Bright Futures
OVERVIEW
The Product: Design platform that connects households who have low credit with nearby community lenders which have favorable rates and accessible loan offerings.
My Role: UX designer designing an app for the Bright Futures conception to delivery
Project Duration: May 2022 - August 2022
Responsibilities: Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.
SUMMARY
I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to understand the users I would be designing for and their needs. For my research I conducted 5 one-on-one interview-style conversations with individuals who fall into the targeted demographic. A primary user group identified was adults who are often not granted loans by traditional financial institutions. Specifically, users can leverage the platform to connect with local credit unions and secure pre-approval on loans through the application without any processing fees.
Initial assumptions focused on features like clear and concise language and visually pleasing interface. After conducting research, I came to find there was more of an emphasis on security of personally identifiable information, quality and quantity of options (financial institutions), and clear step-by-step confirmation during selection process.
PAIN POINTS
CLEAR NEXT STEPSParticipants stressed the importance of having clear next steps in the loan application and approval process.
QUALITY OF OPTIONSParticipants emphasized the importance of having a wide selection of reputable financial providers to choose from.
SECURITY OF PII
Participants wish to ensure personally identifiable information is secureUser Persona
Carl | “It is so hard to find a reasonable mortgage with my credit!”
Age: 32
Education: GED
Hometown: Portland, OR
Family: Living with Partner and 3 cats
Occupation: Baker
Carl is working for a bakery in Portland, OR. Carl, his partner, and three cats love their community. Consequently, Carl wishes to purchase a home in the area. Due to Carl’s below average credit, he is unsure where to start in securing a loan for his home. Carl does not have a personal computer and prefers to use mobile apps for various needs.
PAPER WIREFRAMES
DIGITAL WIREFRAMES
ACCOUNT CREATION
HOME PAGE
Account creation should be orderly and only request pertinent information.
Login page should provide context to the user, outlining the key function of the platform.
LOW FIDELITY PROTOTYPES
USABILITY STUDY FINDINGS
I conducted monitored usability studies with five people between the ages of 25 and 65. Each person had a different background in experience with the loan application process and provided a variety of insights to help improve Bright Futures application.
Round 2 Findings
Round 1 Findings
Make the filters larger and more apparent on the results page.
Remove suggested loans page and only include search and filter options.
Include dates the loan was submitted reviewed, and approved.
Split search function into two pages, one of which shows results.
Ensure next steps are clear through use of descriptive title language.
App could benefit from a tracking feature once application is submitted.
SEARCH PAGE
Updated the main user flow with filter feature and back button on each page.
SEARCH PAGE AFTER USABILITY STUDY
SEARCH BEFORE USABILITY STUDY
APPLICATION PAGE
Application tracking page added as users wished for better transparency in post-submission tracking. APPLICATION TRACKING
APPLICATION PAGE
SEARCH PAGE
Updated the main user flow with features such as a filter overlay to improve loan search process.
OLD SEARCH PAGE
NEW SEARCH PAGE
Accessibility Considerations
Main user flow updated to simplify search feature.
Icons simplified and readily accessible for easier navigation
TAKEAWAYS
IMPACT
The app provides an effective option for users on the go but a larger responsive design also allows for users to leverage the platform on a variety of devices.
One quote from participant feedback: “I like the streamlined nature of the loan search process”.
WHAT I LEARNED
While designing the Bright Futures app, I learned the importance of keeping a sequential processes simple while providing user-friendly resources along the way. Usability studies and peer feedback kept improving the app during each iteration.
NEXT STEPS
Conduct another round of usability studies to validate whether the pain points users experienced have been effectively addressed.
Conduct more user research to determine any new areas of need.
LET’S CONNECT!
Thank you for your time reviewing my work on the Bright Futures app! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions regarding myself or my work!