2021, Telecommunications

Design Advocacy in Digital Transformation: Empowering Teams for Success at Vodafone New Zealand

Overview

Vodafone New Zealand, a leading telecommunications provider, embarked on a digital transformation journey to enhance customer experience, reduce costs, and become a digital-first company.

As a consultant at Roam Digital, my role was to guide them through this transformation by prioritising user-centric design, accessibility, and inclusivity while breaking down organisational silos.

The Ask

My objective was to advocate for design principles and ensure a seamless transition that would enhance the overall customer experience and digital capabilities.

Specifically, I was responsible for improving the consumer mobile journey, including buying plans and devices, porting onto the network, and getting set up. I also focused on enhancing interest-free payments (IFP) and add-ons like internet and extras.

The Solution

To address the challenge, I introduced up-to-date design thinking methods and emphasised a user-centric approach within Vodafone's Consumer Mobile squad.

I collaborated with cross-functional agile squads, conducted discovery workshops, and facilitated effective communication between technical and business teams. Working closely with accessibility advisors, I ensured inclusivity and accessibility throughout the design process.

Using the double diamond framework, I gathered insights, defined problem statements, and ideated potential solutions for the consumer mobile journey.

My focus was on simplifying the user experience, providing pricing transparency, and integrating different services seamlessly.

By aligning customer and business goals, the cross-functional team delivered practical and creative solutions that addressed Vodafone's objectives and improved the customer experience.

The Result

Our collaborative efforts and design advocacy led to significant progress in Vodafone's digital transformation. I successfully broke down a number of silos, fostering cross-functional collaboration and a design-thinking culture.

The implementation of a design system played a crucial role in creating a cohesive product experience, ensuring consistency and efficiency across teams and touchpoints.

Following my departure, Vodafone underwent a strategic pivot, and the specific outcomes of the digital transformation remain undisclosed. However, it is noteworthy that Vodafone NZ recently rebranded itself as One New Zealand, symbolising a fresh chapter in their ongoing journey.