Reports that Apple is reworking the layout of its retail stores are a useful prompt: physical retail and digital product design chase the same goals. Clear wayfinding, a confident first impression, and removing friction between wanting something and getting it — all of it applies as much to a checkout screen as to a shop floor.
We borrow from retail thinking constantly. Where does attention land first? What's the shortest path to value? What can we take away? The best interfaces, like the best stores, feel effortless precisely because many decisions were made so the user doesn't have to.