Samsung
Designing unified experience for a mobile app across form factors
ROLE
Interaction Design
COLLABORATORS
Development team
Verizon Product Management
Verizon Design team
INTRODUCTION
Samsung android phones in the USA are always customized for mobile network operators in order to sell the mobile devices through the carriers. This required Samsung to comply with Verizon requirements and at the same time follow Google Android standards to get Android certification. Samsung also has its own UI stack called the TouchWiz UI which sits on top of the Android framework and allows for customizations in the interface and interactions.
When Verizon updated their Voicemail app requirements, it was up to Samsung (aka me) to implement these updates while ensuring that it complied with Verizon's, Google Android's and Samsung's own requirements.
Voicemail to Text
Have your message delivered to you as text messages. Get the information you need without listening to long messages.
Easier Inbox
See who left a message before you listen to it. Then, listen or delete your messages in any order.
Caller Dependent Greetings
Create up to 20 personal greetings to welcome a caller or a group of callers.
More Storage
Store up to 40 five minute massages in your mailbox. You can also save the messages to your phone's memory to keep them.
DISCOVERY PROCESS
Requirements gathering and analysis
My first task was to understand the technical requirements that Verizon provided to Samsung. I communicate with members of Samsung’s technical team and also Verizon’s team to get a full understanding of the depth and breadth of the system.
Market Research and Competitive analysis
Next I looked at the solutions that were already present for visual voice mail. Samsung also had its own version, and comparing this to solutions on other devices I created a comparison matrix that showed feature and interaction differences.
DESIGN PHASE
Wireflows
I started with low-fidelity paper prototypes to bounce various ideas with a senior designer on the team and then created sketch mockups to demonstrate the concept. Once the main flows were fleshed out, I presented to the Verizon design team. After a few rounds of iteration, the concept was fully approved.
DESIGNING FOR OTHER FORM FACTORS
Galaxy Note Edge
The Note Edge provides users with a new way to access information, engage with their mobile device, and express their personality and tastes.
We utilized this Edge panel to provide Verizon’s Visual Voice Mail notification
enhancements. Verizon’s Visual Voice Mails notifications can be heard from the Edge panel allowing the user to multitask while listening to their new voice mails.
This enables users to enjoy their device and focus on the main content with very minimal interruptions.
Google's Wear OS devices
Smart watches running on Wear OS connect seamlessly to Android phones and are a supplement to the phone. Notifications are pushed from the phone to the watch for the user can take action. There are default actions that are present on the watch notifications, however these can be customized. Watch interactions can also be defined.
We took full opportunity of the Wear OS and provided interactions that are present in the phone app. These notification not just provided glance-able information, but also allowed users to have meaningful interactions and take action on the voicemail notifications.
