Relay Site
a nationwide cell phone alternative that kids love and parents can trust
In 2017, Republic Wireless started working towards new form of communication that aimed to help solve a need that many parents with young children have: that of independence but also wanting to stay connected without the baggage that is comes with smartphones. This lead to a huge effort to create a brand new product (hardware and software) that was a manifestation of this unique challenge.
The goal of these was to communicate the benefits that Relay provides parents with young children while also addressing any objections they might have. I was tasked with the UX design and strategy of the homepage, product detail page, cart, checkout, and about us pages.
Problem: How do we position Relay as a smart walkie talkie that is helping to solve problems for parents with young children given the heightened sensitivity to screen addiction? What the best way to talk about what Relay is and why it exists?
Solution: We explained benefits of the product while also trying to address any objections to this product to describe how this product would fill a gap in the customers life. Drive excitement through playful designs, explain benefits, clean design.
Outcome: Product announcement drove excitement with the base, over 10,00K sign up for communications and pre-sale information. Insider launch drove huge sales. Intense media coverage and excitement among social channels by customers.
Role: lead UX designer, UX strategist, and web design. Storyframing. Collaborated with marketing designers and researcher, content writer, and dev ui team.
Research, User Journeys, and Competitive Research
As a unique product we had to look at competitors across various markets like walkie talkie for outdoor enthusiast, kid gps-trackers, cell phone alternatives, and kid-friendly smartwatches. It became apparent that we needed to communicate this product as benefit to not only parents, but also make it fun for children to use. Researched and tested other competitors like Tinitell and Hereo to learn see how we could uniquely position ourselves as a solution to a kids first cell phone.
Beta Testing trials
We conducted various beta trial tests with internal staff and current republic customers to test various aspects of the product like communication, battery life, etiquette, ux, hardware, audio cues, and, among others. This is the first product we have design and manufactured in-house, so there was a big learning curve
Building a Content strategy and Responsive Wireframes
Relay had to focus on two core customer facing capabilities are essential in a kids device: Communication and Location tracking. It was also important to address tension that exists between parents and children- peace of mind, and freedom to explore- hence the tagline: Go far, stay close.
Product Detail Page
Product features and bundle pricing, coverage, accessories, and have the ability to “add to cart”. Elevate smartphone features like LTE connectivity, gps tracking, simple design, and smart features. Communicate compatibility between Relays and phones.
bundles, cart, checkout experience
Worked closely with the web dev team to work through intricacies of adding bundle packs to a cart while also being able to do the following tasks:
Edit bundle size,
Edit bundle colors,
Upgrade bundle size,
Remove items from the cart,
Begin checkout,
View cart total (excluding tax and shipping)
Results
The launch of this product has been widely successful with a healthy sales volume, excitement from customers on our social channels, and media coverage on sites like PC Mag, Mom.me, The Verge, and Android central.
“We have an amazing opportunity in front of us, but we can’t underestimate the challenges that we face in launching a unique product, in a category all its own, within a small company. Success is one customer choosing to buy, who then turns into a raving fan and tells their friends and family about the remarkable value Relay is bringing to their life.”
-Jim Mulcahy, President of Republic Wireless
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