UX UI Exploration
UX UI Exploration
Persona Development
The persona development for this project is based on actual market research which produced specific segmentations for native mobile users. In this scenario, the focus is cast on the “marginalized transitionalist”: someone primed for mobile usage but has not activated their potential due to a maladjusted relationship with the platform provider or specific behavioral roadblocks. In this user’s case, use optimization does not occur because of the general anxiety associated with managing personal finances and the overall feeling of a lack of control.
App Audit
The app audit is an exercise in which the current state of the application is analyzed through the lens of the persona in an effort to identify critical needs for the user and points of frication that might be hindering access to those specific needs.
Scenario Map: "As Is"
The first scenario map visualizes user interaction with the platform based on specific actions and articulates what the user may be thinking, feeling or doing while carrying out certain actions. The idea is to visualize behavior motivations and inhibitors. This map captures the general flow of the application in its current state and is an assessment for reconfiguring priorities in the future. The major insight from this exercise is the observation that the current orientation of the application is utilitarian. The question moving forward is “how do we realign the application’s current orientation to expand value?”
Scenario Map: "To Be"
The ‘to be’ scenario map envisions a reconfiguration of tasks and associated feelings based on a new set of priorities. This map visualizes a flow that changes the orientation from utilitarian to lifestyle, identifies the need to visualize behavioral patterns, and positions understanding with confidence and ultimately trust in the platform.
User Journey
The user journey illustrates how the user may complete a number of key tasks in an interface that is configured from the new ‘to be’ orientation established in the scenario map exercises. Here, there is set of actions assigned to the user, some associated thoughts that coincided with the actions and finally, paths to help complete the actions and satisfy the associated thoughts. There is now visualized solutions for behavior visualization that will be incorporated into the interface, answering questions such as “how much did I spend?”, “what are my spending habits?”, and “how much am I spending per month on subscriptions”?
Behavior Based User Journey
The behavior-based user journey takes the configuration from the first user journey and works it into an if/then interface flow. Here, the new lifestyle devices are further realized, and managerial devices are developed further as well. There is now a way to manage multiple accounts shared by multiple users, review and assess purchasing patterns, and actively engage with the interface by using it to manifest spending habits.
Wire Frames
The wireframes begin to realize the UX research. Simple design elements that visualize money moving in and out of the account at a glance are shown, behavior visualization is shown through a series of solutions such as notifications for spending a certain amount of money or even a frequency of spending a specific vendor.
UI Design Patterns
The design patterns prioritize simplicity. The intent is to keep the visual elements of the interface as simple as possible to counter balance the intricacies of personal finance.
Mobile Interface & Prototype
From the wireframes, an interface is generated. The interface is a synthesis of all of the research and UX solutions developed and all of the visual planning to realizes the insights from the research. A prototype is produced. The intent is to have the prototype submitted for user testing for further refinement.
Wearable Interface & Prototype
The intent for the wearable interface was to of course find effective ways to take the content and functions available on the full mobile platform and translating those into a wearable format. This was a matter of editing functionality and content down to a system of essential functions that would be appropriate for a wearable context. The final UI features visual solutions that prioritize quick user interactions and important data visualizations.
