VIVID Mobile

In order for B&Q to succeed in the bourgeoning Chinese, ‘Do It For Me’, home improvement market, they decided to launch VIVID Homes, a cutting-edge design driven home improvement brand and concept store in Yishan Lu, Shanghai. B&Q China wanted an online environment to present the breadth of B&Q’s products and service offerings in a way that draws customers to engage with the B&Q team and brand. It was not only important for them to provide the same level of user experience online as in-store, but also to make sure all the tools provided by B&Q and their teams could be easily accessed from anywhere.

The Desato team decided to build mobile and tablet solutions that would provide a full Omni Channel experience. The goal was to create something unique, a new way for users to interact with B&Q’s team, and manage their home improvement projects using a mobile/tablet device. For a ‘Do It For Me’ home improvement business to provide the same level of experience both in-store and on mobile, users must have an easy and efficient way to create their plans, see models and examples of their plans, create timelines, project manage the development process, and have the ability to share their projects, while looking at others’ for inspiration. All of this, at the touch of a screen, wherever, whenever.

Using development tools such as PhoneGap and Ripple, the Desato team was able to create a full, seamless Omni Channel mobile experience that goes above and beyond the standard. With clear and efficient navigation and product catalogue management, we created a rich and unique shopping experience by offering inspiring and interesting ways to visualize the product assortment. A combination of tools is provided to the user, including a Project Management Dashboard, a Quality Assurance Dashboard, and a Sales Dashboard. To boost the social and community aspect, we created frameworks that allow users to share projects, moodboards and ideas in order to inspire others. By gathering concept styles, B&Q increases its returning customer base and gives rise to a unique online community of ‘Do It For Me’ projects.