Research Sometimes**
   - Research is general, their data is specific
   - Research is lab, their data is real-world
   - Research is Western, their data is local (Indonesia for Tokopedia)

4. **Mobile Thumbnails Example:**
   - If 76% of sites don't use thumbnails...
   - ...then 76% of users are trained to use dots
   - Breaking this = re-training users

---

## 🔬 The Argument FOR Following Research:

### But Research Has Valid Points:

1. **Big Players Optimize for THEIR Context**
   - Tokopedia: Marketplace with millions of products (need speed)
   - Shopify: Multi-tenant platform (one-size-fits-all)
   - WooNooW: Custom plugin (we can do better)

2. **They Optimize for Different Metrics**
   - Tokopedia: Transaction volume (speed > perfection)
   - Shopify: Platform adoption (simple > optimal)
   - WooNooW: Conversion rate (quality > speed)

3. **Research Finds Universal Truths**
   - Hit area issues are physics, not preference
   - Information scent is cognitive science
   - Accidental taps are measurable errors

4. **Convention Can Be Wrong**
   - Just because everyone does it doesn't make it right
   - "Best practices" evolve
   - Someone has to lead the change

---

## 🎯 The REAL Answer: Context-Driven Decision Making

### Framework for Each Pattern:

```
FOR EACH DESIGN PATTERN:
├─ Is it LEARNED BEHAVIOR? (convention)
│  ├─ YES → Follow convention (low friction)
│  └─ NO → Follow research (optimize)
│
├─ Is it CONTEXT-SPECIFIC?
│  ├─ Marketplace → Follow Tokopedia
│  ├─ Brand Store → Follow Shopify
│  └─ Custom Plugin → Follow Research
│
├─ What's the COST OF FRICTION?
│  ├─ HIGH → Follow convention
│  └─ LOW → Follow research
│
└─ Can we GET THE BEST OF BOTH?
   └─ Hybrid approach
```

---

## 📊 Pattern-by-Pattern Analysis

### 1. IMAGE GALLERY THUMBNAILS

#### Convention (Tokopedia/Shopify):
- Mobile: Dots only
- Desktop: Thumbnails

#### Research (Baymard):
- Mobile: Thumbnails better
- Desktop: Thumbnails essential

#### Analysis:

**Is it learned behavior?**
- ✅ YES - Users know how to swipe
- ✅ YES - Users know dots mean "more images"
- ⚠️ BUT - Users also know thumbnails (from desktop)

**Cost of friction?**
- 🟡 MEDIUM - Users can adapt
- Research shows errors, but users still complete tasks

**Context:**
- Tokopedia: Millions of products, need speed (dots save space)
- WooNooW: Fewer products, need quality (thumbnails show detail)

#### 🎯 DECISION: **HYBRID APPROACH**

```
Mobile:
├─ Show 3-4 SMALL thumbnails (not full width)
├─ Scrollable horizontally
├─ Add dots as SECONDARY indicator
└─ Best of both worlds

Why:
├─ Thumbnails: Information scent (research)
├─ Small size: Doesn't dominate screen (convention)
├─ Dots: Familiar pattern (convention)
└─ Users get preview + familiar UI
```

**Rationale:**
- Not breaking convention (dots still there)
- Adding value (thumbnails for preview)
- Low friction (users understand both)
- Better UX (research-backed)

---

### 2. VARIATION SELECTORS

#### Convention (Tokopedia/Shopify):
- Pills/Buttons for all variations
- All visible at once

#### Our Current:
- Dropdowns

#### Research (Nielsen Norman):
- Pills > Dropdowns

#### Analysis:

**Is it learned behavior?**
- ✅ YES - Pills are now standard
- ✅ YES - E-commerce trained users on this
- ❌ NO - Dropdowns are NOT e-commerce convention

**Cost of friction?**
- 🔴 HIGH - Dropdowns are unexpected in e-commerce
- Users expect to see all options

**Context:**
- This is universal across all e-commerce
- Not context-specific

#### 🎯 DECISION: **FOLLOW CONVENTION (Pills)**

```
Replace dropdowns with pills/buttons

Why:
├─ Convention is clear (everyone uses pills)
├─ Research agrees (pills are better)
├─ No downside (pills are superior)
└─ Users expect this pattern
```

