Pluto Pay
With everything going digital people have a lot more at their fingertips including payment options. With so many options there isn't one that's typically better than the other. Pluto Pay's aim was to stand out from the options by being the only one with Split Payments (not true today) and a Currency Calculator for when traveling with friends.
Project Summary
Client: Career Foundry
My Role: UX Designer
Deliverables: Competitive Analysis, Business Requirements, User Interviews, User Stories, User Flows, Wireframes, No-code Prototype, User Testing
Tools:
Adobe XD
Photoshop
Illustrator
Marvel Usability
"We want to build an application that will allow anyone to shop, transfer, money, and more without a debit or credit card or the need to visit a physical bank or store."
Initial Research
To determine what we wanted to research, I held stakeholder interviews where business goals were defined. Digital payment applications are a saturated market for mobile devices and we wanted something that was easy for users but also held a competitive edge within the market. We identified our initial Users to be travelers who had the need to split payments and calculate currency rates.
Competitive Analysis
I researched and put together a competitive analysis of the top-rated virtual payment applications as well as other digital payments available in other countries. I focused on the competitor's key objectives, strategy, market advantage, and profile as well as identified opportunities.
Summary of Opportunities
• Service available outside the US
• Payment split options between peers
• Competitive conversion fees and rates
• Convenience and quick service
This information was then compiled into a Business Requirements Document (BRD) to present to shareholders. To view Pluto Pay's Business Requirements Document please click here Pluto Pay BRD.
User Interviews were then completed to discover how users interact with payment apps and what was expected and where we had opportunities to improve.
Key takeaways from Interviews
• Reimbursement of funds was a major factor in whether or not users felt secure with a digital payment
• No strong feelings or Brand loyalty with payment applications and would have one or more in use.
• General mindset of using whatever payment app a friend or family member was using.
The Problem
The User needs a secure and mobile method to send and receive money while traveling. We will know this to be true when they are able to easily and conveniently make payments to peers.
Defining Users
Personas were created with casual use and the use of new features. User journeys were also developed around those personas' stories.
Persona
User Journey
User Flows were then mapped out to articulate the new features.
User Flow Split Payment
User Flow Currency Converter
Card Sorting
Having drafted an initial site map of what was expected of the application a brief card-sorting session was performed. By doing this I was able to identify how potential users catalog features and pages.
Card Sort Analysis
Updated Site Map
Wireframing
I completed mid, low, and high-fidelity wireframes entailing the tasks of creating an account, making a payment, splitting a payment, and reviewing metrics. By doing this screen flows and user paths were iterated and then published for testing.
Usability Testing
In-person Usability testing was performed once with Mid-High Fidelity and then again with refined fidelity. The initial testing did not go well for some major tasks and User's found the application confusing especially with the core feature of split payment. Adjustments were made and received a 95% increase in the completion of the tasks.
High Issues:
• Split Payment not clear
Medium Issues:
• Layout position, was moved for a more intuitive design as a result of 80% of testers' motions
• Onboarding and walkthrough for new features. 85% of testers would benefit from more instruction.
70% of Testers had issues with Split payment
"I couldn't find split payment I skipped that task."
"Where am I supposed to find the split payment?"
"Split payment yeah that's not easy to get to or at least it's not very clear how you're supposed to."
High Fidelity initial tested Wireframes
Refined Design tested Wireframes
Pluto Pay Prototype
Conclusion
In the initial test of Pluto Pay, I discovered design insights to create a more intuitive experience for users who weren’t aware of it but had ingrained actions. Users were hesitant with personal information so it’s important especially when traveling to have their information secure as well as payments.
Most were excited about the additional features and said if available and more developed they would use them. At this iteration, most users would not pick the application over what’s currently being offered. The next steps would be to work with developers to create a fluid experience with the additional features allowing Pluto Pay to have a more competitive edge in the virtual payment market.
