Problem

Consumers need a way to complete financial transactions in a contactless, secure, and convenient way because they want to avoid hacking scams and pay with a simple tap of the screen.

We will know this to be true when we see app downloads increase and users actively engage with app by completing transactions and utilizing app functionalities.

Research Goals & Solution

1. Understand the scope of similar products available through competitor benchmarking

2. Learn of potential users pain points, habits, and wants through surveys and user interviews

3. Validate design solutions and iterate through usability testing

4. Discover which design & layouts perform better via A/B testing

Research as Integral Piece to Inform Design

Conducting research was a vital part across the product life and was a tool to validate design decisions with data and user feedback from start to finish.

Competitive Analysis + SWOT

I looked at PayPal and Google Pay to analyze their successes and pain points, understand their key objectives, overall strategy, and learn from their UX design patterns.

Both PayPal and Google Pay offer functionality expected from an e-wallet and strong competition. There are plenty of opportunities to learn from like home screen navigability, access in all countries, more robust search capabilities and an eye toward accessibility for a range of users.

Opportunities Defined

1. Encrypted login when opening app and prior to payment with reliable identity proofing: two factor ID, additional password optional

2. Easily view and search activity for financial tracking

3. Wallet content organized by category: credit cards, IDs, gift cards, memberships

4. Allow account access to more than one user; i.e. an adult monitoring a minor

Card Sorting

With a card sort I wanted to confirm an initial site map and glean new ideas and points of view on user-friendly IA. I recruited five participants who use or have used a digital wallet app in the last six months.

Findings

• Send/Receive and Profile categories were similar to competitor apps

• Wallet category produced varying responses. I needed to give a better descriptor to the category and cards, or I needed to rethink having a wallet section all together.

• Insights label was confusing because it was grouped with Goals into one label in the sitemap. I needed to rethink the Insights category label.

Usability Testing

I prepared a usability test plan with a series of open-ended questions and tasks aiming to validate design choices thus far: is the loop app easy to use for first-time users and all audiences? Can users complete basic tasks like adding a credit card?

User Personas

Next I defined my users based on research insights. The personas proved to be a vital part of designing a viable product and provided a framework from which to validate all design decisions.

Information Architecture

In order to visualize the layout of the app, I created a sitemap guided by the user flows that I thought would make the most sense for the user. I performed a card sorting activity with 10 participants to test my hypothesis.

From output to impact

• Understand scope of the market. With thorough competitor benchmarking I was able to identify opportunities that Loop could answer: encrypted login, better activity search capabilities, content organization, and access to more than one user per wallet.

• Validate design decisions. Research conducted in the right diamond of the design process helped solidify design choices and improve the overall user experience of the app.

• Identify specific niche within the marketplace. Though not included in the MVP, through user interviews I pinpointed an underserved market in the digital wallet space: parents/caregivers who want to give their teen/adult children financial independence while still being able to monitor their activity.

What’s next?

If I were to continue research and design on the app, I would conduct another round of usability testing. I would opt for unmoderated at this point to see how they flow through the app without any influence from a moderator.

I also would start discovery research on digital wallet apps for teens: benchmarking, interviews, and concept testing. This is the closest product to the special needs niche I identified in my initial research and could take Loop to a whole new market.

And just for fun, the final product. Take a look!

What went well?

I successfully listened to user feedback, honed in on what they were communicating, and succeeded at translating insights into design solutions.

Room for improvement

I would have liked to spend time doing some fly-on-the-wall observation of people using a digital wallet to see when they use the app, where they use it and in what context. This would have provided valuable data beyond interview responses.

What did you learn in the process?

Empathize.
UX is not about the final design. It is about the process of seeing a problem and working toward a solution, all while understanding, advocating for, and considering the user from end-to-end.

Testing is gold.
Testing reveals the worth of a design, no matter how awesome a design is. Moreover, data from testing is vital to product evolution and creating an MVP.

Never stop asking!
The best way to solve a problem is to dig deep to the root of a statement or sentiment. This rings true for learning: throughout this project I’ve learned the most by asking how, why, and when of users, my mentor and tutor, and other professionals in the field.

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