Case Study - Telekom target Picture

Empowering UX leadership: crafting a strategic vision for telekom.de

Client

Deutsche Telekom GmbH

Area

Product Vision

Implementation

Since May 2022

Platforms

Web, Mobile

Overview

In close cooperation, we developed a 5-year vision for Telekom.de, their digital distribution channel and touchpoint for new and existing customers.

The vision plans ahead for the future, while already being actionable since May 2022. As a tool, it empowers the UX leadership to align various teams towards a common goal — To develop an excellent and consistent user experience for Telekom.de, showcasing the growing portfolio and brand values. The aim is to make it compelling and accessible to all users on all devices, both in Germany and across Europe.

WHAT WE DID

Analysis of the existing touchpoint
Digital Experience and Interaction strategy
Translated brand values for the digital touchpoint
Established human-centered experience principles
Created information architecture as interaction blueprint
Ensured UX/UI consistency across all sales funnels/products
Library of scalable UI components and tokens
POC with detailed design and high-fidelity prototype

Diese Vision befähigt mich, effektiv mit Stakeholdern zu kommunizieren, um langfristig nutzerzentrierte Entscheidungen zu ermöglichen. Bring DUMBO an Bord, wenn du eine besondere Kraft mit Fokus auf strategisches Design brauchst.

Gunnar Gamer

Product Design Director Commerce, Deutsche Telekom

Looking up, a modern bridge connects two skyscrapers under a muted sky, illustrating a convergence of urban architecture and design.

Competing at the top end of a saturated market

Nr. 1

most valuable corporate brand across europe

21,2 M

are visiting telekom.de each month

To compete as a premium provider and boost customer retention, Telekom.de must scale its growing ecosystem while providing a seamless retail experience. The platform must handle a diverse portfolio including landline, mobile, broadband, television, and IT services.
While their staff at physical locations excel at communicating the brand and its offerings, the same has not been achieved online.

Gunnar Gamer, UX Director for Digital Commerce Europe, approached Dumbo to create a best-in-class user experience that could form the blueprint for their products in all countries, thereby reducing operation costs while boosting Telekom’s service reputation.

We listened to the sales team, brand team, marketing team, various product teams and C-level entities. And then we crunched the numbers and insights, synthesising their requirements into a set of approaches.

Together, we created a feasible and actionable strategy that scales for the next 5 years. It empowers the UX Director with an instrument for leadership and moderation, that allows him to unite and inspire all teams, and evaluate decisions towards a common strategic goal.

Highlights

01 Mediating internal competition: Finding the right place for everyone Integrating various offerings into cohesive CX with streamlined funnels.

02 Overcoming the trap of inside-out thinking: Serving the customer, not the product Fostering longterm relationships and sustainable success.

03 Identity is more than a colour: Developing a holistic brand strategy for the digital touchpoint Elevating status through aesthetics, personalisation, and superior browsing.

04 More than band-aid solutions: Creating a scalable plan for the future Enabling efficient handling of diverse categories, cost reduction, and strategic alignment.

A trio of smartphone screens showcasing a TV streaming service, a personalized welcome message for returning customers, and an enticing call to action for mobile connectivity.

Mediating internal competition: Finding the right place for everyone

Telekom.de serves as the distribution channel for many different products in Telekom’s portfolio. Naturally, each team has its own sales targets, leading to a competitive battle for the user’s attention — who is bigger, louder and more conspicuous?

The conflicting goals and silo structure of the company were resulting in a fragmented experience for the end-user. To align all decisions towards a customer-centric experience, we needed to inspire a shift in perspective and give them the north star to allow different teams to develop in the same direction.

Experience Loops

Finding the right context for each offer can reframe it from being a potentially annoying advertisement to an actual service offering — A win-win for the customer and the sales team.

Our challenge was to help teams overcome the pain and friction of removing their offering from a “prime” location like the homepage where it is less relevant, and instead place it exactly where it is needed by the user.

To facilitate adding another core product to the user’s purchase, all sales funnels were streamlined such that cross-promoted products could be easily added without breaking the flow of the journey.

