TIME FRAME
February 2022 - June 2022
STAKEHOLDER
iTalk Global
DESIGN TEAM
Anson Pan
Zhuoyang Li
Jianpeng Hu
ROLE
I led a team of three designers along with the product team to conduct extensive research, and complete the product design. We collaborated closely with the development team to bring the app to fruition. As the project progressed, I provided continuous support throughout the product lifecycle, including designing marketing graphics and videos for the product launch, as well as integrating new features to enhance the app's functionality.
SKILLS
UX Design
UX Research
Usability Test
Market Research
Competitive Research
Go-To-Market
TOOLS
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Overview
ABOUT
We have developed a mobile app that enables users to utilize VoIP directly from their smartphones. This app provides users with the ability to make both local and international calls and texts, receive 2FA messages without regional restrictions, and use an additional phone number for personal use and privacy protection. Essentially, the app acts as a second phone within the user's physical mobile device.
PRODUCT VISION
The app should have a minimal learning curve for our users. With this in mind, we have designed the app's interface to be similar to the native operating system of their mobile device. We should ensure that it has seamless integration with the native calling functionality of users’ device - enabling users to answer calls directly from their lock screen, without needing to unlock their device or switch to the app.
SOLUTION
Context
BACKGROUND
In today's increasingly interconnected world, staying connected is more important than ever, especially for frequent travelers. Business travelers need to keep in touch with colleagues and clients, ensuring that work continues smoothly, and opportunities are not missed. Students studying abroad need to communicate with their families and friends back home, keeping them updated on their experiences and ensuring that they do not feel isolated. Similarly, tourists exploring foreign lands need to stay connected with their fellow travelers, making plans and keeping each other informed. Having a reliable means of communication is critical in these scenarios, and traditional phone carrier services may not be the most efficient or cost-effective option. International roaming fees can be prohibitively expensive, and switching to a local phone number can be disruptive and costly.
PROMBLEM
Traditional phone carrier services often present challenges for international communication, and may not be the most efficient or cost-effective option. International roaming fees can be prohibitively expensive, and switching to a local phone number can be disruptive and costly.
OPPORTUNITY
The market is in need for a solution that offers a reliable and affordable alternative for users to make calls and send texts without SIM cards or incurring additional charges. A mobile app would be easy to install and enable users to stay connected with their contacts regardless of their location.
CHALLENGE
Research
Use Case & Pain Points
Based on existing consumer feedbacks on other products in the iTalk Global’s ecosystem, there are very clear patterns on what users are expecting from a global communication products.
For Personal Communication
People often need to communicate with their family and friends who live abroad. Traditional phone plans can be expensive and have limited coverage, making it difficult to stay in touch with loved ones. An app can provide an affordable and convenient solution, enabling users to call and message anyone, anywhere in the world.
For Business Communication
An app can be particularly useful for individual or a small teams who may not have the resources for a dedicated phone system. It allows them to communicate with their clients or customers, regardless of their location.
Two-Factor Authentication SMS
Many online services require 2FA SMS to authenticate users, such as banking or email services. It becomes even harder to receive a 2FA SMS from another country. The app can provide users with a virtual number that they can use to receive these verification codes without having to rely on their local phone number.
For Privacy Protection
The app can also be used as a burner number for security and privacy purposes. For example, when ordering food delivery or using ride-sharing services like Uber, users can protect their personal phone number by using a secondary number provided by the app.
Competitive Analysis
At present, the majority of mobile communication products available in the market can be classified into two distinct categories: Social Messaging and VoIP applications.
Existing Players in the Market
Social Messaging
(Require app and friend verification)
VoIP / Private Number
(Make phone calls over broadband internet)
Social messaging products have made it simple for users to stay connected with their loved ones. However, it necessitates installing the app on both ends, sending friend requests, and verifying identities. Users can now conveniently communicate with their friends and family in other countries via free online messages, voice and video calls. It is presently the most convenient and economical option available. Nonetheless, the market is highly competitive and dominated by tech giants, making it difficult for new entrants to make headway. While social messaging apps are great for keeping in touch with family and friends, they may not be the best solution for business communications. Social messaging apps are primarily designed for personal use and may not have the necessary features required for business communication. For example, business owner cannot expected to initial cold call, or provide customer service without a phone number.
Considering the limitations of social messaging apps, we have looked into other VoIP products in order to fulfill the user pain points. Many VoIP products in the market offer virtual numbers and usually charge by the call minutes or number of texts. However, those plans tend to be experience for frequent use. Users also have to weigh up the pros and cons of each VoIP product. For example, Skype is great for international phone calls, but it does not offer virtual numbers or SMS messages, Google Voice offer free call and SMS, but it is limited for use in United States and it only rout the call through a real U.S. phone number.
The Global Mobile VoIP Market size is expected to reach $165.3 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 19.5% CAGR during the forecast period.
