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Case Study: GenMobile

Upon obtaining GenMobile, a wireless MVNO provider that serves lower-income customers and international families, DISH leveraged its Front End UX team to reconstruct GenMobile's website, enhancing the overall customer experience.

01

The Existing Business

In October 2021, DISH completed the acquisition of GenMobile, an MVNO operating on the networks of AT&T and T-Mobile. GenMobile primarily caters to families with international connections and lower-income customers, many of whom are unbanked and prefer cash payments at authorized retailers. These retailers are typically situated in diverse neighborhoods, and their owners often communicate in languages other than English.

GenMobile offers calling to over 100 destinations at a monthly cost starting from $20. The competitive pricing of their plans targets the 48 million households eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a government subsidy significantly reducing wireless bills.

With the backing of DISH's resources, GenMobile is well-positioned to broaden its outreach and enhance services for its target audience. However, it's noteworthy that their website was initially constructed in a do-it-yourself fashion on the Shopify platform without the involvement of a dedicated UX team, presenting opportunities for further development.

Customers

Age 21–50

Gender Male, Female, Non-binary

Race All, majority Hispanic (1st and 2nd generation)

Goals

  1. 1Improve User Experience
  2. 2Improved SEO
  3. 3Streamline Content Organization
  4. 4Improved Conversion Funnel

KPIs

Bounce rate · Time on page · Task completion rate · Organic traffic · Keyword ranking · Content engagement · Exit rate · Scroll depth · Conversion rate · Abandonment rate

02

Project Goals

Centered on user patterns, transparency, and site structure, the GenMobile team endeavored to address crucial pain points by developing an advanced website that enhances these three aspects.

User Experience

Makes it easier for customers to navigate and use the site, such as finding information about plans, recharging their account, or managing their online account.

Brand Awareness

Attracts more visitors to help the company stand out from competitors by highlighting its unique differentiators.

Mobile Optimization

Reaches more customers who prefer to use their mobile devices for online transactions and creates a smoother overall mobile experience.

Leads & Ops

  • Rachel Hankins
    Front End Manager
  • Beniyam Kebede
    Account Manager
  • Kim Mosberger
    UX Design Manager
  • Jessica Holzhauer
    Project Manager

Research & Design

  • Kassee Homolka
    Sr. UX Designer
  • Lahaina Pacaoan
    UX Designer
  • Ryan Flannigan
    Copy & UX Writer

Development

  • Mina Oripova
    Developer
  • Eddy Collado
    Developer
03

The Process

Due to the extensive involvement of a diverse, cross-functional team in this project, it was imperative to institute a process that fostered collaboration and coherence. This process guided the team toward a distinct and meaningful objective in a timely manner, ensuring that all members — including designers, project and account managers, copywriters, and developers — comprehended the project's current stage and their respective points of involvement.

Discovery
Define
Validate
Copy & Design
Prototype
Development
QA Process
Launch
04

Discovery

Initiating with discovery research, the process aimed to gain a profound insight into the business, examining its position relative to competitors, identifying its target consumers, and understanding its brand strategy. These factors were instrumental in guiding the creation of a more impactful user experience and positioning GenMobile uniquely in the market.

Competitive Analysis

  • Strengths and weaknesses relative to competition
  • Opportunities to improve design, UX and content
  • Brand differentiators
TelloVisibleMetro by T-MobileMint MobileStraight TalkTwigbyTing

Consumer Research

  • Sentiments toward current site
  • Insights on user behavior
  • What users want, need, and expect

Brand Strategy

  • Goals of brand strategy
  • How it interacts with user experience
  • Brand values and how to prioritize them
05

Research

Incorporating thorough testing into the process empowers designers to craft interfaces that are not only user-friendly and intuitive but also more successful in enhancing user engagement and satisfaction. This approach aids in the early detection of usability issues, resulting in time and cost savings.

