Bria
Mobile App
In a digital era where communication is key, Counterpath’s Bria emerged as a vital VoIP solution tailored to the expansive needs of large corporations. My role as a UI/UX designer for Bria encompassed navigating the nascent Android platform’s challenges, spearheading cross-platform design consistency, and facilitating extensive customization options through white label solutions.
Project Overview
Objective
Develop a highly customizable VoIP application that enables large enterprises to streamline internal communications with a personalized app, hosted on their own servers.
Target Audience
Global corporations seeking a bespoke communication solution, including renowned entities like British Airways and AT&T.
Enhancing Communication
A pivotal moment in our journey was integrating Chromecast technology with Bria, allowing users to cast calls to any Chromecast-enabled device. This innovative feature transformed communication, enabling seamless sharing and collaboration in both personal and professional settings. The ability to project a call onto a larger screen was not only a leap in usability but also a testament to our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to improve user experience.
Challenges
Designing for Early Android
The lack of a cohesive design framework in Android’s early days required a creative approach to UI/UX, making use of skeuomorphism and 9-patch graphics to create intuitive interfaces.
Customization and Branding Demand
Our corporate clients demanded a high level of app customization to align with their brand identity, requiring a flexible and scalable solution.
Ensuring Cross-Platform Consistency
With the proliferation of devices and operating systems, maintaining a unified user experience across Android, iOS, and tablet versions presented a significant challenge.
Solutions
White Label Customization Portal
The cornerstone of our solution was the development of a white label customization portal. This innovative platform empowered clients to tailor the app’s features, select color schemes, and upload branding assets directly. This level of customization was pivotal in addressing the diverse needs of our corporate clientele, ensuring that each version of Bria was a true reflection of the brand it represented. It allowed for unprecedented scalability in deploying branded communication solutions, significantly enhancing client engagement and satisfaction.
User-Centric Functionality Improvements
To address user confusion between SIP and XMPP server selection, we introduced a guided setup wizard. This feature simplified the decision-making process by asking users straightforward questions to ascertain their needs, thereby recommending the appropriate server type. This approach greatly improved the app’s usability and user satisfaction.
Iconography
In the early stages of Bria’s development, the Android ecosystem was still in its infancy, lacking the vast libraries of readily available icons that designers now take for granted. This gap presented a unique challenge and opportunity for me to contribute to the foundational elements of the Bria design system. Crafting a cohesive set of icons meant designing each symbol from scratch, ensuring that they were not only visually pleasing but also intuitive for the user. From common actions like initiating a call or accessing contacts, to more specific functions unique to the Bria application, each icon had to be meticulously thought out and created. This process involved a careful consideration of shape, size, and context to ensure that users could navigate the app with ease. The bespoke iconography I developed became an integral part of Bria’s identity, contributing significantly to its usability and setting a standard for future design elements within the app.
Emojis
During the evolution of Bria’s messaging capabilities, we saw an opportunity to enhance our chat feature by introducing emojis — an element that has become a language of its own in digital communication. Recognizing their potential to add emotional depth and clarity to conversations, we delved into various options. This exploration included the ambitious idea of creating a unique ‘Bria emoji set,’ tailored to reflect the nuances of our users’ communication needs. By considering the development of our own emoji set, we aimed to enrich user interactions with visuals that were distinct and resonant with Bria’s identity and the professional context of our clients’ communication.
Animated Splash Screens
To enhance the user experience during the initial launch of the Bria app, we recognized the need to address the loading times required for connecting to servers. To mitigate user impatience and to turn a moment of waiting into an engaging experience, we introduced animated splash screens on Android devices. These animations were designed not only to entertain but also to inform users about the progress of the connection process subtly. By creatively utilizing this time, we not only compensated for the wait but also added a dynamic visual element that reinforced the Bria brand’s innovative spirit, making a typically mundane process more interesting and visually appealing.
Bria’s Introductory Video
In 2012, recognizing the importance of effectively communicating Bria’s capabilities to potential users, I conceptualized and created an introductory video in my spare time. This video was designed to demonstrate the seamless interoperability of Bria across diverse platforms, specifically showcasing the intuitive communication between two Bria applications installed on Android and iOS devices. It succinctly explained several of the app’s basic features, illustrating the ease with which users could harness Bria for their communication needs. Notably, this project marked my first foray into complex 3D animation, which necessitated the use of a dedicated render farm to bring the vision to life. The result was a high-quality visual narrative that not only educated viewers but also showcased the sophistication and versatility of the Bria application.
Impact and Outcome
The iterative development and enhancement of Bria, guided by direct client feedback and the introduction of the white label portal, markedly improved the customization process. Though not directly involved in the metrics of user satisfaction, the subsequent acquisition of Counterpath by Alianza serves as a strong indicator of the project’s success and the value of our design innovations.
The display of the Bria app on the colossal screens of Times Square on June 8th, 2011, was a moment of profound pride and impact for our team. As the vibrant lights of New York’s iconic urban canvas illuminated Bria’s interface, it signified not just the app’s success but also its widespread adoption. This visual testament to our hard work coincided with Counterpath’s presence on NASDAQ, marking a milestone that celebrated the intersection of technological innovation and financial recognition. Witnessing our collective efforts showcased in such a grand and public setting underscored the reach and influence of Bria in the realm of communication technology.
Lessons Learned
Designing Bria taught me that adaptability is key to innovation, especially in the fluid landscape of technology. The development of a client-driven customization portal was a pivotal moment, revealing the value of empowering users with control over their experience. Diving into Chromecast integration and unique emoji sets highlighted the importance of staying ahead of tech trends to enhance communication. Above all, seeing Bria shine in Times Square solidified the profound impact that thoughtful design can have, affirming the power of a user-centric approach in creating enduring products.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the journey of designing the Bria application was a testament to innovation, adaptability, and the user-centric approach that defines successful product design. From navigating the infancy of the Android platform to pioneering features like a white label customization portal and integrating new technologies like Chromecast, each step brought its own set of challenges and learnings. The project underscored the significance of understanding the user’s perspective, the power of branding, and the necessity of evolving with technological advances. The culmination of this effort was not only in the satisfaction of creating an intuitive and versatile communication tool but also in the recognition of Bria’s value on the global stage, as exemplified by its presence in Times Square. This experience has imparted invaluable insights into the transformative potential of UI/UX design when it truly resonates with users and meets their needs in a dynamic digital landscape.