GLOBE NEWSWIRE
Main Takeaway
Through the research, I now have a much clearer vision of what the group gift experience could look like. By analyzing current consumer-facing products and exploring design elements used in gaming reward systems, I have gained valuable insights on how to create an engaging and user-friendly platform that will provide an exciting and enjoyable experience for all contributors.
From my research, I have learned that incorporating interactive elements such as progress bars and gamification features can be effective in motivating contributors to participate and stay engaged throughout the campaign. By incorporating these elements, we can create a sense of accomplishment and excitement as contributors unlock new gift options and reach campaign milestones.
Additionally, I have identified key design elements that can help streamline the user experience and make the process of contributing to a group gift more intuitive. These include easy navigation, clear and concise information, and visually appealing design that conveys a sense of excitement and enthusiasm.
Overall, I am excited about the potential of this project and believe that the platform we are developing has the potential to revolutionize the group gift experience and create a more engaging and enjoyable process for all contributors.
Design Direction & User Flow
Upon analyzing the available communication products, we discovered a significant market gap: a lack of products that offer private virtual numbers, as well as in-app international call and text functionality without the need to route through a physical phone number. Because of the highly competitive nature of the social messaging app market, our team has decided to focus on communication market outside of “social messaging” and concentrate on developing VoIP features.
User Interface of WeChat
Meanwhile, based on the current infrastructure and resources of iTalk Global in select global markets, our leadership team has determined that our focus should be on targeting the markets of the United States, Canada, and mainland China. In light of this, we conducted a thorough analysis of the user interface design of popular communication products in these markets. During our research, we found that a significant number of our target users have been relying on WeChat for their cross-border communication needs.
To ensure that our product meets the needs and expectations of our target users, we analyzed all the core functionalities of WeChat and identified a similar tone and approach for our app's design. Our aim is to provide a familiar and intuitive interface for our users, making it easy for them to navigate the app's features and functionalities. By leveraging the success and popularity of WeChat, we hope to create a product that meets the needs of our users and delivers a seamless communication experience.
Our aim is to provide our users with a seamless experience when using our app. To achieve this, we have carefully designed the user interface to be familiar and easy to use. Our goal is to minimize any learning curve, and ensure that users can easily initiate calls through the app, just as they would on their phone.
Our app integrates with both iOS and Android's native calling functionality, allowing users to receive notifications for incoming calls and answer them in the same way they would on their phone's native OS. This ensures a seamless experience and reduces any confusion.
A important demand from our users is the ability to receive verification SMS from both domestic and international online platforms through our app. To meet this demand, we have integrated all text-related features into one convenient location. This makes it easy for users to manage their text messages, including 2FA codes, in a single location within our app.
Send and receive image through SMS over Wi-Fi or cellular data
Lines & Team Share
As phone numbers can be difficult to remember, we have created a dashboard within our app that allows users to easily manage their primary and secondary phone lines. In addition, to cater to the needs of small businesses, we have added a team share feature that allows all team members to access and manage all phone lines and contacts, providing easy access for all team members
See and manage multiple lines and all team members
Ecosystem Compatibility
Our app has been designed to ensure compatibility with iTalk's current product line, the VoIP Home Phone. This means that our loyal customers can easily enhance their home phone service and use it directly from their smart devices.
Incoming calls will ring on both the VoIP device and the mobile device, ensuring that users never miss an important call
Launch
After collaborating closely with our development team to bring the product to life through various stages, including prototyping, testing, and refinement, we were thrilled to announce the launch of our product in iOS App Store and Google Play Store in the spring of 2022. This marked a significant milestone in our journey, and we were eager to enter the market with a product that met the demands of our users.
With our product launch, we aimed to provide a seamless communication experience for our users, with an easy-to-use interface, integrated calling functionality, and a range of features that catered to the needs of individuals and small businesses alike. We were confident that our product would make a positive impact on the market, and we looked forward to sharing it with the world.
With a profound knowledge of the product, our team consistently offered support to the product marketing team. We aided them in various aspects, such as developing a fresh product landing page, crafting product demonstrations, and designing marketing content along with copywriting.
The proficiency of our team enabled us to efficiently convey the product's features and advantages to prospective users, simplifying their comprehension of how our product could cater to their requirements. We were dedicated to collaborating closely with the marketing team to guarantee effective promotion of our product in the market and to reach its intended audience.
This resulted in sustained growth for our product. Our landing page garnered over 70k sessions from more than 50k users each month and experienced a 56.8% boost in web conversion rate. Additionally, we observed an average 12% month-over-month subscription growth for three consecutive quarters.
If you are interested in learning more about our product and experiencing it firsthand, we invite you to download iTalkBB Prime from the iOS and Android app store, or visit iTalk Global's official website. At last, thank you for letting me share this product design journey with you, and I hope you enjoyed this case study.
THANK YOU!
