Project / Mobile Design System

Client / Verizon

Roll / Art Director, Lead Product Designer

Year / 2012-2013

Insight

In 2012, AKQA took on a crucial role as Verizon's digital agency of record, with the ambitious mission of reshaping the telecommunications giant's digital landscape. Their scope encompassed mobile, e-commerce, and in-store content, aiming to revamp and streamline Verizon's digital footprint while unifying the brand. Faced with managing external vendors and ensuring brand consistency across numerous apps and devices, AKQA responded by implementing a series of transformative digital product and branding solutions. These solutions aimed not only to unify the Verizon brand but also to harmonize the overall digital experience.

Project

As part of the broader branding initiative, I spearheaded a collaborative effort within a multidisciplinary team at AKQA to develop Verizon's first-ever mobile design system. This system played a pivotal role in standardizing the mobile user experience across all major operating systems and devices, encompassing iOS, Android, Windows, and Blackberry. Moreover, my key position within the agency enabled me to extend this uniformity to the brand's mobile web and e-commerce domain, fostering cohesion across devices, operating systems, and web platforms.

Challenge

Accommodating the wide range of needs from external agencies, vendors, and product teams at Verizon, while ensuring the design system's effectiveness for all 98 million Verizon mobile users across all devices created a many unique challenges early on.

Research

To ensure an exceptional user experience, we conducted detailed research to identify the specific requirements of Verizon's product teams, leadership, and external vendors. Additionally, I collaborated directly with key stakeholders, capturing expectations and technical needs. This process enabled a deep understanding of our starting point and allowed us to set clear, detailed expectations early on.

Key Learnings

Building on our research findings, we recognized the importance of a centralized online platform for collaboration and governance among cross-functional teams. It became clear that standardizing components and design language across mobile operating systems, providing comprehensive documentation and annotations for components, and adhering to industry best practices, in line with the approaches of industry leaders such as Google and Apple, not only increased adoption but also contributed to the development of a highly user-friendly system.

Process & Validation

In addition to our research and design efforts, we maintained a tight project timeline while ensuring the validation of our design decisions. This was achieved by using the design system to create introductory screens for Verizon's primary mobile apps, including maps, music, My Verizon, email, launch screens, and the cloud app. These screens were seamlessly integrated into the website and offered as downloadable assets for various devices. This approach not only confirmed the effectiveness of our design system but also established consistent design patterns and user flows across all platforms, ultimately boosting the adoption of the design system.

Leadership & Deliverables

To improve efficiency, I assumed both creative and leadership roles. This allowed me to work with clients and manage multiple mobile libraries for consistency and quality. After the successful launch of the Windows design system, I oversaw the iOS design system, over seeing all iPhone elements while directing the iPad and Android design systems. Additionally, I accelerated deliverables, cutting their completion times in half during the latter part of the project. This enabled us to transition from iOS 6 to iOS 7's flat UI and develop the full Blackberry operating system in just two months.

Teamwork & Knowledge Sharing

Beyond my work on Verizon's mobile design system, I also extended our learnings to influence web and mobile web platforms, enhancing the project's overall impact. Moreover, I actively promoted knowledge sharing among agency teams, establishing myself as the central resource for maintaining consistency and cohesiveness design guidelines across the entire Verizon digital brand.

Impact

In the face of fragmentation and complexity, I led a dynamic team at AKQA to craft Verizon's first-ever mobile design system. By embracing collaboration, research-driven insights, and industry best practices, we transformed challenges into opportunities. I not only streamlined communication and collaboration among cross-functional teams but also accelerated the project timeline, enabling rapid adaptation to changing technologies. My hands-on approach, from Windows to iOS and Blackberry, and my commitment to knowledge sharing, have left an indelible mark on Verizon's digital identity, creating a cohesive and user-friendly experience for millions.