Collect Mobile App is a fintech solution addressing payments issues for both large and small enterprises across Africa.
Mobile App
Deliverables
Interviews
Competitive Analysis
Personas
User flow
Site map
Low Fidelity Designs
High Fidelity Designs
Team
Product & design
Tools
Figma
Figjam
Duration
2 Months
About the company
Collect was founded in 2021 with a simple mission to help businesses collect payments seamlessly from their customers all over Africa. Collect believes customers should be given the freedom of paying with whatever methods they are use to. The goal was to connect businesses to local payment methods and improve acceptance rates.
Backstory
In July 2022, I embarked on an exciting journey with Collect, a dynamic company focused on revolutionizing digital experiences. My initial assignment was to revamp their mobile application, a critical project aimed at boosting user engagement. Despite its potential, the app had been struggling with low usage rates, and the team was eager to transform it into a more compelling and engaging platform for users. This project presented a unique opportunity to apply my skills in user experience design and contribute to a significant turnaround for Collect’s mobile presence.
The Challenge
Our original vision for the Collect app was to create an all-in-one platform that enables businesses to manage their financial operations seamlessly. The app aimed to facilitate global transactions, reduce the necessity of frequent bank visits, and strengthen customer relationships. However, poor usage and engagement levels had impeded the app's success.
To address these challenges, we established high-level project goals:
Enhance User Engagement and UX
Optimize & Expand Functionality
Increase Usage & Collect Feedback
Beyond these primary goals, we understood the necessity of identifying deeper customer-focused objectives. Driven by curiosity and a commitment to thorough research and product trials, we embarked on a journey of discovery. This process involved breaking down and analyzing data comprehensively, allowing us to pinpoint the core issues with the onboarding process. Through this approach, we were able to create a more engaging and efficient user experience.
My Role
I took the lead on the ambitious redesign of the Collect mobile app, spearheading a collaborative effort with two talented designers. Our goal was to address the critical issues users faced and elevate the app's overall user experience.
To ensure our redesign was both user-centric and comprehensive, I also worked closely with a dedicated product manager and two customer service agents. These agents had established strong relationships with our users, facilitating seamless communication and helping us schedule insightful calls with them. Their involvement was instrumental in gaining a deeper understanding of the users' needs and pain points, ultimately guiding our design decisions.
Uncovering Hidden User Needs
We began our project by engaging directly with our existing customers to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences with the app. Through a series of one-on-one interviews conducted via Google Meet, we spoke with 12 users, posing both qualitative and quantitative questions. Our goal was to assess their familiarity with our product offerings and to identify any competing solutions they might be using.
Our research revealed that approximately 80% of users faced significant challenges navigating the app, often struggling to locate essential features. Additionally, about 60% were unaware of some features entirely, as these were buried deep within the app's complex navigation layers.
80% of users faced significant challenges navigating the app
60% were unaware of some features entirely,
"...navigating through the app is a real challenge; I often get lost trying to find essential features."
Stanley
Pharmacist
"...it's frustrating when I can't easily locate important functions. I end up wasting a lot of time just trying to find what I need."
Bethy
Store Owner
"...many features are buried deep in the app, and I didn't even know some of them existed."
Susan
Fashion Designer
If our most tech-savvy users, equipped with the latest devices and a strong understanding of technology, were finding it difficult to navigate the app, the experience must be even more challenging for users in less technologically advanced markets. This understanding drove us to prioritize enhancing user engagement and experience, optimizing functionality, and increasing overall usage. It was clear that improving the app for our current users would also benefit new and future users, setting a new standard for accessibility and ease of use.
Learning about the competition
Inorder to be able to effectively design a comprehensive payment solution for African businesses, it was crucial to understand the competitive landscape. I conducted a thorough analysis of both direct and indirect competitors to identify what is currently available and what gaps exist in the market. Below are summaries of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) for each key competitor: Paystack, Stripe, and Prospa.
Strengths: Seamless integration with various payment sources, simple integration process, robust features (recurring payments, split payments, refund management).
Weaknesses: Limited global reach, potential dependency on Stripe post-acquisition.
Opportunities: Expansion into new markets, leveraging Stripe's infrastructure.
Threats: Increasing competition from other global and local payment processors.
Strengths: Global payment infrastructure, highly customizable platform, wide range of payment sources.
Weaknesses: Complexity for smaller businesses, higher fees compared to local solutions.
Opportunities: Expansion in emerging markets, continuous innovation in payment solutions.
Threats: Regulatory challenges, competition from local fintech companies.
Strengths: Tailored for African businesses, comprehensive financial management tools, user-friendly interface.
Weaknesses: Limited international reach, relatively new player in the market.
