Vodafone’s app was already a powerhouse for device sales, with 35% of device purchases happening through it and 10 million monthly visits. But here's the twist—how do you expand an app designed for telecom services to become a comprehensive marketplace for everything from smart home devices to subscription services?
The question on everyone's mind was simple: How can we get users to trust Vodafone with more than just their data plan?
Key Takeaways:
Strategic alignment is crucial: If leadership is on board, you’re halfway there.
MVP ≠ Final Product: Always be ready to iterate and improve post-launch.
Speed & Depth Matter: Getting things done fast is essential, but don’t skip the necessary details that make or break a product.
The Stakes
Aligning leadership on the project’s scope and feasibility. Spoiler alert: Not all ideas make it to the final cut.
Defining a scalable e-commerce model that works with Vodafone’s already-existing infrastructure. This wasn't just a “plug and play” scenario.
Overcoming user hesitation: Convincing people to trust Vodafone with non-telco products? A tall order.
It was clear that this project was more than just a shopping feature. It was about creating a new business line in a massive corporation with all the usual corporate hurdles—aligning teams, navigating legacy systems, and yes, keeping stakeholders happy. A lot of moving parts, but I was ready for the challenge.
Strategic Approach: Balancing Big Dreams with Real-World Execution
The MVP: Making It Happen Fast (But Not Too Fast)
The strategy? We were thinking long-term vision with a focus on quick wins. Start small and scalable, then grow with insights from our early adopters.
Quick wins: Launching an MVP with third-party vendors (because who doesn’t love a good vendor partnership?).
Long-term vision: We laid the groundwork for something bigger—a marketplace that would eventually include more than just telco products.
Operational feasibility: Building a foundation for in-house teams to continuously improve after launch (so the product wouldn’t just wither away).
I found myself guiding everything—user research, workshops with leadership, and of course, lots of whiteboarding sessions to clarify the scope and ensure we weren't getting carried away with ideas that would take years to implement. A good MVP can change the game, but a too-ambitious MVP might just get stuck in the pipeline.
Design Strategy: Where the Magic Happened
Leadership Alignment: Getting the Big Bosses on Board
One of the first challenges was making sure leadership was aligned. There were too many ideas, and too many different opinions about what this marketplace could be. I gathered the key players in a series of workshops, making sure everyone knew the project’s boundaries and how we could make this MVP a reality.
MVP Boundaries: Third-party vendors for the first phase. No, we're not selling jetpacks—yet.
Operational Model: In-house development for sustainability, because hey, we like the idea of not relying on external agencies forever.
Pain Points: Identifying tech and legal challenges upfront, so no one was shocked down the line.
User Research: The Customers Always Have the Best Ideas (Whether We Want to Hear Them or Not)
Despite Vodafone’s reputation in telecom, we weren’t marketplace experts. So, we did what any good product designer does: we researched like crazy.
Benchmarking: We looked at existing marketplaces to get a sense of what worked (and what didn’t).
User Surveys & Testing: How did users feel about Vodafone expanding beyond phones? Was it a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down?
Value Proposition: Why would someone want to shop on a Vodafone-powered platform? Well, it turns out that users valued personalization, ease of use, and most importantly, control.
But, of course, nothing’s ever perfect. Users also had concerns:
Monopoly fears: They didn't want to be stuck in a Vodafone-only ecosystem.
Security worries: All their services in one place? They were skeptical.
Note to self: It’s always important to be a little bit more human about the tech-heavy stuff. Trust takes time.
Implementation: From Ideas to Action (with a Side of Collaboration)
Team Structure: Getting Things Done, Fast
To execute the MVP, we formed a dual-designer team—one focusing on local squads, the other on the global team. We outsourced development to teams in Egypt and India, which meant there was a lot of cross-collaboration (and a ton of meetings to ensure nothing got lost in translation).
I acted as the bridge between design and development, ensuring our designs were practical and could actually be built within the existing infrastructure. Because, let’s be real—designing something that can’t be built is like planning a vacation to Mars. Nice dream, but...
Constraints: Time & Budget
The usual suspects—time and budget—were major players in this game. With tight deadlines, we prioritized essential features for the MVP. However, we quickly learned that cutting too many features led to less-than-ideal post-launch performance.
Lesson learned: Never cut the fun stuff! Sometimes, you need those small details to make a product feel just right. And when in doubt, always fight for the right features.
Launch & Roadmap: Post-MVP Insights
Launch: Reality Check
Launching an MVP is like throwing a party. It’s exciting, but there are always a few surprises. For us, it was user behavior insights that came rushing in, showing us where the purchase flows needed fine-tuning.
We also saw the importance of a unified experience—users wanted everything in one place. So, we collaborated with marketing and tech teams to refine future product integrations.
Future Roadmap: The Journey Doesn’t End Here
The launch of Vodafone Marketplace was just the beginning. We had a big vision for expanding into a true service ecosystem. The next steps included:
Hub Pop-Up Initiative: Unifying Vodafone’s services in a single digital ecosystem.
Expanded Offerings: Introducing Vodafone Energy, Health, and Security services. Now, we’re talking about making Vodafone a true digital services provider.
Research & Testing: Continuing to test and refine the marketplace for an FY launch.
Key Takeaways:
Strategic alignment is crucial: If leadership is on board, you’re halfway there.
MVP ≠ Final Product: Always be ready to iterate and improve post-launch.
Speed & Depth Matter: Getting things done fast is essential, but don’t skip the necessary details that make or break a product.
Final Thoughts:
The Vodafone Marketplace wasn’t just a simple app update. It was a leap toward transforming Vodafone from a telco giant to a digital services ecosystem. Despite its short-lived production cycle, the project laid the groundwork for future commercial initiatives, paving the way for Vodafone to expand beyond telecom.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing, but we learned a lot and kept our eyes on the prize: creating a better digital experience for Vodafone users—and maybe, just maybe, getting them to trust Vodafone with more than just their phone bills.
