State Bank
Mobile App
👏Role
UX Researcher
Product Designer
⏳Project Duration
1 Week (Design Task)
🧑🏽💻Tool
Figma📝Outcomes
UX Research
UX/UI Design
Overview
State Bank, a new commercial bank in Nigeria that has been in operation for a year, recognizes the need to expand its services and cater to the demands of the digital age. In order to achieve this goal, the bank is planning to launch an online platform that will provide its customers with easy and fast access to its services, improve their trust in the bank, attract more potential customers, and better communicate the vision of the company to its customers. The online platform will serve as a virtual extension of the bank's physical presence, allowing customers to conveniently access its services from the comfort of their own homes or on-the-go.
The Problem
It recognizes the need to expand its services and cater to the demands of the digital age. The bank came to the realization on how much they are losing on by just being a brick and mortar bank and not fully utilizing a web based service.
Overburden on their physical offices and make their employees more efficient
Low volume of successful transactions they complete and make more money
Complaints from their customers
The Task
As the product designer for State Banking App, my tasks include:
Design a web-app that allows users to deposit money and send it out to others, a visualization that shows deposit and withdrawal history and users' access to print out and share transactions.
Design a simple flow that allows user to achieve their goals easily.
Communicate the bank's commitment and vision of reliable services through the design of the app.
😊 Goal
At the initial stage, the high level goals I had in mind were;
• Design a mobile app that is simple, intuitive, and functional, meeting the needs of its users.
• Motivate and improve users’ trust for Globacom Limited.
• Support their vision of being the best and biggest in Africa with this App.
What was the most effective way to reach a practical solution in 5 days?
My Approach
For this project, I will be developing the approach of the sprint model inspired by Jake Knapp's 'Design Sprint' book. I am using this model because it is a trusted and practical way to design solutions coupled with time constraints. But few modifications, as I am not presented with the ideal sprint resources or environment. Also, to approach the solving of this problem uniquely.
User Research
I needed to understand the potential/existing users, what kind of solution would meet their needs. I had to take a quick interview with them to get insights into their behaviour and mental model, so it could guide my decision making along the process.
I interviewed 5 people (both remotely and in-person) and had them take me through their experiences using a banking application . This helped me understand what an ideal banking app could be for users. The key message I got was;
Using a banking application isn't new to most users. They just want to be assured their information and money is protected and getting things done easily are what they care most about.
Thematic Analysis
I asked users to take me through their experiences using an online banking system - from logging in to signing out
Something struck me during those interviews, the repeatition of some words - Below is a mind map showing specific language and terms users used when they think of banking application. This better reflected the way the users think and talk in the actual interface.
Mind Map
Research Findings
100%
Mobile App
Participants uses mobile app for bank related transactions
80%
Transferring Money
Participants preferred sending money through their bank mobile app
80%
Minimalist Approach
Participants preferred a simple, interface that focuses important features
Competitive Analysis
During the interview, some users made references to the Kuda app and the Standard Chartered app . I started my market research by analyzing these apps using the SWCDUXO model . To stay within the scope of the brief, I only analyzed the apps with reference to the user cases presented.
Map & Target
To meet our long term goal, what has to be true? (in the context of the user stories given in the brief). I came up with few sprint questions and a journey map.
How might we make the sign up/ sign in seamless and fast?
How might we make the depositing and sending out of money be straight to the point and easily understandable (even to those that are less tech savvy)
At this point even though, I didn’t have a physical persona. I had a clear understanding of the targeted users goals, motivations and pain points.
Sketch & Decide
Once I decided the flow and the MVP, I was ready to start ideating and sketching up some solutions with the research have done so far at the back of my mind. To create a solution that users need, drafted different solutions then picked the best out of it.
Prototype
At this stage, I selected some of the sketches and converted them into high-fidelity prototypes. I realized that the interface needs to make people feel secure and trust the platform. This influenced my choice of colors and the layout of the application, maintaining a minimalistic look that is direct to the content.
Sign up & Log in
At this stage, I selected some of the sketches and converted them into high-fidelity prototypes. I realized that the interface needs to make people feel secure and trust the platform. This influenced my choice of colors and the layout of the application, maintaining a minimalistic look that is direct to the content.
Deposit & Transfer
As part of the core services of the bank, it was necessary the flow be straightforward and hassle-free. Also, the simplicity and reliability the bank portrays should be communicated in this flow and screens.
Next Step? Testing
To conduct user testing to see how users will complete a task once they were given some context. The goal was to identify pain points that could be improved upon the next iteration.
To evaluate the design I will narrate a scenario, then ask them to complete these tasks;
To evaluate the design I will narrate a scenario, then ask them to complete these tasks;
✍🏼 Tasks
- • Create an Account
- • Deposit money in your Account
- • Transfer money to anyone
- • View your transaction history
- • Print or share your transactions
📌 Product metrics
- • Successful task completion rate
- • Time-task completion
- • System usability score
- • Net promoter score
What Would I Have Done Differently?
Had more time to carry out more research to have a lot of data points to inform my design decisions Make the goals quantifiable, so it would be easier to track progress
x% volume increase in transactions
Number of active users in the physical space and what percentage do we want to attract online
Number of active users in the physical space and what percentage do we want to attract online
Explored a lot more with my ideation phase
