Bay Area, California
2023
Year
Banking
Becomes
Seamless!
Discover Bank
Overview
Discover's financial app claims to create an intuitive
interface where users can easily manage funds, track
expenses, and set savings goals.
UI Overhaul
Service
Sole UI Designer
Role
Challenge
Several users have pointed out technical issues and the absence of advanced financial planning features, along with the app's restrictive compatibility with third-party services.
Account Management
Incorporate intuitive and
engaging navigation on
the profile settings page
Needs more personalized
information and account
insights on the landing
page
Available Balance
lacks comprehensive
savings and monthly
spending limit features.
Online Savings
Current Design
Develop a mobile banking application that is user-centric and accessible, providing a seamless and personalized experience for all users.
Proposed Solution & Opportunities
It was important to me to emphasize user accessibility in my research and design process, while answering the question "What can we do to speed up the process for the user?"
My Approach
Capital One’s Banking App is on first glance a
coherent and decently designed platform
just like Discover's app
While the app is more coherent, it's functions
are outdated in comparison to other
financial apps out there.
Initial research from user feedback suggests sub par user experience when using the Discover Bank’s app. With issues ranging from the confusing navigation to overall inconsistencies in design and lack of personalization based on users spending and saving habits. These problems make for a disjointed experience for the users while simultaneously impacting the user engagement on the Discover Banking mobile app and highlight the need for a redesign.
Initial Findings
Background Research & Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
revealed outdated
navigation to be the
norm in the space.
The American Express mobile app is one of the most user
friendly mobile banking platforms. The UI on the platform
is visually appealing in comparison to other online
Banking experiences.
While the app is user friendly, there are occasional
bugs and in-app issues
My Questions:
How Frequently do you use a mobile banking app?
What are the primary tasks you perform using the apps?
What are your biggest pain points while using these apps?
How do you rate the ease of navigation within the app
What would you like to see improved on the mobile app?
A critical element in my investigative process proved to be
carrying out dialogues with individuals from varied walks
of life to deepen my understanding of their banking
routines and desired features in a banking application.
Asking a range of everyday
banking users for insight.
User Interviews
Personas
I developed User Personas based on my research
and interview findings in order to better visualize
various types of users and their motivations while
utilizing a mobile banking app.
Dave
Male | 34 | Graphic Designer
User Task
To be able to have immediate access to
an overview of my savings on entry
into the Discover app.
User Goal
I have a goal of buying a new drawing tablet
for my office setup that I’ve been saving
towards.
Temi
Female | 25 | Nurse
User Task
To have the ability to set monthly spending
goals and limits on the Discover app.
User Goal
I want to be able to refurbish my kitchen
without breaking the bank!
Provide a seamless and personalized experience for all users.
Design Goal
Transfer out points
and rewards
Implement a spending tracking system
Track Points and
rewards progression
Offer Date sensitive
goal management
Initial Ideation
Visualizing the re-design
through sketching and
low fidelity wireframes.
I consider sketching to be one of the most important
steps in my design process as it allows for early
visual feedback and allows for early adjustment in the
designs.
I also find low fidelity wireframes to be very helpful
with sizing and placement of the design assets.
Key Findings
Navigation
New Features
The Users generally found the
new in-app navigation to be
seamless and smooth with no
noticeable bugs.
During the tests users liked the
interactive nature of the
savings and goal setting
features implemented in the
design iterations.
Some users suggested to
improve font legibility and
contrast to make the
features more readable.
The users were also excited
about the ability to track and
transfer amassed points.
Gaining deeper insight
through conducting
User Interviews.
The users play an integral role in the iteration process of the app
re-design; This process helps to point out any potential flaws
before making any design commitments. The testers were
selected from a wide age range in order to gain differing
perspectives on how to make the platform more usable.
Community Feedback
Banking Simplified:
Your finances, Redefined!
Final Design
Once I nailed down a solid design framework, I used feedback from
multiple testing rounds to start shaping the final look. I kept
tweaking and refining through iterative prototyping, making sure to
prioritize accessibility for all types of users. Plus, I adjusted the
color scheme to tie everything together nicely, aiming for a more
unified and clear interface.
