Telefónica Germany

Digital Transformation

Telefónica Germany is the largest mobile provider in terms of customer base. Enabling people to use the achievements of digitalisation at any time and in any place. In so doing, they are accelerating their digital transformation.

This case study highlights how a fragmented, siloed programme was transformed into a smooth, scalable delivery framework through the introduction of a Design System (DS) and cross-functional collaboration. The programme initially faced several hurdles, including misaligned workflows, outdated legacy systems and no centralised tracking or coordination.

With UX and development starting 10 months before UI and the DS, the team struggled with inconsistent feature implementations and delivery gaps. To tackle these challenges, the programme took a structured approach to bridge these gaps, establish scalable processes and ensure high-quality delivery across multiple brands.

What we needed to do

  • Introduce a White Label Design System and branded libraries

  • Close gaps between UX, UI and Development

  • Standardise programme management

  • Accelerate delivery of additional brands

What was achieved

  • Unified delivery framework

  • Improved collaboration and efficiency

  • Standardised management practices

  • Successful MVP rollout for White Label DS and the first brand

“Closing gaps and scaling with a smarter design and delivery strategy”

Operational and structural challenges

We identified key areas where we needed to align business and operational goals:

Siloed Teams

Teams operated independently without a 360 view on delivery. This autonomy resulted in:

  • Lack of alignment between UX, UI and development

  • Inconsistent feature implementations with developers interpreting product designs independently from wireframes

Design System

Although the DS was intended to accelerate delivery, it was introduced simultaneously with UI branded delivery of the MVP. This created:

  • Delivery gaps for UI with no DS available

  • Misalignment with the programme’s multi-brand delivery goals

Legacy Systems

Each of the 14 brands had custom user journeys, designs and source code that was neither reusable nor scalable. Business and implementation strategy needed adjustment:

  • Expand the program scope to deliver new infrastructure and design

  • Align business expectation to realistic delivery framework

Staggered Timelines

UX and development started 10 months ahead of the UI and Design System involvement leading to disjointed work flows:

  • Development relied on brand-agnostic wireframes producing functional outputs without brand alignment, UI and DS considerations

  • Along with no centralised tracking tool (e.g., Jira) exacerbated misalignment and delivery challenges

How we went about it

The wider cross functional team was tasked with transforming the siloed and misaligned workflows into a unified and scalable delivery framework. Specific goals included:

Introduce a Design System

  • Create a scalable White Label DS capable of supporting all brands and variants

  • Token-driven DS allows library switches to create the foundation for each upcoming brand

  • DS documentation allowed both development and design to extract necessary information

Close Gaps Between UX, UI and Development

  • Planned and documented timeline of delivery strategy fostering a collaborative approach across all three teams

  • Establish clear deliverables for sprints within a scrum team

  • Synchronise White Label brand with ongoing development allowing faster delivery of additional brands

Standardise programme management:

  • Implement Jira for tracking and visibility

  • Define a structured implementation strategy for MVP and subsequent brands

Deliver MVP

  • MVP delivered a hybrid solution blending White Label UX, WIP DS and custom brand elements

  • MVP user journeys where used as the foundation for high-fidelity White Label UX based on the ONE DS

Cross-functional alignment

To tackle the challenges we identified, we took a phased, structured approach and made incremental adjustments along the way to keep everything in sync across teams. By working closely with the DS and Brand teams, we were able to refine the high-fidelity designs, making sure they were aligned with both the brand and DS early on. This not only helped us deliver the MVP successfully but also allowed for continuous improvements, speeding up the overall delivery of work.

UI framework and implementation

  • Centralised DS libraries and user journeys to ensure reusable patterns for all brands

  • Delivered MVP as a hybrid solution followed by additional brands based on White Label DS

  • Embedded UI and DS work into scrum teams

  • Used Jira to standardise the tracking and management design deliverables

Design System implementation

  • Blueprint Brand to cover the maximum number of user journeys, components, patterns and variants enabling brand functionality selections

  • Token-driven design enabling multi-brand implementation with CSS alone

  • Standardised naming conventions ensuring language across UX, UI and front-end teams

  • Collaborative process with brand to define DS libraries

Workflow alignment

  • Defined work streams for UX and UI to manage deliverables effectively

  • Cross-Disciplinary Scrum Teams (XDS) to foster collaboration between UX, UI and development teams

  • Synchronising timelines and establishing a cohesive delivery framework 

What was achieved

Unified delivery framework

  • Scalable and reusable foundation: The White Label Superset Screen Library and DS replaced the fragmented legacy systems and designs, offering a more streamlined and adaptable solution for all brands.

  • Efficient brand customisation: Token-driven design allowed for easy, brand-specific customisations improving both speed and brand alignment.

  • Enhanced consistency: The DS ensured uniformity across different brands, reducing errors and promoting a cohesive user experience

Improved collaboration and efficiency

  • Aligned deliverables with timelines: Integrating UX and UI workflows ensured that deliverables were aligned with realistic timelines, keeping the project on track.

  • Streamlined approvals: Cross-team collaboration improved communication and sped up the approval process, accelerating alignment and delivery.

  • Unified product design function: By integrating UX and UI into the XDS team, we blurred the lines between the two, evolving the role into a more cohesive and efficient Product Design function.

Standardised management practices

  • Clear tracking and accountability: Jira allowed teams to easily track tasks and progress, ensuring accountability and clear visibility across all work streams.

  • Improved collaboration: With transparent task management, teams could quickly identify dependencies, address roadblocks and keep work aligned across stakeholders and teams.

  • Real-time reporting: Stakeholders gained up-to-date insights into project status, enabling faster decision-making and timely adjustments early on.