Profile photo of Luke

Siobhan O'Brien

About me

Leadership

Collaboration

Get in touch

Profile photo of Luke

Siobhan O'Brien

Get in touch

Strategic vision: Crafting a multi-vertical, multi-channel, multi-location solution

Strategic vision: Crafting a multi-vertical, multi-channel, multi-location solution

OVERVIEW

Zettle is a company that offers a retail and F&D point-of-sale (POS) system with software and hardware solutions to streamline in-store and online transactions, track sales, and manage inventory.

My Role

As part of a small cross functional accelerator team at PayPal, I designed holistic visionary concepts for a multi-vertical, multi-channel and multi-location (multiplicity) E-commerce and Point of Sale solution, while simultaneously helping to strategically unify the Zettle and PayPal products post acquisition.

Company

Zettle by PayPal

Year

2021

Skills

Story telling

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Payments

Stakeholder management

E-commerce

Workshop facilitator

DETAILS

Figma, Jira, Responsive web, iPad OS

The problem

Following the acquisition, PayPal and Zettle products struggled to meet evolving merchant needs, as new selling patterns emerged. Teams focused on isolated features instead of developing holistic, scalable and future proof solutions.

Following the acquisition, PayPal and Zettle products struggled to meet evolving merchant needs, as new selling patterns emerged. Teams focused on isolated features instead of developing holistic, scalable and future proof solutions.

  • 💵 Evolving merchant selling behaviours: In-store merchant behaviour used to be pretty linear, due to covid Merchants frantically experimented with different offerings both in-store and online to generate revenue and survive - most changes now remaining a permanent fixture of their business.

  • 🌐 PayPal's strategic integration of Zettle: In 2020, PayPal officially acquired Zettle, a company with a product suite that closely aligned with PayPal’s own offerings. Both platforms addressed similar customer pain points, sparking a strategic effort to unify and streamline our solutions into a cohesive experience.

  • 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Lack of a unified vision for across teams: The challenge of addressing Multiplicity had often been approached in a segmented way, resulting in siloed solutions and missed opportunities for cohesive, bold, and transformative strategies.

The RESULTS

We designed and presented holistic visionary concepts for a multi-vertical, multi-channel and multi-location (multiplicity) E-commerce and Point of Sale solution, to the entire org.

We designed and presented holistic visionary concepts for a multi-vertical, multi-channel and multi-location (multiplicity) E-commerce and Point of Sale solution, to the entire org.

  • 🚀 Customer journey and vision concepts: Compelling narratives and exploratory concepts were designed and presented to the company to spark meaningful discussions, provoke critical questions, and lay the foundation for future planning.

  • ❤️ Improved collaboration on new features: Following this project, a pattern emerged where teams actively sought advice and feedback from our team when developing features aligned with the multiplicity visionary concepts we established.

  • ✍️ Improved Team Processes: After completing the discovery vision, we shared and deconstructed our process to help other teams refine and enhance their own approaches to future discovery work.

MY PROCESS

For an in-depth look at how I tackle a project like this, check out my process below

MY PROCESS

For an in-depth look at how I tackle a project like this, check out my process below

Process deep dive

DEFINING THE PROBLEM

THE TEAM & MY ROLE

ESTABLISHING DELIVERABLES

WEEK 1-2: CONSOLIDATING RESEARCH FINDINGS

WEEK 2-4: RANKING COMPETITORS JTBD & IMPACT MAPPING

WEEK 4: CRAFTING A COMPELLING CUSTOMER NARRATIVE

WEEK 5: DEFINING THE SOLUTION

WEEK 6-7: FACILITATING MULTIPLE CROSS COMPANY WORKSHOPS

WEEK 8: PRESENTING CONCEPTS TO INSPIRE TEAMS

RESULTS

DEFINING THE PROBLEM

The first step was to establish the problem and set key objectives that defined the purpose of project, ensuring we had a clear goal to structure the coming weeks and achieve the best possible outcome.

The first step was to establish the problem and set key objectives that defined the purpose of project, ensuring we had a clear goal to structure the coming weeks and achieve the best possible outcome.

What is multiplicity?
In-store merchant behaviour used to be pretty linear. However, there was a growing trend towards multiplicity. As buyers' behaviour evolved, sellers were required to diversify their offering.

