CASE STUDY
NEC x 711 Bank App
Pocket - a parental Financial Management App: Nurturing Financial Literacy While Tracking, Managing, and Transferring Money
In my role as the design lead, I spearheaded a dynamic team of 6 professionals to collaboratively develop a groundbreaking financial management application.
This venture was conducted in partnership with 7 Bank and ATM's, a subsidiary of the renowned 7-Eleven. Our mission was to craft a highly specialized app catering to parents, empowering them to seamlessly track, trace, manage, and transfer funds to their children. Beyond financial transactions, our application incorporated an educational dimension, dedicated to nurturing essential financial literacy skills.
1 Interaction Designer
2 UX Designers
2 Developers
Execs and Stakeholders
WHO I WORKED WITH
1 Project Manager
1 UX Researcher
1 UX Researcher
1 Junior Designer
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Market
The japanese government is seeking to double digital payments from 20% to 40% by 2025.
In 2019,the Japanese government started a unique program that offered points (discounts) for cashless payments.
Nanaco, seven eleven’s credit and point card ranks high as one of the most usable cards in everyday life. (1 Point reward for ever 100 yen spent)
With the increase in benefits and the use of cashless payments, parents are finding it difficult to manage and educate thir child on finances.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Target User
Advantages for digital payments to kids
Early exposure to the future
Convenience - By not carrying cash, parents don’t have to worry about losing money. They can also trace where their child is spending the money
Disadvantages for the child
Losing Value for Money - With digital payments, payments are virtual and quickly made thereby making it harder to educate kids about the value of money. (MasterCard Survey)
Importance of saving - Saving money for a child was made possible with the help of piggy backs but with digital payments, this teaching about saving is becoming more difficult.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
How might we track, trace and educate children in Japan about finances in a age of cashless payments?
THE GOAL
For parents - To provide an all inclusive mobile app to trace, manage, transfer money for their children whilst educating them.
For Children - To be able to easily receive, withdraw and have a transaction and withdrawal history.
ADDED VALUE
Introducing household chores which will enable parents to educate their children about earning and managing money
Children and parents can receive awards, coupons or points by saving, using the ATMs and uploading the transaction receipts
THE INITIAL PANIC
A tight 5 week deadline
As the deadline loomed over us, the process felt anything but natural. Doubts about its viability swirled in my mind. The looming question was whether we'd have time for essential iterations, compounded by the fact that I was leading the project and my team was gripped by panic, unsure of where to begin.
Action
I orchestrated a radical transformation of our design process, implementing the double diamond framework.
To tackle the chaos, I initiated a weekly to-do list, clearly outlining actionable tasks for both the client and my team. This approach provided much-needed structure.
Each team member was assigned distinct roles and deliverables, offering a clear roadmap for their contributions.
We embraced active communication and instituted daily stand-up and stand down meetings along with weekly retros ensuring that everyone was on the same page and reducing uncertainty.
Result
This proactive approach not only bolstered each team member's confidence but also steered the project in the right direction.
RESEARCH AND BRAINSTORM WORKSHOPS
White Paper research
My objective was to delve deep into the origins of the problem, decipher the motivations driving it, and explore the psychological aspects underpinning the goal.
FINDINGS
A striking 64.5% of Japanese consumers have predominantly embraced cashless payment methods.
The allure of accumulating reward points emerges as a primary driver for the adoption of cashless transactions.
Notably, age does not exhibit any significant bias among cashless payment users.
A substantial 67.3% of individuals with higher incomes actively encourage their children to embrace digital payments, citing the benefits of rewards and enhanced traceability as motivating factors.
RESEARCH AND BRAINSTORM WORKSHOPS
Generative Research
To gain valuable insights, I organised,
14 in-depth user interviews, engaging both parents and children in the process.
Employed direct observation methods to supplement our understanding.
FINDINGS
The findings from this research phase shed light on significant challenges and opportunities:
A striking 86% of parents expressed concern that their children do not fully appreciate the value of money.
Approximately 66% of parents reported the need to physically accompany their children when recharging their Suica (IC) cards.
An alarming 71% of the children interviewed had experienced the loss of their money.
A staggering 98% of respondents expressed their inability to track the expenses associated with their children's prepaid cards.
An overwhelming 83% of parents expressed a desire to recharge their children's prepaid cards online, indicating a significant unmet need.
Promisingly, 59% of the participants conveyed their willingness to use an app for this purpose, placing their trust in 7 Bank as a company
RESEARCH AND BRAINSTORM WORKSHOPS
Upon pinpointing the core problem, I initiated an extensive research phase encompassing both a global and local exploration of competitors. Simultaneously, collaborative brainstorming workshops were conducted with the team and the client to foster idea generation and refinement.