**Rationale:**
- Convention + Research align
- No reason to use dropdowns
- Clear winner

---

### 3. TYPOGRAPHY HIERARCHY

#### Convention (Varies):
- Tokopedia: Price > Title (marketplace)
- Shopify: Title > Price (brand store)

#### Our Current:
- Price: 48-60px (HUGE)
- Title: 24-32px

#### Research:
- Title should be primary

#### Analysis:

**Is it learned behavior?**
- ⚠️ CONTEXT-DEPENDENT
- Marketplace: Price-focused (comparison)
- Brand Store: Product-focused (storytelling)

**Cost of friction?**
- 🟢 LOW - Users adapt to hierarchy quickly
- Not a learned interaction, just visual weight

**Context:**
- WooNooW: Custom plugin for brand stores
- Not a marketplace
- More like Shopify than Tokopedia

#### 🎯 DECISION: **FOLLOW SHOPIFY (Title Primary)**

```
Title: 28-32px (primary)
Price: 24-28px (secondary, but prominent)

Why:
├─ We're not a marketplace (no price comparison)
├─ Brand stores need product focus
├─ Research supports this
└─ Shopify (our closer analog) does this
```

**Rationale:**
- Context matters (we're not Tokopedia)
- Shopify is better analog
- Research agrees
- Low friction to change

---

### 4. DESCRIPTION PATTERN

#### Convention (Varies):
- Tokopedia: "Show More" (folded)
- Shopify: Auto-expanded accordion

#### Our Current:
- Collapsed accordion

#### Research:
- Don't hide primary content

#### Analysis:

**Is it learned behavior?**
- ⚠️ BOTH patterns are common
- Users understand both
- No strong convention

**Cost of friction?**
- 🟢 LOW - Users know how to expand
- But research shows some users miss collapsed content

**Context:**
- Primary content should be visible
- Secondary content can be collapsed

#### 🎯 DECISION: **FOLLOW SHOPIFY (Auto-Expand Description)**

```
Description: Auto-expanded on load
Other sections: Collapsed (Specs, Shipping, Reviews)

Why:
├─ Description is primary content
├─ Research says don't hide it
├─ Shopify does this (our analog)
└─ Low friction (users can collapse if needed)
```

**Rationale:**
- Best of both worlds
- Primary visible, secondary hidden
- Research-backed
- Convention-friendly

---

## 🎓 The Meta-Lesson

### When to Follow Convention:

1. **Strong learned behavior** (e.g., hamburger menu, swipe gestures)
2. **High cost of friction** (e.g., checkout flow, payment)
3. **Universal pattern** (e.g., search icon, cart icon)
4. **No clear winner** (e.g., both patterns work equally well)

### When to Follow Research:

1. **Convention is weak** (e.g., new patterns, no standard)
2. **Low cost of friction** (e.g., visual hierarchy, spacing)
3. **Research shows clear winner** (e.g., thumbnails vs dots)
4. **We can improve on convention** (e.g., hybrid approaches)

### When to Follow Context:

1. **Marketplace vs Brand Store** (different goals)
2. **Local vs Global** (cultural differences)
3. **Mobile vs Desktop** (different constraints)
4. **Our specific users** (if we have data)

---

## 🎯 Final Decision Framework

### For WooNooW Product Page:

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DECISION MATRIX                                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                         │
│ Pattern              Convention  Research  Decision     │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Image Thumbnails     Dots        Thumbs    HYBRID ⭐    │
│ Variation Selector   Pills       Pills     PILLS ✅     │
│ Typography           Varies      Title>$   TITLE>$ ✅   │
│ Description          Varies      Visible   VISIBLE ✅   │
│ Sticky Bottom Bar    Common      N/A       YES ✅       │
│ Fullscreen Lightbox  Common      Good      YES ✅       │
│ Social Proof Top     Common      Good      YES ✅       │
│                                                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

---

## 💡 The Hybrid Approach (Best of Both Worlds)

### Image Gallery - Our Solution:

```
Mobile:
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                     │
│        [Main Image]                 │
│                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [▭] [▭] [▭] [▭] ← Small thumbnails  │
│  ●   ○   ○   ○  ← Dots below        │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Benefits:
├─ Thumbnails: Information scent ✅
├─ Small size: Doesn't dominate ✅
├─ Dots: Familiar indicator ✅
├─ Swipe: Still works ✅
└─ Best of all worlds ⭐
```

