An idea worth trying.
A business ready to grow.
A story-led service turning small-business inspiration into a practical next step: discover a possibility, compare what you already own and choose a setup with confidence.
The problem.
The opportunity.
Small-business owners want to test growth without risking the shop they already have. Soho connects an inspiring business story with the equipment, connectivity and confidence to try it.
From inspiration to a practical next step. Try the complete journey.
Make this idea yours.
Read the story, compare your setup and try a demo purchase. Return to the hub with your choices remembered.
Sample account and prices. Choices saved in this browser. No real purchase or payment.
From a story
to a decision.
Four owner questions shaped the experience: could this work for me, what can I reuse, what is missing, and what am I committing to?
Explore the journey and jobsShow less
The UX starts with a business decision, not a device. I connected the owner’s questions across the journey: could this work for me, what can I reuse, what is missing, and what would I actually be committing to?
The owner journey
Follow steps 01–08. At comparison, a check or no purchase is a valid route.
- 01Discover the hub
- 02Read the story
- 03Make this idea yours
- 04Compare my setup
- 05Choose equipment
- 06Review the commitment
- 07Confirm
- 08Return to the hub
At comparison: what happens next?
Coverage and compatibility confirmed → choose a setup → review the full cost → approve.
The current setup meets the goal → buy nothing → save the idea → return to the hub.
Coverage or reader compatibility is uncertain → ask the provider or adviser → resolve before purchase.
The jobs behind the screens
- 01
See a possibility
When I want to grow without risking my existing shop, help me see a realistic experiment I could try.
A relatable business story introduces the opportunity before the equipment.
- 02
Make it relevant
When a story inspires me, help me work out what would change for my business.
An editable brief captures the goal and existing kit before suggesting a route.
- 03
Understand the gap
When I already own some equipment, show what I can keep and what I still need.
Account services and customer-declared equipment stay distinct; costs show the difference.
- 04
Choose with confidence
When I am ready to decide, help me understand compatibility, cost and commitment.
Review, pause, ask for help or buy nothing; confirmation returns me to the hub.
I used the original journey and service logic to connect discovery, editorial, configuration, cost review, setup and return. In the reimagining, I made the questions between those stages explicit and translated them into screen states. The map includes the ordinary buying path and the decisions that interrupt it: a guest without account data, existing equipment, uncertain compatibility, unconfirmed coverage, no additional purchase and returning later. These are designed scenarios to validate, not findings from a completed user study.
Original context and contribution
The concept emerged around 2015–2016. Tatiana championed the idea; Neil Churchill led most of the work, with input from me and my team. Orange would publish relatable business success stories, inspiring readers to consider a similar move and obtain the enabling equipment and connectivity. This current exploration returns to that original idea. The fictional bakery editorial illustrates the model; it is not a historical customer testimonial. I rebuilt the hub, editorial, comparison, product selection and complete buying loop as an editable Figma system and working browser prototype.
The design
decisions.
Let the story lead. Compare what the customer already owns. Keep uncertainty visible before asking for a commitment.
Explore the design decisionsShow less
- 01
Let the story earn the next step
I kept the editorial separate from the catalogue. The owner first sees a business ambition they recognise; products enter when they can support that ambition.
- 02
Ask before personalising
“Make this idea yours” collects the goal and current setup. A proposed interpretation remains editable, so a generic story does not silently become a recommendation for someone else’s business.
- 03
Compare before selling
I separated sample account services from equipment the owner says they have. The review shows the existing bill, the additional monthly cost and upfront charges. Keeping the current setup and buying nothing is a valid outcome.
- 04
Make uncertainty change the journey
An unconfirmed signal or unsupported reader leads to a check or a human handover. The interface does not turn an unanswered question into a confident purchase recommendation.
- 05
Design beyond the sale
The journey includes saving, returning, confirmation and a route back to the hub. The prototype remembers a small amount of demo data so the story, decision and next visit remain connected.
Interpret the idea.
Keep the decision.
AI helps someone adapt an inspiring story to their own business. Verified information governs the offer; the customer makes the commitment.
Where, why and how AI fitsShow less
AI belongs at the point where someone thinks “could this work for me?” It can turn the story and a person’s stated goal into a draft experiment, ask for missing context and explain the options in plain language.
I kept interpretation separate from transaction authority. AI may help articulate a goal and explain a proposal; it must not invent the customer’s equipment, account services, coverage, compatibility or price. Verified records and explicit rules determine what can be offered. Unknowns remain visible and go to a provider or adviser for resolution. The owner can edit the brief, decline a suggestion and approve the final commitment. The working prototype represents this proposed AI behaviour with guided rules; it has no live AI or Orange account connection.
What this
shows.
The result is a connected product exploration: discover the hub, read the story, make the idea relevant to your business, compare your existing setup, choose a data SIM or tablet till, review the basket, complete a simulated order and return to the hub. Saved stories, choices and demo orders remain in the browser. The no-purchase route and unresolved compatibility states are part of the same design, rather than hidden exceptions.
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This is an independent 2026 reimagining, not a released Orange service or a claim of measured commercial uplift. The original concept belongs to the credited team. The bakery story, products, prices, account, checks and orders are illustrative. The prototype models the proposed AI interpretation with explicit rules; it does not call a live AI service or access an Orange account. It saves limited demo data locally and processes no payment.