Redesigning Bell’s Wi-Fi Check-Up Tool for Better Usability and Engagement

April 1, 2025
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UX Research

Design Management | UX Research Strategy | Content Strategy

At Bell Canada, I led the UX research and Design team, which was formed from two separate groups: one specializing in design thinking and another focused on UX for internal products. One of the first challenges we tackled was evaluating and improving Bell’s Wi-Fi Check-Up Tool, which had been launched to reduce customer support calls related to Wi-Fi issues.

The tool was designed to analyze home Wi-Fi performance and provide recommendations, but it had been developed by in-house Wi-Fi experts without user research. As a result, it faced major usability issues and failed to significantly reduce call volumes.

Key Issues with the Initial Design

  • Poor Accessibility: The tool relied on red and green colour indicators without shape differences, making it inaccessible for colour-blind users.
  • Confusing UI: Users were overwhelmed with a long list of "disconnected" devices upon opening the tool, making it feel like a "bad news story."
  • Terminology Problems: Many users did not distinguish between Wi-Fi and internet, leading to confusion when troubleshooting issues.
  • Perceived Upselling: Many solutions led to purchasing Bell Pods (Wi-Fi extenders), which frustrated users who felt they were being upsold instead of helped.
  • Technical Language Barrier: Wi-Fi specialists wanted the tool to be as technically accurate as possible, but this created a disconnect with non-technical users.

Research Approach

To understand user frustrations and redesign the tool effectively, we conducted:

  • Moderated usability interviews with a mix of tech-savvy and non-tech-savvy Bell customers.
  • Surveys sent to a broad user base to assess terminology confusion and expectations.
  • User testing via UserTesting.com and Bell’s research community, with all findings consolidated in Miro for team analysis.

A key part of our work was educating leadership on the value of UX research, showing them that usability heuristics had been ignored. Leadership was initially hesitant to invest further in the tool, but what convinced them was seeing the emotional impact—users felt overwhelmed by negative messaging. We proposed repositioning the tool from "reporting problems" to "offering solutions and opportunities," which was a turning point in securing buy-in.

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Key Changes Implemented

  1. Simplified UI and navigation for better clarity.
  2. A clear summary page to highlight what’s working and what’s not, instead of an overwhelming error list.
  3. Better content strategy to define Wi-Fi vs. internet terminology and avoid upsell frustration.
  4. Improved accessibility by adding shape variations to status indicators.

Results & Impact

  • Projected 15% increase in user acceptance of the tool.
  • 20% of users redirected to more helpful Bell tools based on their actual issues.
  • Improved internal processes—our UX team was moved under the Strategy Director to be involved earlier in projects.
  • Creation of a UX research database for ongoing product strategy and roadmapping.

Lessons Learned

  1. Early UX research is critical—waiting until after launch results in costly redesigns.
  2. User-centered language matters—technical accuracy should not come at the cost of usability.
  3. Leadership buy-in requires storytelling—showing emotional impact was more persuasive than just presenting data.

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Company
Bell Canada

Year
2021-2024

Role
Senior Manager, UX Research and Design

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