UX/UI Design Archives - Ekino VN

The objective – Deploy new services to stand the competition

The CANAL+ group mandated us to build its new API platform, thus centralising the business logic of its digital ecosystem. In an ultra-competitive market, being able to quickly deploy new services to deal with competition and constantly remain in phase with the market standards is key. This is why the CANAL+ group wanted to acquire the technological means to be able to accelerate the deployment of functionalities, and more broadly of new applications on the market.

The challenges – How to centralise all the programs of the CANAL+ group?

The stakes were high: to allow all subscribers to have an entry point that centralises all the programs of the 30 CANAL+ group channels, live and on demand, as well as the 150 partner channels of CANAL+ offers.

Our solution – An automated digital platform

The entire development environment has been industrialised, documented and developed via open-source solutions. The deployment of the platform is entirely automated and performed with a simple click. A battery of tests was put in place to guarantee the proper functioning of the service, its performance and security. The development and maintenance of the platform are carried out in agile mode (Scrum + Kanban).

The results – New functionalities on several broadcasting channels

CANAL+ is now able to deliver new functionalities and applications on various broadcasting channels, web, mobile applications, SmartTV, boxes etc., in a nearly simultaneous way. The number of daily unique visitors on the myCANAL application is 2.3 million (source: vivendi).

The objective – A new product offering built for adaptability

With 77,000 employees, and revenues in excess of $6.8bn, JLL is a global leader in the worldwide real-estate market. However, the business runs on a traditional real-estate model, with most transactions happening over the phone.

In 2018, Ekino became a key strategic and delivery partner for JLL’s ongoing, EMEA wide OnLine Market Program (OLM), and was tasked with transforming the brand from a classic broker model to a best-in-class digital model, that mirrors B2C real-estate best practice (such as Zoopla and Rightmove). This included opening out and reorganising a system that traditionally relies on and caters for big business—to make JLL’s services and expertise available to small businesses looking for properties to fit them.

The challenges – Remodelled for seamless style

One of the challenges we faced was balancing the existing look and feel of such a corporate brand with a more intuitive, more inviting style that would make a better experience for the end user. Working closely with JLL’s design team, we established new brand guidelines that would suit both the brand and the customer, and tested them using high-fidelity prototypes.

Additionally, as with any major global site, in the development stage we faced constraints such as accessibility, GDPR, and browser limitations, but an agile approach allowed us to find seamless solutions for each scenario.

Our solution – Reconstructing search

We approached the project like a startup within the existing business: agile, innovative and user-centric. We assembled a team of Ekino specialists and key stakeholders from JLL to be able to work together with adaptability, transparency and trust, on these key areas :

• Business: generating new leads through a relentless focus on the customer journey
• Organisation: building a cross-disciplinary team, with one space and one aim
• Process: adopting an agile, service design methodology where all activity exceeds business and user objectives
• Tech: using cutting edge technology to build a future-proofed, automated, and scalable platform
•  Data: internal and external data analysis to find the next business opportunity

The aim was to transform JLL’s technology, UX and organisational practices, and create one cohesive space. A space that supports not only prospective customers, but tenants and landlords too, handling all search, booking and transactions in one place.

Phase one of the project focused on the brand’s existing lead generation and transforming search. We needed to create a seamless experience for customers, from the point at which they start their search online, up until they get in touch with a broker.

We began by doing a deep dive into the business and its target audience. Interviews with stakeholders and JLL brokers helped us understand the needs of the business and its employees, while talking to office managers helped us learn more about the end user.

A clickable prototype explored a new, simple search journey, with innovative sorting and filter options. For example, for the first time people could search by the amount of desks in a space, or using a smart map interface that told them how many properties were available in each area.

The results – Building today for the future

Through testing, iterating and optimising, we created a universal website that is adaptable and ready to stay ahead of the market. The platform is live across 7 countries, with France launching in December 2018, and other countries to follow.

The OLM provides the foundation for an omnichannel digital platform, and is thus an ongoing, 3-year program of work. Our efforts have supported a board-level shift at JLL—digital is now not merely a cost structure, but a business opportunity for the future.