When TPG Telecom partnered with Knowable Me, they wanted to understand how customers with disability experienced their Vodafone retail stores. The brief was simple: find the friction and help turn it into design opportunities.
Across a series of interviews, store visits, and accessibility walk-throughs, we heard hundreds of small details that added up to a big story.
Some issues were practical — like counters that were too high for wheelchair users, or demo phones tethered out of reach. Others were environmental: reflective lighting that made screens hard to see, music masking staff voices for people with hearing aids, and store fittings that didn't allow for easy access.
Then there was the human side. Many team members wanted to help but weren't confident in how to start a conversation about access or assistance.
Knowable Me translated those findings into design recommendations and staff resources that could be implemented quickly. Together with TPG Telecom's Vodafone retail experience teams, we helped:
The new designs are easier to navigate, more comfortable to spend time in, and more welcoming for everyone — not just customers with disability.
Knowable Me members reported feeling seen and supported. Knowing that Vodafone is taking these steps creates brand recognition and loyalty. And Vodafone gained a scalable model for inclusive retail design that can inform future fit-outs and refurbishments.
Accessibility and inclusive experiences aren't an add-on. They're design principles that benefit everyone who walks through the door. When lived experience informs the details — counter heights, lighting, sound, and conversation — inclusion becomes something you can see, hear, and feel.
From feedback to furniture, this project proved that listening closely can transform how a brand shows up in the real world.
Kelly is the Managing Director of [Knowable.Me](http://knowable.me/), driving value creation and providing data and insights into the needs and preferences of people with disabilities.
Throughout her career, Kelly has held senior corporate roles in Complaints, Accessibility & Inclusion, Customer Experience, and Brand & Communications. Her blend of strategic thinking and human-centred design methodologies brings alignment of disparate groups to influence positive momentum and drive growth.
Kelly holds Chair and non-executive board roles and is a member of the Technology, Innovation & Value Creation Committee of Swinburne University. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Kelly identifies as “blind, with just enough vision to be dangerous” and is ably assisted by her guide dog, Zali.
This article is written by one of our brilliant community members. Their experiences, opinions and perspectives are uniquely their own — and that’s exactly why they matter. They don’t necessarily reflect the views of Knowable Me or our partners, but they do reflect real life. And we think sharing real life is how things change.
Knowable Me acknowledges that Australia contains hundreds of nations, spanning more than 65,000 years, and we live and work on land unceded by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.Their wisdom, story telling, and deep listening is a history we pay respect to in the way we conduct business.
