Case Study
Orbit Pay
In today's digital age, managing finances should be seamless and intuitive. For my Career Foundry UX project, I aimed to create a comprehensive solution that allows users to track their finances, send money to others, and pay for goods and services through a single app. The challenge was to design a user-friendly, efficient financial management tool that modernizes traditional financial tracking and transaction methods.
Problem Statement
Many users still rely on traditional methods for managing finances and transferring money, which can be cumbersome and inefficient. The goal was to develop a digital solution that simplifies these processes and enhances user experience.
ROLE
Lead Designer
DURATION
TOOLS
Adobe XD
Photoshop
Illustrator
3 Months
DESIGN PROCESS
Research
To understand the challenges users face with financial tracking and transactions, I conducted extensive research comprising user surveys and interviews.
research goals
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Analyze user demographics, including age and gender, to understand the target audience.
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Identify user needs and behaviors related to mobile payment apps through detailed research
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Investigate why users require mobile payment apps and what features they desire or need improvement.
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Pinpoint pain points and frustrations users experience when using mobile payment apps.
Survey Key Insights
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Mobile payment apps are primarily used by Millennials and Gen Z.
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They are preferred due to their convenience over carrying cash.
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Venmo is the most widely used app, followed by PayPal, Zelle, and Apple Pay.
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Users prefer using mobile payment apps to split bills conveniently.
User interviews
Using the insights gained from the survey, I crafted an informed interview script and conducted three in-person interviews from varied backgrounds.
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"I would like an app where I can manage my finances and stocks in one place, instead of using multiple apps to manage all of my stuff."
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"I have way too many credit cards and gift cards; it would be nice to have just one spot where I can manage all of them at once."
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"I just got my first job a couple of weeks ago. It would be nice to have one spot to manage all my finances and make things simple for me."
Interview Key Insights
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Users prefer apps that are intuitive and easy to navigate with minimal effort.
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Managing finances efficiently is crucial, especially when multiple apps are needed for different features.
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Security is a major concern due to the use of multiple mobile payment apps.
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Many users carry little to no cash because visiting banks and ATMs has become inconvenient.
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Users desire a single app to manage their stocks, finances, and various cards such as credit and gift cards.
user personas
Using insights from user research, I created user personas representing different age groups and lifestyles. This approach allowed me to focus on users' needs, goals, and behaviors while ensuring inclusivity across the target audience.
Cindy
A 26-year-old single female photographer living in Oakland, CA.
About
Cindy is from a small town in the Midwest and moved to California to attend school. She graduated with a Bachelor's in photography and worked as an in-house photographer for a fashion magazine. After a few years, she decided to leave her position and pursue opening her own photography studio.
For the past couple of months, she has been freelancing for magazines and fashion blogs, requiring her to travel all over the state. Being her own boss gives her the freedom to travel, but she quickly realized she needs the assurance of instant payments. She relies heavily on mobile payment apps but finds the many options overwhelming, forcing her to download multiple apps to ensure she gets paid on time.
MOTIVATIONS
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Always staying diligent for the next job opportunity
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Studying finance blogs to keep track of all her finances
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Staying on track with the latest trends to better relate to her clients.
NEEDS & GOALS
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She needs a way to fully track all her spending and finances all on one app.
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She needs a reliable app that she can trust in order to be able to get paid for her services.
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She needs to be able to use an app to pay at the all the places she shops at.
FRUSTRATIONS
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She constantly has to download new apps in order to recieve payment.
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The more apps she downloads the more susceptible she is of someone trying to access her accounts.
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She constantly has to ask which apps are people using in order to send and recieve money.
Ryan
A 29-year-old single male personal trainer living in Petaluma, CA.
About
Ryan is from Petaluma, California, where he studied sports medicine in college and worked as a sports trainer at his school. After a few years, he decided he wanted to open his own gym for sports training.
To save enough money for his gym, Ryan is currently working as a personal trainer in the Bay Area. His job requires frequent travel and a busy schedule, making bank visits inconvenient for deposits. To ensure timely payments, Ryan uses multiple mobile payment apps to bill his clients, as it is the most convenient way for him to get paid.
MOTIVATIONS
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He has a goal in mind and strives everyday to be one step closer to achieving his goal.
