MOTOROLA COMMERCE
Working with Google to Reboot Motorola. And a New Android Phone, the Moto X.
In the summer of 2011, Google announced that it would buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. What they would do with it was an open question, but we soon had the privilege to find out out. After competing with several of the top digital agencies, we were awarded the business.
In addition to a full brand reboot and a wholesale redesign of their digital commerce site, we were tasked by Google to create MotoMaker, a web-based application that enabled unique customization options, with the phone assembled to order at a facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Customers could share their designs on social media and in a design gallery on Motorola.com. Google gave everyone on the team their own custom phones. I have owned several Android phones over the years, and the Moto X has been the best one by far.
Project: Motorola e-Commerce
Role: Experience Director
Agency: Digitas
Activities and Deliverables: I was responsible for the creation of an experience vision in response to the initial client request for proposal. As our clients at Google made the decision to have two agencies devise solutions in parallel, I worked regularly with them to review work prior to final agency selection. I worked collaboratively with the team to create a vision and working prototype. After being awarded the business, I worked with a small team of two UX designers to deliver an e-Commerce platform redesign as well as the creation of the Moto X configurator, which was at that point the most challenging assignment of my career. We held regular working sessions with Google and Motorola, and I collaborated closely with my visual design, copywriter, and engineering colleagues. I also collaborated with Google to plan and run numerous user tests, including dogfooding and biometrics testing.
Our Mission was Straight Forward.
Reboot the Motorola brand
Deliver the Moto X - the proof
Motorola.com prior to our redesign.
Our challenge was to tell a new story for the reboot of the brand.
The Ikea Effect
“Imagine that... you built a table. Maybe it came out a little bit crooked. Probably your wife or your neighbor would see it for what it is, you know? A shoddy piece of workmanship. But to you that table might seem really great, because you’re the one who created it. It’s the fruit of your labor. And that is really the idea behind the Ikea Effect.”
Inspired by the Ikea effect, here is what we did.
UX/UI Deliverables
Final Designs
A completely new brand, and a completely new way to shop for phones.
And not just phones, but accessories as well.
But the center piece was the Motomaker, which allowed customers to custom configure their new Moto X.
Creating a fully responsive version of Motomaker was a challenge, but we came up with an elegant solution that was well-received by customers, and with the press.
Accolades
“Easily the most impressive part of the Moto X package though is how users can customize it using Motorola’s MotoMaker web app. ”
“The Moto Maker tool itself is beautifully designed and incredibly simple.”
“The Moto X with Moto Maker is a cool step forward in phone customization, and I think people will have a lot of fun with it.”