Roda

Implementing and tracking business strategy is hard. You want buy-in from stakeholders, you need to gather lots of data, you spend time putting together presentations and you usually wait 12 months to see any results.

Roda is a new SaaS platform that helps leaders create, track and deliver their business strategy in minutes. Whatever the goal; revenue growth, QA improvements, customer satisfaction or sustainability targets, Roda’s tools are designed to focus teams only on what is important for the objectives. 60 second weekly check-ins ensure that everyone involved stays up-to-date and accountable. Its elegant and instant presentation modes support everything from board meetings to town hall sessions.

 

The people and experience behind Roda

Founders Matt & Mark are seasoned strategists and change consultants for startup, enterprise and public sector teams. Over the years they recognised the need for better implementation of strategy, which led to adopting the Flywheel method for tracking and visualising progress. Their techniques, refined over the years, also focussed on transparency and accountability for team members, which provided better buy-in and engagement throughout. 

Roda approached Gravitywell with the challenge of turning their proven methodology into a new Software as a Service platform. Right from the start, we saw the potential were able to contribute to the vision and roadmap, but also with investment and strategy.

 

Close Relationship

With most startup projects, working closely and collaboratively is the key to rapid progress. Bringing the Flywheel concept to life on the screen required a shared vision and understanding that went beyond how it worked - we needed to be fully on board with why it worked as well. Roda and Gravitywell both have a similar attitude to workshops, that they’re always better in person, and these sessions were key to forming our ideas into a cohesive, approachable concept.

 

The Design Journey

We knew our biggest challenge was going to be bringing people onto the platform and getting them started on their Flywheels quickly and smoothly. Our UX design process focussed on techniques for educating users about the Flywheel concept and how they’d be using it as they build up their profiles and metrics to be measured. The end result was a flow that began with users entering their email addresses and ended with a complete Flywheel, ready to go.

The next step was testing - first with people familiar with the concept and then with users who had never thought about using a Flywheel before. Their feedback allowed us to revise and improve key user journeys, adding information and guidance at moments of uncertainty and streamlining parts of the process. It’s crucial to include user testing during the design stage in order to check assumptions and provide a fresh perspective on concepts that you’ve spent a lot of time developing in order to highlight blindspots in your thinking.

Brand

Designing a B2B brand can be a tricky balancing act. Roda needed to stand out without looking out of place in a corporate setting. It also needed to project an air of simplicity without appearing childish. A lot of business tools go for primary colours, bold lines, and simple shapes in an attempt to drive home how simple things are but it can often leave customers feeling patronised.

Our treatment of the Roda brand leant towards a more neutral palette, but through the use of meaningful colour choices we indicated the health of the flywheel or signposted calls to action. Slick, intentional animation creates a sense of momentum throughout the platform without being overbearing, and custom illustrations add playful touches to the onboarding process.

Then there was the Flywheel itself, which we knew would become an iconic centrepiece for the entire brand. However, we also recognise that it can be a daunting concept for first time users. We kept the design simple for launch to allow for it to evolve and grow over time, just like Roda itself. To help reinforce the brand, we repeat the circle motif throughout the platform.

 

The future

The Roda MVP launched to a handful of clients and is adding new customers to its roster every week. As the platform grows, we’re seeing demand for new features to allow users to link Flywheels together, expand the reach of their reporting, and incorporate AI analysis to provide deeper insights into their strategy.

Visit the Roda website and create your own business strategy flywheel.