Localizing products and experiences
Date: 2017-2020
Role: Design Director, Motorola Mobility
Work Partners: Product, PM, ENG, Research, Miletus Research Institute
Challenge
Motorola introduced the concept of the Mods in 2015 as a method to extend a phone’s capabilities without needing to fiddle with clumsy hinges or clips on the side of the phone, or remove the battery. Users simply swap Mods while a device is “live”. While Motorola created a number of in-house Mods including cameras, projectors, printers, speakers, and more, they struggled to get the external developer program off the ground.
Strategy & solutions
In 2016, while Director of the Brazil studio, I worked closely with the Miletus Research Institute as well as internal portfolio, software, and hardware teams to set the product direction and lead software implementation of the Digital TV (DTV) Mod. My role guiding hardware definition ensured that the proper antennas, software enablers, and battery were there to achieve the product vision. While the engineering and production were conducted by Miletus, my team of industrial and UX designers delivered the physical specifications and software design for the final Mod. I also worked with the local sales team to provide sell-in materials that enabled them to secure a deal with Globo (a Brazilian TV service) which enabled end users to receive six months of free streaming in addition to the antenna-based digital TV broadcasts.
Outcome
The DTV Mod is an example of the purpose and mission of the Brazil design studio: designing and localizing key products and experiences for Latin America that build brand equity and consumer delight. That Mod in particular was the most successful of the concepts, completely selling out in Brazil. After returning to the US in 2017, I continued to lead the UX design team’s evolution of the Digital TV app for Latin American versions of Moto G devices until 2020. In addition to integrated satellite & antenna broadcasts, the app created new modes and allowed for gesture control to skip or pause TV shows. The finished device won a 2019 Red Dot Award and 2nd place in the 32º Prêmio Design Museu da Casa Brasileira (MCB) competition.