COVID accelerated this movement, from years into weeks. Merchants frantically experimented with different offerings to generate revenue and survive - most changes now remaining a permanent fixture of their business.

THE TEAM & MY ROLE

We assembled a core team of diverse designers, ensuring broad expertise from across the company. Together, we worked to achieve key milestones and held weekly check-ins with stakeholders to present progress, gather feedback, and refine the solution’s direction.

We assembled a core team of diverse designers, ensuring broad expertise from across the company. Together, we worked to achieve key milestones and held weekly check-ins with stakeholders to present progress, gather feedback, and refine the solution’s direction.

ESTABLISHING DELIVERABLES

We created a detailed plan setting clear expectations regarding deliverables and deadlines for key milestones. This approach helped keep the project on track and organised throughout its duration.

We created a detailed plan setting clear expectations regarding deliverables and deadlines for key milestones. This approach helped keep the project on track and organised throughout its duration.

WEEK 1-2: CONSOLIDATING RESEARCH FINDINGS

To kickoff, we consolidated multiplicity findings from the several research initiatives, (past and present) from across the company to define the common and overlapping jobs-to-be-done (JTBD).

To kickoff, we consolidated multiplicity findings from the several research initiatives, (past and present) from across the company to define the common and overlapping jobs-to-be-done (JTBD).

WEEK 2-4: RANKING COMPETITORS JTBD & IMPACT MAPPING

Next, we analysed how successful competitors are at helping users achieve their multiplicity jobs. Then we had a collaborative impact mapping sessions with stakeholders to define jobs of highest priority to focus on.

Next, we analysed how successful competitors are at helping users achieve their multiplicity jobs. Then we had a collaborative impact mapping sessions with stakeholders to define jobs of highest priority to focus on.

WEEK 4: CRAFTING A COMPELLING CUSTOMER NARRATIVE

Next, we developed a narrative to bring our customers journey and struggles to life, that would ultimately act as a catalyst to evoke discussions and inspire teams to solve the problems our customers were experiencing.

Next, we developed a narrative to bring our customers journey and struggles to life, that would ultimately act as a catalyst to evoke discussions and inspire teams to solve the problems our customers were experiencing.

WEEK 5: DEFINING THE SOLUTION

We analysed the existing solution and defined the ideal structure for the new vision. We moved forward with sketching the information architecture for the visionary concept.

We analysed the existing solution and defined the ideal structure for the new vision. We moved forward with sketching the information architecture for the visionary concept.

WEEK 6-7: FACILITATING MULTIPLE CROSS COMPANY WORKSHOPS

Bringing the entire organisation along for the journey was crucial for the visions success. Siloed teams were beginning to create solutions in isolation, rather than exploring holistic and scalable solutions. So over these 2 weeks, we facilitated 5 workshops to 70+ employees, gathering a wide range of feedback on the strategic vision we were crafting.

Bringing the entire organisation along for the journey was crucial for the visions success. Siloed teams were beginning to create solutions in isolation, rather than exploring holistic and scalable solutions. So over these 2 weeks, we facilitated 5 workshops to 70+ employees, gathering a wide range of feedback on the strategic vision we were crafting.

WEEK 8: PRESENTING CONCEPTS TO INSPIRE TEAMS

To conclude the 8-week project, we closed with a company-wide presentation, sharing insights, findings, and our journey. Using Betsy’s multiplicity narrative, we showcased visionary concepts of the solution to inform future roadmaps and inspire teams.

To conclude the 8-week project, we closed with a company-wide presentation, sharing insights, findings, and our journey. Using Betsy’s multiplicity narrative, we showcased visionary concepts of the solution to inform future roadmaps and inspire teams.

RESULTS

🚀 Catalytic Narratives and Vision Concepts: Compelling narratives and exploratory concepts were designed and presented to the company to spark meaningful discussions, provoke critical questions, and lay the foundation for future planning.

❤️ Collaboration on New Features: Following this project, a pattern emerged where teams actively sought advice and feedback from our team when developing features aligned with the multiplicity visionary concepts we established.

✍️ Improving Team Processes: After completing the discovery vision, we shared and deconstructed our process to help other teams refine and enhance their own approaches to future discovery work.