Banking App

The mobile app features several login methods. Standard username and password fields are the most popular and therefore the prominent fields featured on the login screen. Users can also choose to enable Touch ID if they’d like to login using their fingerprint, or they can use a passcode if they’d like to set up and use a unique string of numbers. Both of these methods improve the security of the login process. The login screen allows users who want to bypass this step in the future to be “remembered” by the app through a toggle control. The login screen also accommodates users who have forgotten their password or are first-time users.

After studying popular user-flows of the earlier versions of the app, I discovered the two most common use-cases for our deposit accounts, were users trying to make a “quick transfer” or to “view activity” on their account. For loan accounts, users wanted to either “make a payment” or to “view payments” to ensure their loans were up to date. In both cases, we added a slidable card for every account that revealed these two options from the main Account Overview page. In the first quarter of the app update, we noticed issues submitted to our support line reduced by over 10% for these four common tasks, likely due to the improved visibility.

The old messaging system directed people to forms that were emailed, making it difficult to add information or context to an existing query. We redesigned the chat functionality to feel familiar, like the texting and messaging apps our users were already familiar with. We also wanted to integrate photos and names of the Seattle Credit Union member service representatives to add a human element to the product. This also aids when members have follow-up questions and want to know who helped them with their request the last time.

A picture is worth a thousand words. That’s especially true for screenshots when trying to explain a sometimes complicated error or inquiry. The message field also gives users the ability to upload screenshots which greatly reduced the time it takes member representatives to properly assess the user’s issue and offer a resolution.

From the user interviews, we conducted and the user flows we could see from our analytics, it was clear that we had some information architecture issues, mostly stemming from the fact that new products and features were added to legacy app navigation that didn’t really align. We took all of the different pages of the app and grouped them as different tasks a user would want to perform. We then sent out links to our test group of users and asked them to sort these into appropriate categories using OptimalSort, a web-based card sorting tool. We started with an open card sort, allowing the user to submit their own ideas for categories. After we had over 30 responses, we then reconfigured the card sort to utilize the most common categories from the submissions and ran a new closed card sort on a separate group of test users. Ultimately, we were able to identify patterns in the way users sorted the content and redesigned the navigation to match this language. We also added icons next to each item to make it easier to skim and remember.

Seattle Credit Union offers a suite of different payment card products. The way these were managed within the app, left a lot of users confused though, as all of these functions linked off to a separate site. In the redesign, we aimed to consolidate this functionality into the main app, while also giving the users controls to do their most common tasks like finding their card information, finding payment status, making payments, copying their card information for easier web-based shopping, and also gave access to lock a card or request a replacement card all through the same screen.

In an effort to carry out the mission of the credit union of empowering members to achieve financial prosperity, I designed a series of KPI visualizations to inform the user about their spending and promote good personal finance habits. The personal finance manager gives the user the ability to break out their spending to weekly, monthly, or yearly levels of scope, and assess the categories in which they’re spending. In user feedback, most users said they used tools like Mint or even personal spreadsheets to manage this if this did it at all. Our goal was to give our product even more value, by putting these finance tool right where they already are.

Based on our product data, when “digital wallets” first rolled out it was a very low-demand feature from our users. However, with the increased promotion by companies like Apple, Android, and Samsung, we started seeing matching demand for requests to support their various payment systems. In the design, we aimed to give users the ability to see at a glance which Digital Wallets were associated with their accounts, the devices that were authorized to spend from their account, when the connection was established, and of course turn that connection on or off. Similarly, we wanted to give users a similar set of information and control for their recurring payments associated with each account. I designed these controls to feel familiar and straight to the point, giving the user the information and ability to edit all from the same screen.

A user frustration that was uncovered when interviewing users and reviewing support tickets and analytics was that the older version of the application allowed a user to deposit a check without informing them of the proper way to endorse the check for acceptance. This resulted in checks looking like they were accepted only to be rejected hours later. This was an easy-to-understand pain point and we aimed to fix it through the UI by informing the user of the proper way to endorse the check, at the time of taking the photo. After implementing this change with the app launch, the number of support tickets and calls relating to this issue virtually been eliminated and the rate of successful deposit is in the high nineties.

I was also able to reduce some fields and additional pieces of information to give the screens in this flow a more simplified hierarchy of information. We also added a “sweet” success confirmation, to reward the user for accomplishing the task at hand. Moments of surprise and delight help give the product more personality, which in turn builds trust and affinity from the user.