Opportunities: Rapid adoption in the African market, potential to introduce new features and expand regionally.
Threats: Competition from established global and regional fintech companies, regulatory changes.
Unveiling User Motivations
At first glance, it might appear that all users shared a common goal: improving financial operations and reducing complexity. However, our user research revealed a spectrum of divergent motivations and needs. Creating detailed personas allowed us to clearly define these differences, serving as crucial reference points as we refined the app's design and functionality.
As our research and design efforts progressed, we concentrated on two primary personas that exemplified the key functionalities our users needed. The first persona emphasized the importance of straightforward navigation and easy access to financial features, while the second highlighted the need for enhanced discoverability and organization of app features. These personas provided a clear framework for our design decisions, ensuring we addressed the critical pain points and needs of our diverse user base.
"Understanding user struggles unveiled a roadmap for an enhanced, user-friendly app."
Mary, the Small Business Owner
Mary runs a small but growing e-commerce business. With a busy schedule, Mary needs efficient ways to manage finances and streamline operations. Mary uses the Collect app primarily to send and receive payments, manage invoices, and track financial transactions.
Core needs
Intuitive Navigation: Simplified menu structure to quickly access payments and invoices.
Feature Discoverability: Better organization of features to highlight all available tools.
Reliable Performance: Smooth operation without glitches or delays.
Frustrations
Navigation Issues: Finds the current app layout confusing and struggles to locate key features.
Unawareness of Features: Unaware of some of the app’s functionalities that could enhance business operations.
Time Constraints: Needs to manage financial tasks quickly due to a busy schedule.
Ahmed, the Freelancer
Ahmed is a freelance graphic designer who frequently works with international clients. He uses the Collect app to handle transactions, convert currencies, and manage his finances on the go. Ahmed values technology that enhances his productivity and prefers apps that are both powerful and easy to use.
Core needs
Enhanced Discoverability: Clearer organization of features so that all capabilities are easily accessible.
User-Friendly Design: A visually appealing interface that enhances the overall user experience.
Advanced Functionality: Robust features that cater to the needs of a tech-savvy professional.
Frustrations
Complex Navigation: Struggles to find and use features hidden in deep navigation layers.
Lack of Awareness: Often misses out on useful features due to poor organization within the app.
Tech-Savvy Needs: Desires advanced functionalities that are easy to access and use.
Crafting Our Approach
To address the issues discovered through our research and interviews, we developed Point of View (POV) statements and How Might We (HMW) questions. These tools helped us frame the problem from the users' perspectives and guided our brainstorming process to generate actionable solutions.
Point of View Statements
Business owners need a straightforward way to discover and utilize app features.
Users require an intuitive information architecture to navigate the app efficiently.
How Might We (HMW) Statements
make it easier for users to discover and understand app features?
design an intuitive information architecture to improve navigation?
A More Intuitive Structure
To address the navigation and feature discoverability issues identified during our research, we designed a clear and intuitive sitemap. This sitemap ensures that all key features are easily accessible, providing users with a seamless experience.
Streamlined User Onboarding
We created an onboarding process that gathers user information and verifies their email and phone number, this offers an excellent foundation but has potential for optimization.
For the onboarding process, I aimed to strike a balance between gathering the necessary information and providing a seamless user experience. The primary goals were to ensure account security, comply with relevant regulations, and minimize user friction.
The welcome screen sets a friendly tone, making users feel at ease right from the start. The category selection screen allows users to accurately identify their role or business type, enabling the app to tailor the experience and present relevant information.
Securing user accounts is a critical aspect, so I dedicated a screen specifically for this purpose. Users are prompted to create a strong password and provide additional verification methods, enhancing account security while keeping the process straightforward.
To comply with legal and regulatory requirements, the compliance process screen informs users about the need to provide additional details.
Offering the choice between phone number and email verification caters to user preferences and ensures a smooth verification process. The dedicated verification screens guide users through entering the received codes, reinforcing the security aspect.
By carefully considering user needs, security requirements, and compliance obligations, I designed an onboarding process that balances all these aspects while minimizing user friction. The result is a streamlined and user-friendly registration flow that sets the stage for a positive app experience from the very beginning.
Comprehensive Dashboard with Financial Summaries.
This design solution addresses feature discoverability by prominently displaying essential information and actions on the home screen. The clear labeling and iconography make it easier for users to find and access specific features. Additionally, the bottom navigation bar improves overall app navigation, allowing users to quickly switch between key sections.
By consolidating important information and actions on the home screen and providing a consistent navigation structure, this design solution aims to enhance the user experience by making it more intuitive and efficient to access and utilize the app's features.