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He is quick to adapt to any situation and has no problem finding solutions.
NEEDS & GOALS
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He needs a better way to track his spending to bill his clients accordingly.
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He is very methodical in his planning and is always finding ways to be one step closer to his goals.
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He needs an easier way to bill his clients instead of using various mobile payment apps.
FRUSTRATIONS
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Constantly traveling is an annoyance because the bank is often out of the way for depositing payments.
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Some clients are not tech-savvy and forget their wallets, causing missed payments.
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Mobile payment apps are inconvenient because he must download multiple apps to ensure he gets paid.
wire framing
Using insights from user personas representing different age groups and lifestyles, I began sketching out possible solution ideas for each user journey. This approach allowed me to focus on addressing specific needs, goals, and behaviors while ensuring the solutions were inclusive and effective for the target audience.
Low fidelity wireframes
At this stage, I began sketching possible solution ideas for each user persona's journey. This allowed me to visualize and address the specific needs and pain points of different user groups.
mid fidelity wireframes
At this stage, I transitioned from sketches to mid-fidelity wireframes, refining initial concepts and adding more detail to the design. These wireframes provided a clearer visual structure and layout, allowing for better usability testing and feedback collection.
Testing
To evaluate the usability of my product, I conducted tests with six participants: one in-person and five remote. Using a medium-fidelity prototype, participants were asked to complete four scenario tasks within the application: find recent activities, send a request for payment, add a new card to the account, and find and save a new deal.
During the usability tests, I utilized the Lewis After-Scenario Questionnaire Satisfaction Metric to gauge ease of use and satisfaction for each task scenario. I documented all feedback in a rainbow spreadsheet and applied Jakob Nielsen's 0-4 severity rating system to assess the errors based on frequency, impact, and persistence. This approach allowed me to prioritize tasks that needed immediate iteration over those that were merely cosmetic issues.
Issue 1 - High Priority
Transactions Page is hard to find
Suggested Change
Make the transactions page easier to find on
the wallet screen
Evidence
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All the test subjects were accessing the transactions screen from the menu screen first instead of clicking on the View tab next to their bank account.
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Once the transactions were located, there was no transaction dates or transactions type to distinguish sending or receiving payments.
Before
After
Before
After
Issue 2 - Medium Priority
Reorder Bottom Navigation Menu
Suggested Change
Reorder the bottom navigation menu buttons to the most used screens
Evidence
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4 out of 6 test subjects suggested reordering the menu buttons based on the most used pages
Refine
To finalize the product, I refined the design process by meticulously designing high-fidelity wireframes while adhering to the Material Design Guidelines. Bold colors and clean typefaces were strategically chosen to evoke feelings of productivity, friendliness, and ease of use. This guided the visual and functional aspects of the design, ensuring a cohesive and user-friendly final product. The iterative design refinement based on usability feedback helped in addressing user needs and enhancing the overall user experience.
Refinement
log in screen
“Looks nice. But the login button is not prominent. Maybe you should make it of a different color or apply shadow.”
To improve contrast, I removed the white lines and titles, replacing them with text boxes to clearly indicate where users should tap to enter their information. Additionally, I made the sign-up button more distinctive and readable to guide users on where to press to continue.
Before
After
Before
After
Refinement
HOME/WALLET SCREEN
“I think your left margin is larger than the right. It looks like everything is shifted to the right.”
I decided to even out the margins, ensuring equal space on both sides. Additionally, I increased the size of the “Hello John” text to make it more prominent.
high fidelity prototype
The finalized high-fidelity prototype incorporates comprehensive feedback and design refinements. Key features include balanced margins for visual harmony, prominent and readable headings, and intuitive text boxes to guide user input. This polished prototype effectively addresses user needs and improves overall functionality.
Key Takeaways & Next Steps
Planning goes a long way
While working on this project, I found it critical to plan ahead for usability tests and user interviews. I managed my personal schedule by setting strict deadlines for assignments to ensure timely completion. This disciplined approach allowed me to stay on track and efficiently meet project goals.
Assessing accessibility
I aim to test my design to see how well it caters to a diverse user base, particularly in enabling app payments at restaurants and local shops as an alternative to Square and other payment systems. My goal is to explore various options to enhance the user experience and ensure the app meets the needs of a wide range of people.