SplitsZees
A class project (fictional) peer-to-peer money-sharing app based on the UX research process.
How might we help create a digital wallet with ease of access and a convenient avenue for peer to peer payment, eliminating the need for cash or outside resources?
The Challenges
Solve the IOU problem by taking away excuses
Simple / quick access for getting paid without: bank, cash, or ATM
Integrate the app into everyday conversation “Let’s SplitsZees this bill!”
Digitally pay peers no matter where you are
S.W.O.T. analysis, determined :
SplitsZees has the opportunity to add extra security measures that other apps don’t provide in order to bring in more users
SplitsZees needs to visually differentiate itself from other apps in order to be noticed among other already existing apps
Discovering the End Users
There were key 2 themes that were revealed from the user interviews I conducted:
Productivity is important
Users do not want unlimited options. Their goal is to get into the app, find what they need, and move on with their to-do list.
Enjoyment is important
Simplicity and aesthetic matters more than security. Shortcuts mean the user can move more quickly through the app, which increases their enjoyment of the product.
I like low maintenance, I have enough going on in my life. -User Interview
Personas
In the interviews, patterns became evident which gave a grasp of who the users are and a glimpse of their life.
Whiteboarding ideas is always helpful to map out the
users path and explore the options.
What was learned from interviews and journey mapping…
Problems I Discovered:
“Friends forget to pay me back when we split the bill.”
“I don’t have time to figure out another app when I have other things going on.”
“Money is a private matter. Others don’t need to know why I’m sending money.”
Solutions I Created:
Ease of use allows to pay instantly, with a few clicks.
Design the app with cool, calming colors and simplicity allowing users to easily navigate like it’s second-nature.
Keep transactions within the app private
I was able to cleanup my sketches and begin my lo-fi mockups after getting feedback from end users. I started with icons because they would be the non-verbal cues for guiding users through the app. Whereas written communication requires cognitive processing, which slows things down, icons provide intuitive fast access at the fingertips of users.
Lo-Fi Mockups
The initial sketches, are always getting ideas out of paper, I wanted to emphasize throughout a sense of ease utilizing simplicity so any user could move through without extra thinking.
Originally, this design included a calendar feature with reminders. But by analyzing the identified goals it was later removed. Testing showed it made the app “too cluttered” and changed the focus of the app.
Wireframes
allowed me to see how the layout would function before moving onto mockups.
Mockups
Initially,
the settings were under the “account” page for users to scroll down. However, during testing the users were naturally attempting to scroll on the “menu” page to access the settings, even though I had not placed them there, so in the next iteration it was modified.
Settings
was moved beneath the menu screen and the arrow was kept as another visual clue. Where users naturally looked during testing.
The
initial
draft of the “notifications” page, I knew I wanted users to easily distinguish between various transactions that would occur within the app.
After
testing,
I recognized the need for more visual contrast and utilized UI to differentiate between past transactions and pending ones.
A receipt look
gives a connotation of transactions. Creating another nonverbal cue to improve usability.
Prototype
The Style Guide
consists of the crucial elements that lend to SplitsZees’ ease of use, easy to find what you need and easy to execute your goals as a user.
The SplitsZees colors are all mainly cool as they are known to be calming. The red/orange was chosen as a bright color pop after the founder mentioned his affinity for reds. The colors are a playful contrast that coincide with the overall feel of the app and also set SplitsZees apart from competitors, always serious mid range blue.
The idea was to choose relaxing colors for the target audience to feel enjoyment and success while using the app, even if it’s only a brief encounter with SplitsZees, so that they are most likely to be return users if it is a pleasurable experience.