Deloitte Digital × Bose · Case study 04
Driving revenue opportunity for Bose QC35 customizer pitch
Bose led the market in noise-cancelling headphones, but millennials saw competitors as cooler. In a two-week pitch, we showed how a reimagined customization experience and a social strategy could help Bose reach its goal of 5x annual revenue on custom QC35s.
- Role
- UX Designer (1 of 2)
- Team
- 1 sr. mgrs, 2 CDs, 1 PM, 1 UI
- Timeline
- 2-week pitch, 2018
- Platforms
- E-commerce web, mobile, social
Won
the pitch for the customization redesign
5x
Bose’s annual revenue goal for custom QC35s
$100
extra revenue per customized pair
13th
section of the home page, where customization was buried
The problem
The QC35s were selling. Customers just didn’t know they could make them their own.
Bose wanted to be seen as fashionable, not just high quality, and to play the role of influencer. But customization was buried and the experience was dated and cumbersome, leaving revenue on the table with every pair.
The approach
- 01
Fix a subpar experience
Evaluated the current product page and customizer.
- 02
Show what’s possible
Social influencers as a key to success.
- 03
Make it fun
Customization that still drives sales.
- 04
Raise awareness
Buried calls to action meant lost upsells.
- 05
Teamwork
Visual polish plus a story that shined.
Highlight 01
A current-state evaluation that opened the conversation
My e-commerce evaluation showed Bose exactly where customization was being lost. It was the first thing we brought to the client, and it helped them see us as a trusted strategic partner, not just a design shop.
Highlight 02
A social strategy beyond the screen
Bose is a household name, but it wasn’t using influencers to drive awareness and sales. Our pitch covered the digital solution and a social plan to go with it, which positioned Deloitte as a partner beyond design.
Highlight 03
Themes people already love: teams, causes, colleges
Bose’s customers value quality over everything. Tied to the social plan, we recommended a fun, inspiring customizer that guided people toward pre-designed themes based on their favorite sports teams, causes and universities.
01
Map the journey
On the whiteboard we mapped how people would move from social discovery to the customizer and back to sharing their designs.
02
Sketch the product page
A product page that puts “Make them yours” front and center, next to the standard colors.
03
Wireframe desktop and mobile
Mid-fidelity product pages with clear paths to launch the customizer or get inspired by pre-designed themes.
04
Design the customizer
High-fidelity mobile screens with tappable hotspots for each part, shown here with a breast cancer awareness theme.
Yes, sounds good.
With the creative directors, PMs and UI designer, we developed a winning pitch to redesign customization for Bose’s top-selling headphones. Another studio completed the build.