For Telekom.de, these funnels are expressed as 3 types of “loops” which can follow the initial purchase intention: Bundle loops, upsell loops, and cross-sell loops.

This way, different offerings can be shown to the customer such that they keep moving forward in a way that makes sense to them, without reaching a dead end or doubling back.

Sequential mobile screens displaying options for customizing a Telekom mobile plan, showcasing simplicity and ease of use.

Overcoming the trap of inside-out thinking: Serving the customer, not the product

A bold, 3D rendering of the phrase 'ALL IN ONE' with vibrant purple and blue hues

Products don’t exist just to be sold. They first exist to help customers towards their goal.
Counting clicks or sales numbers could be one way to measure success, but tactics that win short-term sales do not guarantee a longer customer lifetime. To promote retention and loyalty, it’s important to consider the whole journey and service experience.

Together with Gunnar we aimed to change Telekom’s perspective on what KPIs matter, and shift their goals towards sustainable success. Customers should experience an intuitive and cohesive journey that fosters trust and encourages a continued relationship.

Enabling better, faster decisions

We distinguish between two groups of users: Existing customers and interested parties. Their needs and journeys differ fundamentally. But both have something in common: they are searching for something.

To optimally support each user’s search, the site structure and information architecture need to align with their respective user intention (Understand, Explore, or Act) and focus on a clear goal.

We conducted an expert review and carried out interaction blueprinting to identify how each page could be optimised for its purpose.

Screenshots illustrating the Telekom mobile user journey, labeled with 'Explore,' 'Understand,' and 'Act' to depict stages of interaction and related intention of use.

Identity is more than a colour: Developing a holistic brand strategy for the digital touchpoint

Hotel Telefornia

If Telekom.de were a hotel, what would it be like? It certainly shouldn’t be a roadside motel with mismatched curtains and a grumpy receptionist.
While the superior quality of Telekom’s offering has been proven through many tests, the touchpoint does not reflect the reputation Telekom should have. Occupying the highest bracket makes gaining price acceptance a challenge for Telekom.de. While deals and discounts could achieve this in the short-run, these tactics are ultimately disingenuous to the brand and cheapen its image.

To be more like a five-star resort, Telekom.de needs to make a trustworthy, high-status impression - both in aesthetics and service experience. The digital space brings new potential compared to offline retail, including motion, dynamic personalisation, and more. Ultimately, customers have to experience superior quality in their browsing.

A touchpoint that touches base with its customers

If you were a guest at Hotel Telefornia, all the staff members would address you by name, and remember that you like your water with ice. You would feel like a valued guest.

The homepage of Telekom.de embodies the relationship between Telekom and its customers. When customers feel valued and supported, they are more likely to continue that relationship. But when the Telekom.de only speaks to potential new customers, the existing ones feel left behind.
Based on prior information, we can address the user’s needs more accurately. And we don’t mean just plugging their first name into sentences. The whole homepage could transform and restructure itself according to which products the customer has, previous activity, customer lifecycle stage, and predicted browsing intention.

An e-commerce mobile interface featuring a search bar, new smartphone promotion, and various service options.

Erstmalige Nutzung – keine Cookies

Mobile View of the Target Picture Starting Page

Erstmalige Nutzung – mit Cookies von einem anderen Anbieter

Mobile app interface welcoming a returning user with personalized options for latest smartphones, mobile contracts, and exclusive offers.

Erneute Nutzung – mit Cookies

User interface on a smartphone displaying a personalized greeting and options for order status, device selection, and customer support.

Ausgeloggter Mobilfunkkunde – mit Cookies

Personalized mobile interface welcoming a user, displaying order status, new smartphone options, and customer care links.

Eingeloggter Kunde mit Festnetz- und Mobilfunkvertrag

Elevated Aesthetics

The Telekom.de experience should not only be frictionless, but also cohesive and beautiful.
The digital touchpoint relies on its product pages to achieve non-assisted sales. We proposed a visual design system to present each product to the viewer in a compelling way that adheres to consistent standards of aesthetics and communication of the product’s value and benefits.