Ovi Suite 2.0 for Nokia
Nokia, the world’s leading cell phone supplier, is a mobile telecommunications pioneer. The company’s products combine cutting-edge technologies with personalized services to connect people in new and different ways. So, when Nokia realized that its PC-based companion software — which comprised 18 different tools accessed by a “launcher” — was too complex and thus used by only a fraction of customers, it sought to upgrade. Nokia tapped IDEO, which designed its N-Gage mobile gaming platform, to lead the redesign of the Nokia Ovi Suite experience on the PC.
Working closely with Nokia, the team started by asking, “How might we design a powerful product that stores, manages, shares, and updates everything with fewer features than before and make it simple enough for 500 million behaviorally different customers worldwide to embrace?” It was a tall order. Designers began by working to better understand customers’ needs, conducting research with hundreds of Nokia users in more than 10 locations worldwide. It soon became clear that the next-generation product should: (1) replace the complicated suite of tools with one easily accessible app that enabled media and data management; (2) feature a “first-time user” experience that not only simplified installation, but also encouraged Nokia customers to use it; and (3) integrate the app with Nokia’s evolving online services at Ovi.com.
Whereas the original Nokia Ovi Suite tried to be all things to all people (and as a result was messy and overwhelming), the upgrade would be a single, universal application that provided only the functions Nokia customers actually needed. This meant that the desktop software needed to work with more than 200 different handsets sold worldwide, as well as with Nokia’s online service and support groups.
Designers streamlined the software’s features and developed various concepts, which were evaluated by and iterated with Nokia customers. The team created separate default settings for the most common media tasks and optimized Nokia Ovi Suite to fit how people expect media to behave. For example, users typically back up photos on the PC and erase them from the phone to free up memory, but they want more control when synching text messages (in order to keep private information on their phone from those with whom they share a computer). The team also developed a simple, three-level hierarchy and a set of “action patterns” that people could learn once and reuse with different media; for instance, manipulating photos has the same interaction patterns as manipulating music or maps.
The IDEO and Nokia team, including product managers, UX designers, technical architects, and program managers, designed and developed a solution that consumers love. Also, it is technically feasible and provides business value for the Nokia. The redesign required Nokia to reorganize its internal operations and to convince existing customers to upgrade. The company did both, reassigning product managers and using the new software as an opportunity to notify customers of firmware (think: operating system) updates. The team set up an online lab to encourage customer participation in the product’s evolution, to help prioritize which new features to bring in. Alpha and Beta launches not only fixed technical bugs, but also opened up a dialogue between product managers and Nokia customers.
The resulting Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 makes it easy for Nokia customers to add and back up the files stored on their cell phones — contacts, messages, music, maps, photos, videos, etc. — and to keep the device’s functionality current. The free app is shipping on several Nokia models and may be downloaded at Ovi.com. In 2010, the software won an IDEA Bronze award for Interaction Design. The customers agree that it’s a winner: Nokia reports that adoption, positive feedback, and Ovi service registrations by far exceed those of any previous version. In addition, the simplified experience is reducing costly service calls to Nokia customer care.
Redesigning the desktop software that manages media and connects Nokia cell phones with PCs and the services offered by Ovi.com.
Nokia, the world’s leading cell phone supplier, is a mobile telecommunications pioneer. The company’s products combine cutting-edge technologies with personalized services to connect people in new and different ways. So, when Nokia realized that its PC-based companion software — which comprised 18 different tools accessed by a “launcher” — was too complex and thus used by only a fraction of customers, it sought to upgrade. Nokia tapped IDEO, which designed its N-Gage mobile gaming platform, to lead the redesign of the Nokia Ovi Suite experience on the PC.
Working closely with Nokia, the team started by asking, “How might we design a powerful product that stores, manages, shares, and updates everything with fewer features than before and make it simple enough for 500 million behaviorally different customers worldwide to embrace?” It was a tall order. Designers began by working to better understand customers’ needs, conducting research with hundreds of Nokia users in more than 10 locations worldwide. It soon became clear that the next-generation product should: (1) replace the complicated suite of tools with one easily accessible app that enabled media and data management; (2) feature a “first-time user” experience that not only simplified installation, but also encouraged Nokia customers to use it; and (3) integrate the app with Nokia’s evolving online services at Ovi.com.
Project date: 2009
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