Dependable header platform at eBay: A case study

Background study: User Experience (UX) widgets, such as the Header, on a website or a mobile app or a mobile site, play a crucial role in digital software applications and specifically for e-commerce websites like eBay, where, they host some of the most critical data, crucial customer navigational processes and essential functionalities like – Sign In, Shopping Cart, Search, Notifications, Site Navigation, Language switch, Currency settings, Shipping Location, Shopping Lists, User Profile, and Settings.Problem statement: When such a mission critical widget fails to render when a user access a page or a view of the said website, the results are disastrous. From not being able to login or log out, to not being able to view the shopping cart, access notifications, switch language, currency settings, shipping location or searching, the revenue impact and brand dilution is significant. How can the dependability of such horizontal widgets be assured?Proposed model / technique: This paper explores the various design cornerstones, optimization techniques and approaches that were utilized in building header platforms at eBay, that are dependable without impacting the render and interaction speed of the views, thereby unlocking delightful customer experiences. The techniques are drawn from hands-on experiences in building similar production platforms at eBay Inc.,Results: The paper evaluates the various techniques discussed in this paper, in building and realizing a horizontal header platform. These are discussed in the context of dependability, reliability, resiliency, availability, thereby, highlighting the effectiveness of the said methodologies in realizing a hyper-performant and dependable platform. Additionally, as a conclusion, it discusses the learnings, trade-offs, opportunities for future work, when implementing the same, providing insights for developers in the field.