Key elements include a prominent balance display at the top, allowing users to quickly check their account balance without navigating multiple screens. Essential actions like "Fund Wallet" and "Withdraw" are clearly highlighted with prominent buttons, reducing the steps required to perform these tasks. Additionally, users' account information, including account numbers and bank details, is readily accessible, eliminating the need to search through menus.
Clear icons and labels for various payment receipt options, such as bank transfers, Paylink, invoices, and POS, enhance the discoverability of these features. A referral prompt at the bottom of the screen encourages user engagement by offering rewards for referrals. The bottom navigation bar provides easy access to the main sections of the app, including Home, My Business, Transactions, and More, ensuring consistent and efficient navigation.
Managing core business functions
We created a menu item called, "My Business." It is designed to serve as a central hub for essential business tools and analytics, significantly improving feature discoverability and navigation for businesses. The first screen below include a Business Essentials Menu on the left-hand side, listing core features such as Revenue, Customers, Invoices, Paylinks, and POS. This menu offers quick access to these tools, making it easier for users to navigate and find relevant features. The Revenue screen provides a comprehensive overview of financial performance, with visual charts and key metrics like inflow, outflow, success rate, and payment issues displayed upfront for quick insights.
Detailed invoice information is presented on the Invoice screen, offering a breakdown of items, quantities, prices, discounts, and taxes. This level of detail is crucial for businesses, promoting better feature discoverability and usability. Dedicated screens for Paylink and POS clearly label and visually represent available payment methods, enhancing discoverability and making it easier for users to identify and utilize the appropriate solutions. The POS screen centralizes POS device requests and management, improving accessibility to this feature.
Overall, the design solution consolidates essential business features and analytics into the "My Business" section, making it easier for users to find and access necessary tools. By organizing and presenting business-critical features logically and accessibly, the design aims to improve the user experience for business owners, enabling them to efficiently navigate and leverage the app's functionalities to manage their operations effectively.
Collect CTA Button for Quick Actions
The goal of this button is to enhances feature discoverability and streamlines navigation by providing a centralized hub for quick access to common actions. Placed prominently on the bottom navigation bar, the "Collect CTA" button is easily accessible from various sections of the app, allowing users to initiate common actions without navigating through multiple screens.
When clicked, the "Collect CTA" button opens a modal displaying a curated set of frequently used actions like "Bank Transfer," "Paylink," and "Invoice." This modal serves as a shortcut, providing quick access to these actions based on research and usage patterns. Brief descriptions accompany each action, offering contextual information that helps users understand their purpose without prior knowledge. This approach reduces cognitive load and simplifies navigation, making it easier for users to find and perform necessary tasks efficiently.
Usability Testing
Usability testing played a crucial role in validating and refining our design solutions. The results provided invaluable insights into how users interacted with the redesigned app and highlighted areas for further improvement.
Findings: Our usability tests revealed that the new information architecture significantly enhanced the user experience. Users found the layout intuitive and easy to navigate, resulting in a 50% reduction in navigation time. This efficiency boost underscores the effectiveness of our design in making essential features more accessible.
Feedback: Users reported a significant improvement in their ability to discover and utilize app features. The clearer navigation paths and better-organized information architecture made it easier for users to locate and understand the app's functionalities. This positive feedback was reflected in the reduction of support queries, as users could independently navigate the app with greater ease.
Improvements: Based on user feedback, we made several enhancements to further optimize the app. We refined the contextual help system, incorporating more detailed guidance and relevant tips as suggested by users. Additionally, we streamlined some UI elements to improve visual clarity and usability, ensuring a smoother and more intuitive experience for all users.
By actively incorporating user feedback and iterating on our design, we were able to create an app that not only meets but exceeds user expectations, providing a more efficient, user-friendly, and enjoyable experience.
Measuring Success
Measuring the success of our redesigned solution involves both quantitative and qualitative metrics. We tracked key performance indicators (KPIs) such as user onboarding completion rates, feature adoption rates, and user satisfaction scores. Additionally, we analyzed feedback from user surveys and support tickets to gauge customer satisfaction and identify any ongoing pain points. Our primary goal is to see a significant reduction in drop-off rates and an increase in user engagement, indicating that our redesign has successfully addressed the identified issues.
Conclusion
Our redesign journey was driven by a deep understanding of the challenges faced by African businesses in payment processing. Through extensive research, user interviews, and iterative testing, we developed a solution tailored to meet their unique needs. By simplifying onboarding, enhancing the information architecture, and improving feature discoverability, we created an intuitive and efficient platform. This project not only enhanced our design capabilities but also reinforced the importance of user-centered design in creating impactful financial solutions.