Objective:
To stimulate the generation of ideas and insights encompassing user expectations, marketing strategies, pain points, magic moments, and more.
Duration
120 Minutes
Facilitation
The entire team was organized into workgroups, each tasked with answering a set of five key questions, each with sub-categories. Simultaneously, these groups analyzed and addressed various challenges through a multifaceted approach.
Workshop Activities:
Research Synthesis: A vital session that aimed to discern key research themes by looking at the user interview videos, including core “customer jobs to be done" (e.g., sending money, checking balances, and reviewing transactions), as well as identify competitive white spaces and opportunity areas. It focused on what users desire and could benefit from by addressing unmet needs or pain points, with the potential for desirable outcomes or changes. Additionally, it sought to establish business synergy by addressing the question of why it would or would not be sensible for Pocket to embark on such initiatives.
Feature Prioritization: Building upon the themes identified in the synthesis workshop, we focused on selecting features that aligned with the best interests of customers and the business. We also considered the feasibility of implementation, aiming for low-hanging fruit and achievable goals.
Paper Card Sorting: From the wealth of insights we gathered, we astutely identified pain points as valuable opportunities, prompting us to employ this technique to meticulously architect the app's information structure.
Empathy Mapping: In our quest to grasp not only what users were articulating but also their underlying sentiments in the current context, we utilized this method to delve deeper into our target users' experiences. This process was instrumental in shaping comprehensive user personas.
User Interviews: Through extensive interviews with potential users, we unearthed the intricacies of their pain points, challenges, and the difficulties they encountered when monitoring their children's expenses.
Crazy 8's, This dynamic exercise was deployed to generate rapid, diverse ideas and potential solutions, involving cross-functional collaboration across product, engineering, and stakeholders.
User Journey Mapping: To craft a holistic understanding of the user experience, we applied this technique to map the app's flow for parents and children separately, skillfully identifying pain points and crafting corresponding solutions along their journey.
Competitor Audits: Conducting comprehensive audits on both global and local competitors, our team was strategically divided into two groups, each tasked with extensive research. This approach enabled us to discern commonalities, disparities, and glean invaluable insights into the successes and challenges faced by our competitors, all while assessing the effectiveness of design elements employed.
RESEARCH AND BRAINSTORM WORKSHOPS - USER PERSONAS
RESEARCH AND BRAINSTORM WORKSHOPS - USER JOURNEY, STORIES, PAIN POINTS AND SOLUTION
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Be simple and easy to use
As the parent will have to teach the child on how to use the app, it must be extremely easy and simple for a child to understand its interface.
The thought process behind each functionality would be to design it in such a way that even a child would understand it.
Focus on key tasks throughout
It’s crucial to be empathetic towards the user and narrow down the key tasks that the user would want to perform as soon as he lands opens the app.
We would focus on limited actionable items so the user will not get overwhelmed by the options on the screen.
To be
Reliable
Since it is an app that works by adding by syncing the bank account or Nanaco (pre-paid card), it needs to add value and requires trust from the user.
This will be achieved by building confidence in the user by showing value and power of the product.
WIREFRAMES
PROTOTYPE TESTING
It failed..
Upon speaking directly with the users, I found out:
Users want to quickly send money
They only want to see the recent expenses
The click of the pie chart was not intuitive
Unable to navigate through chores and receipts
Upon speaking with the developers, I found out:
Gamification was not feasible as it didn’t add have any value add in the long run
FINAL DESIGN
HOME
The screen's architecture is organized into five distinct sections, each employing card-based design, carefully tailored to accommodate various use cases.
Send Money and Account overview: In the top section, a color-coded approach is employed to differentiate between account types. The green signifies the admin or parent account, while the orange represents the children's accounts. To switch between these, a native iOS interaction using a flicking gesture was chosen, aligning with the typical user's mental model when using iOS devices.
Expense Report: Moving to the admin account section, the primary focus is on facilitating money transfers to other registered accounts, ensuring a streamlined experience. Meanwhile, the child's account section provides a comprehensive overview of transactions through an intuitive chart.
Transaction History: In the third section, users can swiftly access and review their most recent transactions. Usability testing guided us to present the three most recent transactions prominently. However, for flexibility, a button is included on the card to navigate to view all transactions.
Household chores and receipt view: Further down, as users scroll, they can conveniently view and manage added receipts and household chores, enhancing the app's utility.
Value Proposition tab bar: serves as the core navigation element, aligning with the app's value proposition to track, trace, send, and manage money, thus ensuring a user-centric experience.
The overall design emphasizes contrast, offering generous touch targets and clear signifiers, making the interface highly accessible.
TRANSACTION HISTORY
Within the second tab menu, we find the "Transaction History" section, comprising two distinct segments.
