Design impact
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Vodafone aimed to enable PAYG customers to seamlessly migrate to Pay Monthly SIMO plans through digital channels, triggered by contextual marketing campaigns.
At the time, customers could only complete this migration via assisted routes, creating friction, delays, and missed conversion opportunities. The goal was to introduce a fully digital, end-to-end journey that customers could complete whenever and wherever, with immediate activation and no processing delays.
Customers could access these journeys via targeted SMS campaigns or general web entry points, meaning both eligible and non-eligible users might land on the same pages. This raised important questions around eligibility verification, trust, and perceived exclusivity.
CONTEXT
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES
USER OBJECTIVES
UX CHALLENGE
MY ROLE
DEFINITION
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Vodafone needed to enable PAYG customers to migrate to Pay Monthly SIMO plans through a fully digital journey, triggered by marketing campaigns.
While customers generally understood what switching from PAYG to PAYM meant, the absence of a digital route introduced friction, delayed activation, and reduced confidence, particularly around eligibility, exclusivity, and trust.
The challenge was not only to support conversion, but to do so in a way that felt clear, credible, and customer-first, without alienating users who were unsure whether the offers applied to them.
DESIGN-LED CHALLENGE
From a UX perspective, the challenge was to design a migration experience that:
Validates eligibility without adding unnecessary friction
Works for both known users (arriving via SMS) and unknown users (arriving via search)
Reinforces the perception of exclusive and genuine offers
Clearly explains how PAYM differs from PAYG at the right moments in the journey
Enables customers to register, migrate, and save money in one seamless flow
This required carefully balancing reassurance and speed, while avoiding over-engineering the journey or creating barriers to entry.
HYPOTHESES
DESIGN
Journey Exploration & Early Concepts
At the early stage of the project, we explored two alternative journey approaches to understand how best to support PAYG customers migrating to Pay Monthly, while balancing speed, trust, and eligibility reassurance.
The objective was not to validate UI patterns, but to evaluate how different entry points and verification moments influenced customer confidence and progression.
Journey Option A — Early Eligibility Verification
Phone Number Check at Entry
Customers entering the journey, primarily via SMS or external links, were asked to verify their phone number at the very start.
Initial assumptions
Early verification would increase trust and reduce uncertainty
Customers would be comfortable sharing their phone number
Friction would be minimal if the step felt quick and purposeful
Key characteristics
Clear eligibility confirmation before seeing offers
Immediate reassurance that the deals were genuine and exclusive
Simple, lightweight verification step
Risks identified
Potential perception of unnecessary friction
Questions around why verification was required after receiving an SMS
USER JOURNEY
MOCKUPS
Journey Option B — Implicit Eligibility with Login Prompt
No Initial Verification
Customers could access the offers directly, with eligibility implied and reinforced later through prompts to log in or register.
Initial assumptions
Early verification would increase trust and reduce uncertainty
Customers would be comfortable sharing their phone number
Friction would be minimal if the step felt quick and purposeful
Key characteristics
Relied on customers’ awareness of being PAYG
Login used as a reassurance and security mechanism
Risks identified
Potential perception of unnecessary friction
Questions around why verification was required after receiving an SMS
USER JOURNEY
MOCKUPS
VALIDATE
Journey Exploration & Early Concepts
After defining two early journey concepts, we conducted moderated user testing to understand how PAYG customers perceive eligibility, trust, and offer exclusivity. This phase was critical to validate assumptions and guide the final journey design, rather than just testing UI elements.
Research Setup
Participants: 4 PAYG customers considering switching to PAYM within 12 months
Method: Moderated sessions, 45–60 minutes
Scenario: Participants imagined receiving a real SMS offer
Process:
First journey without interviewer intervention
Same journey with questions probing decisions
Second journey with focus on novel elements and new prompts
Goal: Identify points of friction, trust signals, and understanding of “migrate”
Key Insights
Eligibility Awareness
All participants were confident they were PAYG customers
Early verification (phone number check) was comfortable and reassuring, not a barrier
Trust and Verification
Logging in later in the journey improved confidence
Participants accepted the phone number verification as simple and quick
Navigation & Focus
Users were focused on the main entry points (SMS or link)
Distracted by secondary information if USPs or offer details were not immediately visible
Perception of Exclusivity
Offers were perceived as “special” but not fully personalised
A clear eligibility step increased the sense that the deal was genuine and exclusive
Understanding of Migration
The term “migrate” was well understood
Participants could compare PAYG vs PAYM confidently
Show differences at the right moment was important to give clarity
IMPACT
Final Journey
Following the moderated research, we consolidated the insights into a single, scalable journey for PAYG customers migrating to Pay Monthly.
The final design balances frictionless access, eligibility verification, and trust, while accommodating both registered and non-registered users.
Entry Points
Customers can enter the journey through:
Targeted SMS link — sent via marketing campaigns
External web link — discovered through search or web navigation
Both entry points now lead directly to the digital journey, ensuring a consistent experience.
Eligibility Verification & Popup
A dynamic popup handles eligibility based on the user’s status:
Registered / Logged-in Users:
Verified immediately via account details
Can proceed directly to migration offers
Non-Registered / Not Logged-in Users:
Prompted to register or log in
Verification occurs in-context without blocking access
Ensures compliance and reduces friction
This approach ensures that eligible users progress quickly, while non-eligible users receive clear guidance.
1. Registered / Logged-in Users
Conclusion
This project delivered a scalable, end-to-end digital migration journey for PAYG customers.
Key Design Principles applied:
Single source of truth: All entry points funnel into the same journey
Trust and clarity: Eligibility and offer exclusivity communicated upfront
Scalable structure: Works for SMS, external link, web, and app
Minimal friction: Users progress as quickly as possible without unnecessary steps
Consistent messaging: PAYG vs PAYM differences are explained clearly at key decision points
Key takeaways:
Moderated research informed the final design, ensuring trust, clarity, and minimal friction
The journey works seamlessly for both registered and non-registered users
Offers are communicated as exclusive and credible, enhancing user confidence
The design provides a foundation for future optimizations and digital growth initiatives
Overall, the project demonstrates user-centered decision-making, strategic thinking, and end-to-end UX design leadership.
These are just a selection. Explore the full portfolio to see additional work across optimisation, migration, and end-to-end product journeys.