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Creating a product that works 2 types of users:
Bank Advisors + Business Banking Clients

Skillset: Iterative Design, Lean UX, User Testing, User Research

My only physical product design project! where iterations are a bit more expensive!

  • Design Leadership: Guiding the design process from concept to launch, ensuring that each phase met both user needs and business goals.

My Role

  • Iterative Improvement: Continuously refining products based on user feedback, ensuring that each iteration improved upon the last in terms of usability and efficiency.

Complex Problem Solving: Addressing intricate UX challenges, particularly in simplifying complicated financial processes for both bank advisors and business clients.

Introduction

In my role as a Product Designer at RBC, I was immersed in solving some of the most complex and thorny UX challenges in the financial sector.

 

My journey involved enhancing and streamlining intricate financial tools used by bank advisors and business clients. Faced with the daunting task of developing user-friendly interfaces amidst legal constraints and operational requirements, my approach was grounded in an iterative design methodology.

 

This case study explores how I:

  • Navigated these multifaceted UX problems

  • Deploying successive product versions informed by user feedback 

  • Striking a delicate balance between compliance and ease of use

We were a company of young people mostly younger than 30. So empathizing with college students came easy to all of us. it wasn’t that long ago when we were all struggling students eating instant ramen and pulling all nighters with only a penny to our names.

Legal Restrictions

Together with our marketing lead, we conducted focus groups and co-creation sessions with college students in UCSC and UCLA to gather their needs and ideas through mindmaps. This ultimately helped me create our brand and user personas and journey maps.

2 types of users, 1 required flow

On the Product side together with our Kylie Quinn, our senior UX designer, we did research through competitive analysis, gathering screenshots, mocking up flows of other finance apps around the globe to identify market trends, usability insights and to prioritize features.

Competitive Analysis

Design Challenges
Before, During, After Commute...

To create a user-centered design, I developed a concise and informative journey map. This map dissected the entire commuting process into three key stages: before, during, and after the commute. This approach was instrumental in delineating the distinct requirements of commuters at various points in their journey. By acknowledging the unique challenges and needs at each stage, I could ensure that the anti-theft backpack offered a comprehensive solution, improving the user experience from start to finish

Ethnography: 🪰  Observing User Behavior

A pivotal component of my research involved immersing myself in the commuters' environment through a "fly on the wall" field study. I spent time in subway systems to closely observe how individuals carried their bags, where they positioned them, and other behavioral patterns. This on-the-ground research was invaluable, as it allowed me to identify established habits and preferences among commuters. For instance, I noticed that many passengers tended to embrace or hug their backpacks in crowded settings. These observations directly influenced the design of the anti-theft backpack, ensuring that it aligned with existing user behaviors and met the practical demands of daily commuters.

...Brand Persona

Alex needs Kora to be smart, approachable, and supportive. A buddy in their financial journeys during college. Kora's brand persona is relatable and appeals to the everyman archetype. The brand is empathetic to the challenges college students face and aims to make financial management a joyful and accessible experience.

User Persona

Alex represents the typical user of Kora – a college student facing financial challenges, aiming to manage money wisely and reduce student loan debt. Alex embodies the traits of being smart and open to exploring solutions to financial problems, resonating with the everyman archetype. Kora's user persona, Alex, is happy to seek assistance and is eager to embrace a financial tool tailored to their needs.

Conclusion

Next Steps:

Our work on integrating the KoraCard with Kora's suite of products has validated our belief that comprehensive financial solutions can significantly benefit our users. next steps we planned on taking were:

  • Extend this approach to other key areas of the platform

  • Focus on enhancing financial literacy

  • Making the app more accessible and easy
    to use

Main Challenge and Lesson Learned:

Taking on this project was a tremendous learning opportunity. As a first-time project leader, I initially faced some nerves but quickly learned to trust my dedicated team members. Effective communication and daily stand-up meetings were essential in ensuring the project's success. Learning that every little design change effected the whole ecosystem of the app taught me to learn the difference between what's urgent and what's important. 

Results and Impact:

Our integration of the KoraCard with Kora's suite of financial products significantly improved the app's functionality. Users can now seamlessly manage their finances, track expenses, and access cash back rewards, leading to a positive impact on their financial preparedness.

In the Apple Store, Kora boasts an impressive rating of 4.4, while in the Google Play Store, it stands at a solid 4.1.

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