05. Fintech Native App Research and Design
KROO
Role: Research planning • Concept testing • Remote user testing • Guerrilla testing • Prototype design • Journey mapping • Competitor analysis • Guerilla testing • Wireframes
London, UK 2017
Fintech, Banking Visit Site
The Challenge
B-Social (now known as Kroo) is a banking app that easily connects people and their finances with their social activities.
The challenge was how to create a new fintech app in an already crowded market. To make the app stand out a lot of insight into financial behaviour and attitudes needed to take place.
Method & Process
I designed and conducted a series of qualitative experiments to understand customer mental models regarding attitudes to money. Over time I used the findings to determine key features of the app and validate (or pivot) stakeholder assumptions about customer needs.
During the discover phase I facilitated 2 streams of research, one to define the product and the other to align the product to customer needs. To better understand the stakeholder vision I held a collaborative workshop where each participant could visualise how they imagined the product from this I generated themes which were later tested with users.
The customer workshops were more interactive. They involved exercises where participants had to discuss things their social sphere and who they trust or depend on financially. The other activity was a game where groups had to budget and prioritise based on order of importance.
Finances and trust activity
Completed activity
Budgeting and prioritisation activity
Sketches from workshop
All the workshop sketches!
Illustrating the user journey
First iteration
After analysis of all the workshop materials I began sketching the user experience starting with flows. This was followed by screens then prototypes, once I had all the assets I was able to test to gather further insights from potential customers, but this time with detailed mock ups.
At the end of the discovery phase we were able to test and learn rather quickly which resulted in a semi-functional prototype with working code. Eventually we ended up with a solid proposition that was ready to launch into a round of beta testing in the Apple Store.
Image: Work in progress Sketch file
Learnings
The clients were happy that their unique proposition had been thoroughly tested from concept phase to prototype, they were confident to proceed with the next round of app development.
Personally I discovered a more emotional side to gathering user insight, finances are very personal to the individual and sometimes require a new creative research method to facilitate the conversation.