Weekly/Monthly/Daily Transaction View:The first segment grants access to a comprehensive transaction log, where users can explore all recorded transactions. Furthermore, these transactions offer the convenience of sorting based on daily, weekly, or monthly views. Additionally, by clicking on a transaction, parents can view an embedded photo of their child captured at the time of withdrawal, enhancing the overall experience.
Real time path tracing with photographic evidence: The second segment of the page introduces a valuable feature that displays the transaction path through geo-location tracking. This feature addresses a critical concern raised during our research – ensuring the safety of the child. By providing real-time location data, parents can track the progress of their child, alleviating a significant pain point discovered through our research efforts.
SENDING MONEY
The third tab in our app was a pivotal feature, focused on facilitating the seamless transfer of funds to various accounts, or what we refer to as - Pocket!
Guided by the design principle of efficiency, my goal was to enable users to send money with just three simple clicks. The process begins when the user selects the "Send" button, inputs the desired amount, and confirms the transaction with a final click on "Send."
To ensure a robust and user-friendly experience, I also accounted for various edge cases. For instance, if a user accidentally sends an incorrect amount, we implemented a feature allowing them to undo their action within a one-minute window.
Additionally, I designed different error screens to gracefully handle cases where a transaction fails, ensuring a smooth and informative experience for users in such situations.
CHATS
The fourth tab in our app is the "Chat" feature, maintaining a consistent design with the 7Bank app while incorporating the unique objectives of Pocket. Within this chat function, users can send and categorize receipts. The categorization system we developed was informed by extensive research, providing insights into users' spending habits.
Furthermore, as new receipts continue to populate the chat, I designed an album feature. This album serves as a repository for parents to effectively organize and gain deeper insights into their spending habits, fostering greater financial awareness and control.
HOUSEHOLD CHORES
Lastly, to meet the imperative of imparting a sense of value for money, I introduced the household chore feature within the app. Users can easily access this feature by tapping the "More" icon in the chat section. Here, they can assign household chores to their children, fostering essential lessons about money, hard work, and the importance of saving.
SUCCESS AS A DESIGN LEAD
Effective Team Leadership and Collaboration
Led a 6-member team
Established a streamlined design process for the team, fostering consistency and efficicy in the project.
Championed transparent and articulate communication practices, ensuring all team members were well-informed.
Orchestrated workshops bridging our company and the client to enhance alignment, communication, and collaborative effectiveness.
Played a pivotal role in project management, meticulously overseeing each phase to meet project timelines consistently.
Delivered mentorship and constructive feedback throughout all project phases, enhancing team performance and individual growth.
Strategically delivered a user-friendly MVP
Merged quantitative and qualitative research data to distill pivotal MVP features.
Navigated project uncertainties, adapting to changing requirements and pivots.
Crafted a compelling value proposition for the product to meet market and user expectations.
Executed judicious trade-offs, maintaining project alignment with defined goals and scope.
Overall
Success
Individual Achievement:
I delved into extensive research to gain a profound understanding of the Japanese market, our competitors, and effective money management, which subsequently facilitated innovative problem-solving.
Team Achievement:
Our workshops not only fostered a stronger sense of unity within the team but also unveiled diverse perspectives, propelling us forward toward our project's objectives.
Company Achievement:
NEC wholeheartedly embraced our project's approach and style, leading to the acquisition of another significant project, solidifying our company's success.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
My significant insights from this experience underscore the notion that small efforts can yield substantial results.
Small efforts translate into big results: Establishing a structured agenda hand-off before every meeting significantly contributed to enhanced team preparedness.
Different fidelity for different audiences: I've recognized the importance of tailoring the fidelity of deliverables to suit diverse audiences. For instance, I found it essential to create high-fidelity wireframes for top-level executives, allowing them to vividly envision the product's potential.
WHAT I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY NOW
Reflecting on this project, I realize that if I had more time or had the opportunity to revisit it, several adjustments would be in order.
Understand different behaviors: Notably, the pandemic drove a significant surge in digital payment usage, and I would prioritize delving deeper into user behaviors and pain points. Expanding the user pool for data collection is crucial since our current sample size was quite limited.
Explore gamification: I'd be eager to explore the integration of gamification into the app's design. Given the cultural significance of character representation in Japan, merging gamification with these beloved characters could be a powerful strategy, potentially making a considerable impact on children's learning and the development of their saving habits.
Conduct usability testing: despite delivering the final design, I regret not having conducted usability testing on the final deliverable. If I had the opportunity to redo this project, I would continuously run usability tests and A/B tests to assess various features and screens.
WCAG Adherence: Accessibility and adherence to WCAG standards would also be a primary focus, ensuring that the app is inclusive and user-friendly for all.