SmartPays
Cause being smart pays off
SmartPays app allows users to pay and manage all their credit cards from one
place. By replacing physical cards, Smartpays can be used in-store and
online and provide tools to manage card expenses and payments easily
and intuitively.
Role: UX/UI designer
Type: Conceptual project
Timeline: Feb-Aug 2021
-01-
Discover
How do Americans pay?
Nearly 200 million adults in the US have a credit card, a charge card or both
(the U.S. Census Bureau)
(the U.S. Census Bureau)
More and more Americans are going cash-free.
(According to a survey conducted in August 2020 by Travis Credit Union)
(According to a survey conducted in August 2020 by Travis Credit Union)
How many credit cards do they own?
In 2020 Q3 the average credit card number for the different age groups was:
Generation X (ages 40-55) – carried 4.23 cards on average.
The silent generation (75 and up) – carried 3.64 cards, on average.
Millennials (24-39) – carried on average 3.18 cards, on average.
Generation Z (18-23) – carried 1.91 cards, on average.
So, how do they use and manage all those credit cards?
As a new immigrant, I was lost in the American banking system with no understanding of how the credit card system works. To better understand how other people manage all their credit cards I conducted interviews and surveys and gained a deep understanding of my potential users' credit cards useage as well as their needs and pain points.
Affinity map from the user interviews
Research Summary
Early insights
Following my user interviews and survey, I came to the following conclusions about the motivation and motives of my potential users when paying and managing their credit cards:
They are Looking for the card with the best benefits to pay with.
The main reason my users choose a specific credit card is by its benefits such as discounts, points, or cashback.
They find it hard to follow up on all their credit card offers
Most of my users don't follow up on special offers but are familiar with the main benefit of their credit cards.
They prefer to pay with their credit cards over cash
My users will always prefer to pay with their credit cards than with cash or their bank account because they receive those benefits.
They follow up on their credit score
All my interviewees are following their credit score and are aware of its importance. Some of them are doing active measures to improve it like paying a few times a month or adding credit cards.
Each has developed a unique method to maintain a good credit score
Although all my interviewees are doing active measures to improve their credit score, they each have s a different method that they believe helps them keep a good credit score.
-02-
Define
Personas
Getting to know my potential users
Based on the findings from my user research, I created three personas: Jason, Daniel, and Kate. These personas were created in order to focus on the specific needs and frustrations that should be addressed.
Revisiting the problem
With my personas embodying interview data, I revisited the problem to see if my proposed solution aligned with my target audiences’ needs.
The Problem statement
Smartpays users need a way to pay and manage their credit cards from one place because it is challenging to follow up on benefits, expenses, and payments when owning multiple credit cards.
The Hypothesis
By creating an app to pay and manage all the credit cards from one place, we will see users paying from the app instead of their physical cards and using the app's suggestions to optimize their credit card usage.
-03-
Ideate
Task flow
What tasks will my users perform with my app?
Sitemap
The art of organizing
Sitemap and iteration process
Smartpays sitemap is the skeleton of my web app and was updated according to users’ feedback, and design development.
By conducting a hybrid card sort I learned how intuitive and clear my topics are and updated the structure and categories names according to their feedback.
As the project developed I added some changes to my sitemap to reflect the user's feedback as well as current design updates.
-04-
Design
Onboarding
The goal of the onboarding process is to introduce and set user expectations on a new experience; After a new user sign up, he will add his credit cards and bank account information.
An easy and trusty way to register
Problem:
Create an easy, intuitive, and trusty way for users' onboarding and registration.
Solution:
The registration process includes a few verifications for safety. As the bank account is not required, an introduction screen with explanations on security was added to let users feel more secure before adding their bank account information.
Manage
This is where the users manage and review all their credit cards. In the "Manage" option they can see all their credit card expenses, compare them to their current balance, learn about their credit card usage and recent expenses, follow up on bill payments, and pay their credit cards bills.
Manage all your credit cards
Problem:
How to present the most essential information the users need, to make better financial decisions, maintain a good balance and improve their credit score.
Solution:
A few iteration rounds were conducted to improve the information presented to my users. By combining visual and informative information the users can easily identify each of their credit card expenses as well as a summary of all their credit cards together.
Pay
This is one of Smartpays main options. This is where Smartpays advise the user which credit card is preferable for a specific payment. The app takes into account various variables and gives a different weight to each one according to the app or the user's personal goals. The user can review Smartpays recommendations and choose the best credit card for his specific payment.
Make smart decisions
Problem:
What do my users need to know before choosing a credit card for a specific payment?
Solution:
I've learned from my users that as much as they want to receive the app's help they want to feel in control. The payment screen was designed to include the information behind the app's recommendation to let the users be aware and involved before making a payment decision.
Offers
Special offers are a powerful way for credit card companies to incentivize users to use their cards. By combining all those offers in one place, users can review and add them at any time.
Be on top of things
Problem:
Everyone loves to save money, but how do you follow up on all those special offers when you have multiple credit cards?
Solution:
By combining all their credit card offers to one place the users will be able to easily follow up on them, add offers, and review them by credit card or store.
Smartpays Prototype
