Vodafone eCommerce
Enabling users to recharge their prepaid tablets online.
Opportunity for improvement
Vodafone is currently one of the world’s leading mobile communications providers, operating in 26 countries and in partnership with networks in over 55 more. Across the world, they have almost 444 million customers and around 19.5 million in the UK. Vodafone made the first ever mobile phone call on 1 January 1985.
Users endured a difficult online process if they wished to top up their phone or tablet online. They would need to log into an account area using a username and password to perform the task. The business was unable to measure how many customers were able to complete the process. Additionally there were fraud issues that were affecting the security of the process.
Process
Stephen worked as both a UX designer and UX lead:
- Designed and implemented a dramatically improved online user experience that provided greater business benefit.
- Carried out user research on concepts and designs.
- Performed user research on implications for additional security required by the business to reduce fraud via 3D secure, balancing UX and financial business security needs.
- Worked as a UX designer creating initial concept designs and wireframes.
- UX Lead after designing initial wireframes, working with a UX designer, visual designer, offshore developers, product manager, business analyst and other business stakeholders.
- Pioneering Vodafone’s agile environment, he collaborated with stakeholders to develop user stories for development.
- Mitigated major fraud issues by designing and implementing 3D secure transactional safeguards into the process. (Secured by Mastercard, Verfied by Visa).
- Worked with user research team to implement and test AB / multi-variant to choose the optimal landing page promo’s.
- Newly implemented analytics allowed users to be tracked along the journey quantitatively, allowing for further user insight and design iterations.
Above: Visual designs from the project.
Credits: User Experience Lead: Stephen Isaac, Information Architect: Amardeep Singh Shakhon, Visual designer: Unknown.
Benefit
An exceptional user experience was created, implemented and tested. Functionality that allowed users to top up without registering for an account their phones was implemented. The logged in experience was also improved. A simple user experience that satisfied key business objectives was created. Fraud was drastically reduced, saving the company significant costs.
Guy Laurence, Vodafone UK CEO heralded this project as a success. Customers benefited profoundly from this functionality, enabling many customers to recharge their prepaid phone credit with ease and simplicity online using credit and debit cards without needing to log in.
About Vodafone
Vodafone is currently one of the world's leading mobile communications providers, operating in 26 countries and in partnership with networks in over 55 more. Across the world, they have almost 444 million customers and around 19.5 million in the UK. Vodafone made the first ever mobile phone call on 1 January 1985.
Colleagues whilst working at Vodafone UK
Amardeep Singh Shakhon
Senior Information Architect Consultant
I’ve worked closely with Stephen on several projects at Vodafone and he shares a strong passion for championing the user needs and goals in the end to end customer experience. His personality and strive to achieve the best experiences is reflected in his work. He has lead numerous project whilst working with him, however he is always open to new ideas and proactively promotes collaboration throughout the team. It was a pleasure working with Stephen as he is a true believer in better.
Keith Merriman
User Experience Manager
I’ve worked with Stephen for over two years, and what impresses me about him is the way he approaches working life with a level of openness, honesty and flexibility that makes him a real asset for any team, both as a member and a leader. Combine this with his years of high-profile UX design and management work, and you have a professional user experience expert who is always a pleasure to work with that can also achieve results. He is very hard-working, and the proof of this is seen in his ability to study for an MBA alongside his day job. But what I admire most is that he’s always willing to spare time to listen, talk, be supportive or give clarity when you need it most.
David Copeland
Senior Online Strategy Manager
Stephen’s understanding of user centred design and the underlying principles of experience are second to none. Working with extremely complex technical solutions he’s able to do what all good UE managers do and keep the focus on what matters….the end user.
Modi Elnadi
Intranet Consultant
I recommend Stephen highly, and especially applaud his ability to work under tight deadlines while maintaining high quality and continuing to be creative.
Jeanine Redfield
Programme Finance
I thoroughly enjoyed working with Stephen, he is very approachable with great communication skills with both senior stakeholders and colleagues. Very knowledgable about Online customer experience channel and could provide timely concise information. He is a strong team player and would be an asset to any team he is part of.
Steve Povey
Business Analyst
I worked with Stephen for some time at Vodafone UK on a very challenging project. Stephen was always articulate in defining what he wanted, was alsays prepared to put the effort in to make sure his requirements were understood and adopted a very pragmatic approach to finding solutions and work rounds where requirements could not be met within the timescales. Stephen was also very honest, trustworthy and a delight to work with.
Caroline Brayshaw
User Experience Manager - eService
Steve was a pleasure to work with. We worked together on the business side at Vodafone and I found him always approachable, knowledgable, upbeat and always having time to chat and give his feedback on things. He has a great amount of knowledge on UE being an old hand at Vodafone. I would definitely recommend him for UE and Project Management roles.
Trevor Fifield
Online Content Editor
I worked with Stephen at Vodafone UK and always found him a pleasure to work with.
Scott Bowley
Digital Producer / Account Manager
It’s been a pleasure working with Steve. He’s managed to maintain a high level view and complete understanding of an extensive billing project whilst delving into the details and practicalities where necessary. This demonstrates great project managing skills. Steve works with a healthy balance of innovation and customer obsession to create the best possible user experience for customers.
Nithyanandan PD
Lead Consultant - Vodafone UK
Worked with Steve on couple of projects in Vodafone. He is a thorough professional, dedicated, knows his subject and always has given his best as ever. As an on-line user experience manager, he owns and delivers the user experience end to end, covering not just on-line across all platforms, but channels including email and other customer touch points. Gives good attention to the details and manages the vendors effectively to deliver the creative pieces to the standards. Very friendly and helping nature at work and otherwise too.
Priyanka Chawla
Prepay Product Manager - TopUp, International & Roaming
Stephen acted as a UE lead and supported me on the delivery of a few e-commerce-related products. He is a enthusiastic and passionate professional who puts customers at the heart of everything he does. His collaborative style and positive attitude have always been an asset. I wish Stephen all the best and would not hesitate to recommend him.
Jesus Suarez
Application Support Manager
Stephen is a result driven professional who really understands customers’ needs and customer behaviour making him a valuable asset for any organisation.
Yellapu Sailesh
Business Analyst
In my brief work experience with Stephen,i found a person with such a profound knowledge of the customer experience area and to top that he had the energy to make me comfortable to understand the existing functionality and also help me in producing the next level requirements. Apart from the work side he was the guy whom i could rely on for suggestions on the work culture.
On the personal front he was the best colleague i had met and i would love to work with again.
Setur Kanabar
Principle Application Development Manager - Web Factory
I have know Stephen in the capacity of a User Experience lead; I would have no hesitation in recommending Stephens work can vouch for his dedication, quality, and commitment to the role.
Nicolette (Nicky) Conti
Online Consumer Manager
I’ve worked with Stephen on many mobile/internet-related projects and not only is he a very helpful and easy-to-work with person but is also customer oriented and ensures that every project is job well done and delivered on time. He’s meticulous in his work and takes a personal initiative to go beyond what’s asked for to ensure that the various aspects of business are fully integrated within scope of work. He is tech and internet savvy and is able to see beyond the technology and provide solutions. I would not hesitate to recommend Stephen.
Richard Child
User Experience Manager
Stephen is very personable and a thoroughly dedicated UX professional who I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside recently. He demonstrates great stakeholder management skills. I’ve witnessed this in multiple UX reviews where he has the ability to influence differing stakeholder opinions in order to drive and push through key UX objectives. He has shown a great commitment to collaborative design and makes an effort to form strong working relationships between VF UK and VF Group (on the My Vodafone and Billing projects).