zzap
ROLE: Research, Design, Interactions
Project Vision
Zzap is a loan app platform that provides short-term loans to individuals and small businesses within the shortest possible time. It also utilises an algorithm that processes an applicant’s eligibility by considering social and demographic factors as well as their debt to income ratio while minimising required paperwork.
Challenges
Incorporate scheduled payments for future repayments
Create an interactive interface that simplifies the documentation, identification and verification processes
Inform customers of their eligibility amount prior to setting up accounts
Starting Point
We established specific questions about our audience, issues that may arise, and how we might go about solving them.
Business Goals: How the business strives to succeed?
Users: Who is our audience?
User Goals: What are the users goals when using the app?
Potential Features: How might we bridge the gap between our users and their goals?
Research collaboration, iteration and continuous user testing were the three main ingredients when creating our design solutions
User Testing & Observation
Our team interviewed a sample of four participants when conducting research during our first sprint cycle.
Apps as Organizational Tools
User research indicated that at least 50% of participants used apps to keep track of their finances and debts. They stated that they use at least one app to remind and help them organize loan re-payments.
"I am on my debt-free journey so I utilise a loan organizer to keep track of all my debts"
A Deeper Understanding
75% of participants noted that the available platforms required sign-up before eligibility infomation. Users therefore provided important information before realising their ineligibility to access loans.
"I never got a loan but those people still have my information"
Meet the Users
Name: Suma
Age: 30
Family: Single; 1 child
Occupation: Accountant
Name: Xho
Age: 47
Family: Married; no children
Occupation: Project Manager
Suma is a hard-working single mom and is looking to spice up her life with new recipes. However, her time is scarce due to working a full time job and taking care of her child, so she needs an easy way to find recipes she can use with the spices she already has.
Xho is a well-established project manager who loves to cook in his free time. He has an elaborate cabinet of spices and wants a way to view all of them in his phone at a glance. He also wants to be able to incorporate Zest into his cooking routine to create a different meal everytime.
Information Architecture
Affinity Mapping
The affinity map was used to observe and organize user responses. This influenced the ideas that surfaced in our team design ideation meetings. UX strategy and overall design direction
CHALLENGE 1
Schedule Payments
The payment schedule challenge was solved by creating an uncomplicated linear process that allowed users input their payment choices during repayment of loans.
CHALLENGE 2
Easy and Interactive documentation
Help notes and tips have been introduced to simplify documentation. The state of documents (successful, pending) are also clearly stated to guide users.
CHALLENGE 3
Eligibility
The design ensures that only basic (necessary financial) details are collected anonymously to determine users eligibility upfront. Upon determining eligibility, users are then prompted to create accounts before proceeding
Lo-Fi Wireframes
The team engaged in a fast-paced exercise called crazy eights to generate quick ideas about our design problem. This allowed us think broadly about generating wireframes which further enhanced our protoypes, This metamorphosed into wireframes and protoype.
Hi-Fi Prototype
Style Guide
The team collaboratively created a Visual Language System for our design prototype. This style guide would function for the current application and future updates.
Takeaways
After we finished the first prototype, we asked some participants to come for design evaluation (NDA). Based on the evaluation findings, we made some changes and finished the book process in our design solution.
