Tello started as a startup MVNO entering the highly competitive US telecom market, offering voice, text, and data plans to a price and quality sensitive audience. I led the design of Tello’s consumer platform, shaping both the brand experience and the end-to-end subscription journey. Although the company already had a logo, the broader brand system and product experience needed to be defined from scratch, while meeting the usability and polish standards set by the established market.
Tello started as a startup MVNO entering the highly competitive US telecom market, offering voice, text, and data plans to a price and quality sensitive audience. I led the design of Tello’s consumer platform, shaping both the brand experience and the end-to-end subscription journey. Although the company already had a logo, the broader brand system and product experience needed to be defined from scratch, while meeting the usability and polish standards set by the established market.
Creative сhallenges
Entering the US telecom market meant competing against mature players with high expectations around clarity, trust, and ease of use.
As a startup, Tello needed to: - establish credibility quickly - communicate complex plan options clearly - enable fast, confident purchase decisions - deliver an experience comparable to established competitors The product experience had to work hard — both as a brand signal and as a conversion engine.
Creative сhallenges
Entering the US telecom market meant competing against mature players with high expectations around clarity, trust, and ease of use.
As a startup, Tello needed to: - establish credibility quickly - communicate complex plan options clearly - enable fast, confident purchase decisions - deliver an experience comparable to established competitors The product experience had to work hard — both as a brand signal and as a conversion engine.
Key Value Props
Nationwide 5G Coverage, Fully customizable plans, Budget-Friendly Family Plans, Awesome referral program
Key Value Props
Nationwide 5G Coverage, Fully customizable plans, Budget-Friendly Family Plans, Awesome referral program
Design Strategy & Key Decisions
Decision 1: Using clarity as a competitive advantage
Decision 1: Using clarity as a competitive advantage
Telecom products are often overloaded with jargon and confusing pricing structures. I focused on simplifying how plans were presented, allowing users to understand, compare, and customize subscriptions without friction or guesswork. Clarity became a core differentiator.
Decision 2: Designing the website as the product
Decision 2: Designing the website as the product
Rather than treating the website as a marketing layer, it was designed as the primary product surface, where users could explore, configure, and purchase plans in one continuous flow. This reduced handoffs, shortened the path to purchase, and increased user confidence at the decision moment.
Decision 3: Validating early through testing
Decision 3: Validating early through testing
User testing informed both information hierarchy and interaction decisions, while unit-level validation ensured critical flows were reliable and predictable. This helped surface issues early and reduced risk before handover to development.
Design Strategy & Key Decisions
Decision 1: Using clarity as a competitive advantage
Telecom products are often overloaded with jargon and confusing pricing structures. I focused on simplifying how plans were presented, allowing users to understand, compare, and customize subscriptions without friction or guesswork. Clarity became a core differentiator.
Decision 2: Designing the website as the product
Rather than treating the website as a marketing layer, it was designed as the primary product surface, where users could explore, configure, and purchase plans in one continuous flow. This reduced handoffs, shortened the path to purchase, and increased user confidence at the decision moment.
Decision 3: Validating early through testing
User testing informed both information hierarchy and interaction decisions, while unit-level validation ensured critical flows were reliable and predictable. This helped surface issues early and reduced risk before handover to development.
Impact
The resulting platform positioned Tello as a credible alternative in a crowded market, supporting customer acquisition and subscription growth through a clear, conversion-focused experience.
Competitive, launch-ready consumer platform
Clear subscription customization and purchase flows
Strong foundation for future iteration and scaling
The resulting platform positioned Tello as a credible alternative in a crowded market, supporting customer acquisition and subscription growth through a clear, conversion-focused experience.
Competitive, launch-ready consumer platform
Clear subscription customization and purchase flows
Strong foundation for future iteration and scaling
From Strategy to Execution
Execution focused on supporting high-intent users while maintaining a clean, trustworthy brand presence.
Execution focused on supporting high-intent users while maintaining a clean, trustworthy brand presence.
Plan Customization & Purchase Flow Designed to make pricing and options transparent, enabling fast decision-making without overwhelming users. Brand Expression Developed a visual and interaction language that balanced approachability with reliability, helping the brand feel credible despite its startup stage. Prototyping & Handover Delivered low- and high-fidelity prototypes with clear specifications to ensure smooth implementation and design intent preservation.
From Strategy to Execution
Execution focused on supporting high-intent users while maintaining a clean, trustworthy brand presence.
Plan Customization & Purchase Flow Designed to make pricing and options transparent, enabling fast decision-making without overwhelming users. Brand Expression Developed a visual and interaction language that balanced approachability with reliability, helping the brand feel credible despite its startup stage. Prototyping & Handover Delivered low- and high-fidelity prototypes with clear specifications to ensure smooth implementation and design intent preservation.
Reflection
Tello reinforced how design can level the playing field in competitive markets. By focusing on clarity, trust, and end-to-end experience ownership. Startups can meet, and sometimes exceed, the standards set by much larger incumbents.
Tello reinforced how design can level the playing field in competitive markets. By focusing on clarity, trust, and end-to-end experience ownership. Startups can meet, and sometimes exceed, the standards set by much larger incumbents.
Reflection
Tello reinforced how design can level the playing field in competitive markets. By focusing on clarity, trust, and end-to-end experience ownership. Startups can meet, and sometimes exceed, the standards set by much larger incumbents.
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