Sage
Product Tour
The Product Tour was Sage’s top performing marketing assets for the UK– contributing 2.6% to pipeline.
My Role - Project Lead, Creative Direction, UX Design, Photo & Video Direction
The Brief (Self Initiated)
Create a new experience on the new Sage.com, so that we build a more-robust product tour experience which can be future-proofed, provides more detailed reporting and enables ongoing optimisation.
In addition, our efforts extended to consolidating a diverse repository of assets for widespread company application. This encompassed photography, illustration, and video resources, effectively addressing historical resource inefficiencies stemming from Sage's prior isolated approaches.
Objectives
Effectively demonstrates our key product benefits, and gives the user enough information to take the next step (trial/buy/request a call) – with ultimate outcome of increasing conversion rates.
Can scale the approach to be used across multiple products and then localised to work across multiple regions – providing us economies of scale.
Is nuanced to the audience – with slightly different experiences for the Small audience, vs. Medium and Large, and capability to add dimensions such as personas and verticals for more personalised tour experiences (can be built out over time).
Ups and Downs
Initiating this project was akin to navigating a rollercoaster ride, mirroring the challenges faced during the DLS initiative.
Securing sponsorship and company-wide approval proved to be a significant hurdle, requiring considerable effort and negotiation. Fortunately, my prior efforts to enhance design and creative quality facilitated a smoother process, garnering enthusiasm from other departments.
The project spanned approximately 8 months, primarily due to the necessity of obtaining buy-in from key executives such as the EVP of Brand and CMO. Despite the prolonged timeline, this endeavor marked a pioneering effort at Sage, as it involved close collaboration between product, UX, and brand departments— a first of its kind.
Once momentum picked up, it catalysed a profound cultural shift, showcasing the transformative power of collaboration. By aligning efforts and producing cohesive assets across departments, we demonstrated the remarkable outcomes achievable through unified teamwork.
Cross Functional Team
As the driving force behind the project, I led Sage's shift from outsourcing to internal teams and contractors.
Our goal: prove superior quality and cost-efficiency. I formed a versatile cross-functional team, harnessing in-house talent and hiring contractors strategically. This adaptive approach showcased our ability to excel while optimising resources.
Key Requirement Features
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Capture Data
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Shareable
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Scalable
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Industry Specific
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Accessible
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Persona Specific
MVP
As a part of the presentation, I developed four distinct creative routes for the product tour. One of these options involved a refined, streamlined design that could serve as a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) while the more intricate interactive product tour was being constructed.
This particular design was subsequently adopted as the benchmark for discussing features across Sage. Moreover, it underscored the notion that enhancing content elements like photography and other assets would yield significantly greater impact.
Design Concepts
Chosen Route "Focus"”
The chosen direction seamlessly blended customers and products within authentic workspaces. The navigation allowed for fluid movement between customers at any juncture of the journey, with workspaces and offices transforming dynamically around them.
UX Testing: Crafting the Proof of Concept
Collaborating with our in-house creative technologist, we crafted a high-fidelity prototype.
Why? To stress-test it through user trials and streamline kinks. Not stopping there, we pitted the prototype against the live product tour, showcasing its worth.
Our aim? Garner support from the CMO, given our all-in-house endeavor.
Illustration vs. Reality
Untangling the Sage customer puzzle posed a pivotal challenge. How to capture them on camera? Live action or animated avatars? The complexity deepened due to logistical constraints on accessing real customers, and actors were off the table.
Story Board
Lights, Camera, No Actors
Our shoot faced a real curveball when the CMO vetoed actors, despite them being standard elsewhere in Sage's production.
Compounding the issue was our limited access to real customers—only one available—making it difficult to showcase the transformative workspaces central to illustrating Sage's versatility across various businesses.
The new challenge? Making "real people" shine without film experience, hitting their marks like pros. It was a bumpy ride.
BTSVideo Shoot
Final Final Final Design
Having gathered all necessary assets, we meticulously crafted the final design, incorporating minor tweaks to accommodate the limited customers and product scope at that point in our journey.
As we set our sights on broader global expansion, our strategy was clear: to refine and expand this design to match its original concept. This stage marked a substantial stride forward in our pursuit of visual excellence.