Various research methods were employed to develop designs prioritizing user and business needs. Subsequently, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as user task completion rates and user satisfaction scores, were used to gauge the efficacy of the newly implemented designs.

Usability Tests

  • Evaluate the effectiveness of a user interface to improve its design
  • Users observation of complete tasks
  • Identify usability issues
  • Provides insight into the user's experience

First Impression

  • Assesses users' initial impression of a website or application
  • Identifies potential issues that discourage users from using the interface
  • Helps improve overall user experience

UX Copy Testing

  • Tests in different contexts for ease of understanding and relevance
  • Evaluates the clarity and effectiveness of brand and UX copy
  • Used to determine the overall messaging strategy

Card Sort

  • Organizes content into groups based on user preferences
  • Helps designers understand how users categorize information
  • Informs the design of navigation menus and other interface elements

A/B Tests

  • Evaluates the performance of two designs
  • Statistical analysis used to determine which performs better
  • Used to increase ROI, reduce bounce rate, and guide small modifications
06

Copy

The development of the messaging strategy required a comprehensive approach, involving the establishment of a brand voice, the definition of a style guide, and the incorporation of UX and SEO best practices. Early tests indicated that the audience responded most positively to messaging that was simple and direct. Building upon this insight, the messaging strategy was crafted to adopt a straightforward voice with a focus on customer service.

Furthermore, the absence of a consistent copy style guide had led to inconsistencies in elements such as sentence case and the use of Oxford commas. To align with other DISH brands, AP Style was uniformly implemented across the site. The copywriter collaborated closely with an SEO expert to incorporate keywords and other strategies aimed at improving Google rank and increasing website traffic.

07

Design

Design strategy was based off the discovery research and other tests to make sure the designs reflected user wants and needs. One important finding was that GenMobile's audience prioritized price, value, and transparency with purchasing decisions, which influenced the design's hierarchy and visual prioritization.

Color Palette

Coal
#171725
Cinder
#525261
Ash
#c4c4ca
Smoke
#f5f5f6
Marshmallow
#ffffff
Gen Mobile Red
#ee283b

Typography

Header 1Bold · 54px
Header 2Bold · 44px
Header 3Bold · 28px
Header 4Semibold · 24px
ParagraphMedium · 16px
DisclaimerMedium · 12px
08

Development

After finalizing the design, the development phase commenced, with developers adhering to the outlined process. Due to the familiarity of business partners with the Shopify platform, its utilization was specifically requested for ease of future site maintenance. The primary objectives during this phase included guaranteeing accessibility, encompassing the use of screen readers, ensuring consistency across mobile and desktop platforms, and ensuring compatibility with diverse devices and screen sizes.

Shopify Theme Customization

  • Updated Shopify theme to achieve desired look and feel
  • Adapted to responsive web design principles to ensure functionality through all devices

Created Product Presentation

  • High-quality images
  • Detailed descriptions
  • Pricing and variations

Developed Navigation Structure

  • Implemented per UX designs
  • Created menus and dropdowns
  • Categorized products

Tested and Debugged

  • Ensured all functionality worked as intended
  • Identified compatibility issues by testing on different browsers/devices
  • Debugged and fixed any errors/inconsistencies

Integrated Third-Party Apps

  • Shogun, Bold Product Options, HelpCenter FAQ Chat Helpdesk
  • Bold Store Locator Map, tawk.to, Hextom Quick Announcement Bar
  • The Accessibly app

Launched and Monitored

  • Identified the ideal launch time to minimize disruption and maximize impact
  • Continuously monitored site performance and conversion rates
  • Made ongoing adjustments to optimize UX and drive better results

Get In Touch

Let's Connect

Based in Denver, but open to discussing any opportunity that awaits. Looking to obtain a full-time position that will challenge me to further develop my strengths and allow me to create high quality and meaningful work. Whether it's to skim my resume, collaborate, or grab a glass of wine I'm open to talk virtually or in person.