### Why This Works:

1. **Convention Respected:**
   - Dots are still there (familiar)
   - Swipe still works (learned behavior)
   - Doesn't look "weird"

2. **Research Applied:**
   - Thumbnails provide preview (information scent)
   - Larger hit areas (fewer errors)
   - Users can jump to specific image

3. **Context Optimized:**
   - Small thumbnails (mobile-friendly)
   - Not as prominent as desktop (saves space)
   - Progressive enhancement

---

## 📊 Real-World Examples of Hybrid Success

### Amazon (The Master of Hybrid):

**Mobile Image Gallery:**
- ✅ Small thumbnails (4-5 visible)
- ✅ Dots below thumbnails
- ✅ Swipe gesture works
- ✅ Tap thumbnail to jump

**Why Amazon does this:**
- They have MORE data than anyone
- They A/B test EVERYTHING
- This is their optimized solution
- Hybrid > Pure convention or pure research

---

## 🎯 Our Final Recommendations

### HIGH PRIORITY (Implement Now):

1. **Variation Pills** ✅
   - Convention + Research align
   - Clear winner
   - No downside

2. **Auto-Expand Description** ✅
   - Research-backed
   - Low friction
   - Shopify does this

3. **Title > Price Hierarchy** ✅
   - Context-appropriate
   - Research-backed
   - Shopify analog

4. **Hybrid Thumbnail Gallery** ⭐
   - Best of both worlds
   - Small thumbnails + dots
   - Amazon does this

### MEDIUM PRIORITY (Consider):

5. **Sticky Bottom Bar (Mobile)** 🤔
   - Convention (Tokopedia does this)
   - Good for mobile UX
   - Test with users

6. **Fullscreen Lightbox** ✅
   - Convention (Shopify does this)
   - Research supports
   - Clear value

### LOW PRIORITY (Later):

7. **Social Proof at Top** ✅
   - Convention + Research align
   - When we have reviews

8. **Estimated Delivery** ✅
   - Convention (Tokopedia does this)
   - High value
   - When we have shipping data

---

## 🎓 Key Takeaways

### 1. **Convention is Not Always Right**
- But it's not always wrong either
- Respect learned behavior
- Break convention carefully

### 2. **Research is Not Always Applicable**
- Context matters
- Local vs global
- Marketplace vs brand store

### 3. **Hybrid Approaches Win**
- Don't choose sides
- Get best of both worlds
- Amazon proves this works

### 4. **Test, Don't Guess**
- Convention + Research = hypothesis
- Real users = truth
- Be ready to pivot

---

## 🎯 The Answer to Your Question

> "So what is our best decision to refer?"

**Answer: NEITHER exclusively. Use a DECISION FRAMEWORK.**

```
FOR EACH PATTERN:
1. Identify the convention (what big players do)
2. Identify the research (what studies say)
3. Identify the context (what we need)
4. Identify the friction (cost of change)
5. Choose the best fit (or hybrid)
```

**Specific to thumbnails:**

❌ **Don't blindly follow research** (full thumbnails might be too much)  
❌ **Don't blindly follow convention** (dots have real problems)  
✅ **Use hybrid approach** (small thumbnails + dots)

**Why:**
- Respects convention (dots still there)
- Applies research (thumbnails for preview)
- Optimizes for context (mobile-friendly size)
- Minimizes friction (users understand both)

---

## 🚀 Implementation Strategy

### Phase 1: Low-Friction Changes
1. Variation pills (convention + research align)
2. Auto-expand description (low friction)
3. Typography adjustment (low friction)

### Phase 2: Hybrid Approaches
4. Small thumbnails + dots (test with users)
5. Sticky bottom bar (test with users)
6. Fullscreen lightbox (convention + research)

### Phase 3: Data-Driven Optimization
7. A/B test hybrid vs pure convention
8. Measure: bounce rate, time on page, conversion
9. Iterate based on real data

---

**Status:** ✅ Framework Complete  
**Philosophy:** Pragmatic, not dogmatic  
**Goal:** Best UX for OUR users, not theoretical perfection
