| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Company | One Plus |
| Focus | U.S. Market Entry, DTC Commerce, Product Launch & Conversion |
| Role | Design Director |
Launching a Challenger Brand in the U.S.
OnePlus had established a loyal following overseas but entered the U.S. as an unfamiliar challenger competing against brands like Apple and Samsung. To grow beyond early adopters, the brand needed to build awareness, establish credibility, and give customers confidence to buy directly online.
I led product and experience strategy for the OnePlus 6T launch, translating the "Never Settle" brand promise into a premium DTC experience that connected product storytelling, education, commerce, and conversion.
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+86% First Day U.S. Sales
OnePlus 6T first-day U.S. sales increased 86% over the previous launch, demonstrating stronger demand as the brand expanded into the American market.
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+249% Higher U.S. Sales
The launch significantly outperformed the previous generation, with U.S. sales increasing 249%, helping OnePlus move beyond its early-adopter base.
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+36% Market Share
The launch strengthened OnePlus's position in the premium U.S. smartphone market, gaining meaningful share against established competitors.
| Scope | |
|---|---|
| Partners | OnePlus Marketing Team, Engineering, Agency Partners |
| Responsibilities | Product Strategy, Customer & Market Insight, Experience Strategy, DTC Commerce, Design Systems, Go-to-Market |
| Outcome | Established a responsive web platform that introduced OnePlus to U.S. consumers, strengthened brand awareness, supported flagship product launches, and created a scalable foundation for future campaigns and commerce experiences. |
Expanding Beyond Early Adopters
Entering the U.S. meant reaching customers who were less familiar with OnePlus and less willing to buy on specifications alone.
I helped define a digital strategy that introduced the brand, explained why its products were different, and gave new customers the information and confidence they needed to consider an unfamiliar premium device.
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3 Teams Aligned
Aligned Marketing, Engineering, and agency partners around a shared launch strategy spanning product storytelling, commerce, and conversion.
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3 Month Turn Around
Created and handed off the new DTC experience within a three-month turnaround, balancing speed with the quality expected of a premium consumer brand.
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$1.4B Global Revenue Context
The OnePlus launch supported a rapidly expanding global brand generating approximately $1.4 billion in annual revenue, making the U.S. market a significant growth opportunity.
Delivering Competitive Advantage
Competing against Apple and Samsung required more than matching features. OnePlus needed a compelling reason for unfamiliar U.S. customers to choose the brand.
I partnered with marketing, strategy, and content teams to translate "Never Settle" into an integrated product story built around performance, craftsmanship, and value, connecting brand differentiation directly to the path to purchase.
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Leadership
Cross-Functional Alignment
Design Systems
Product Launch Strategy
Agile Delivery
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Product
Product Strategy
Customer & Market Insight
Digital Commerce
Go-to-Market Strategy
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Experience
Responsive Commerce
Product Storytelling
Conversion Optimization
Interaction Design
Designing for Growth
Product launches moved quickly, so the experience needed to scale beyond a single campaign.
I created a modular design system that separated reusable product and commerce foundations from campaign-specific creative, allowing teams to assemble new landing pages and launches faster while maintaining a consistent customer experience.
Our framework aligned teams around form and function, ensuring every page tells a story.
Modular platform architecture could adapt as the business grew, giving internal teams the flexibility to launch new products faster without heavy engineering lift, preserving a consistent customer experience.
By separating foundational elements from campaign-specific creative, each page could map to the needs of the user and the business. The modular components accelerated development while maintaining a cohesive brand experience.
Driving Purchase Confidence
Buying an unfamiliar premium smartphone required customers to trust more than the specifications.
I designed the experience around the questions customers needed answered before switching brands, combining rich product storytelling, lifestyle context, feature education, reviews, and transparent purchase information to reduce uncertainty and build confidence.
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E-Commerce
Phone Configuration
Featured Products
Product Bundling
Guest Checkout
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Product Value
Hero Images
Feature Exploration
Reviews (Social Proof)
Tech Specs
Oxygen OS
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Brand Awareness
Community
Press Reviews
Referral Program
Student Discount
Trade In Program
CONVERSION OPTIMIZATIONConverting Confidence Into Sales
Once customers decided OnePlus was right for them, the purchase experience needed to make buying feel effortless.
I streamlined product configuration, guest checkout, bundles, recommendations, and financing pathways to reduce friction while creating relevant opportunities to increase order value.
Every step of the purchasing journey was designed to reduce friction.
The result was a commerce experience that matched the expectations of premium smartphone buyers while supporting the business goals of market expansion and revenue growth.
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Results
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+86% First-Day U.S. Sales
The OnePlus 6T launched with 86% higher first-day U.S. sales than the previous generation, demonstrating immediate improvement in demand.
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+249% Higher U.S. Sales
U.S. sales increased 249% compared with the previous launch, showing the brand's growing ability to reach customers beyond its original enthusiast base.
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+36% Market Share Growth
The launch strengthened OnePlus's position in the premium U.S. smartphone category and established the brand as a more credible competitor to entrenched market leaders.
