Welcome to our journey of transforming the user experience for Lendo through our capstone project with Misk UX Immersive Course. This project, created as part of our learning experience, challenged us to apply our developing UX design skills in a real-world setting, working directly with Lendo to address specific issues in user experience. Over three weeks, our team moved through a series of design and development phases to deliver a refined, user-centered solution that significantly improved the investment platform.
Project Duration: Three weeks 🗓️
Project Type: Group Project
Roles and Responsibilities: Our team was fully engaged in every step of the process, from initial research to final testing.
Teammates: Abdullah, Amal, Sarah, Saud
Tools: Figma, FigJam, Canva, Zoom, Google Meet, Maze, Notion, Trello
🔍 Focused Issue
The primary challenge was the complex investor journey within the app, which often led to user confusion and dissatisfaction. Our solution involved a comprehensive redesign of the app’s architecture to enhance navigation and overall user interaction.
🌐 Methodology
Our approach began with an extensive exploration into the fintech sector to ensure our enhancements were informed by the latest trends and technologies in financial services.
Fintech Research
What does Fintech mean? We initiated our project by diving into the fintech industry, understanding innovations in financial technologies that are transforming traditional financial services. This early research set the foundation for aligning Lendo’s app with modern financial practices.
Following our initial fintech exploration, we employed several other UX methodologies to gather comprehensive information and develop actionable solutions:
User Research
We conducted in-depth analyses of user interactions and behaviors through surveys and analytics to deeply understand the needs and frustrations of Lendo’s users.
Heuristic Evaluation
We performed a systematic review of the app and top competitors based on established usability principles to identify any usability issues, pinpointing areas for improvement.
Benchmarking
Our team compared Lendo’s features and usability against industry standards and top competitors to identify best practices and areas needing enhancement.
Persona Development
From our research, we created detailed personas that represent typical users of Lendo app. These personas helped us visualize the target users’ needs, goals, and pain points, guiding our design decisions throughout the project.
Proposed Solution and Design Implementation
After a thorough analysis of the app’s current state through benchmarking, heuristic evaluation, and UX audits, we moved into the design phase with a clear understanding of the necessary improvements.
Design Process
Wireframes: We created wireframes to outline the structural flow of the app, focusing on optimizing the user journey and enhancing usability.
Design System: Simultaneously, we developed a comprehensive design system that defined the visual and functional elements of the app, ensuring consistency throughout.
High-Fidelity: With the wireframes and design system established, we created high-fidelity prototypes that included detailed interactions, allowing stakeholders to interact with a close representation of the final product.
Usability Testing
Usability testing was a crucial part of our methodology, providing direct feedback from users about the redesigned features of the app. We conducted this testing in multiple formats to gather a comprehensive set of insights:
In-person Testing (Moderated)
We held moderated sessions where users were invited to interact with the app in a controlled environment. This allowed us to observe their behavior and reactions in real-time.
Remote Testing
- Moderated via Zoom: Remote sessions were also moderated, providing the flexibility for participants to join from their locations while still offering real-time guidance and observation.
- Unmoderated via Maze: Additionally, we used Maze to conduct unmoderated tests, where users could navigate through the app at their convenience. This method helped us collect data on user interactions without the presence of a moderator.
User Scenario During all testing sessions, we provided users with a specific scenario to guide their interactions with the app:
“Imagine you’re new to investing and trying out our Investor Journey app. We want you to do some easy tasks, like making an account, checking out different investment options, learning about one, pretending to invest some money, looking at your pretend investments, and figuring out how to contact us if you need help. While you’re doing these things, just talk about what you’re thinking. Your thoughts will help us make the app easier for people like you.”
This scenario was designed to simulate a realistic user experience and gather actionable insights on how new investors interact with the app, identifying both pain points and successful interactions. Feedback from these sessions was instrumental in refining the app’s design, ensuring it is intuitive and accessible for all users.
Iteration
In response to user feedback, we implemented several key enhancements. Each iteration of the app addressed specific usability issues highlighted during the testing sessions. These improvements focused on streamlining navigation, enhancing the clarity of investment information, and optimizing the overall user interface for better accessibility and user engagement.
Portfolio
Prototype
For a hands-on view of the final prototype, please visit the following link:
Next Steps
- Extend user research and conduct deeper interviews.
- Enhance the Auto-invest feature to improve engagement and retention.
- Simplify payment methods.
- Build stronger relationships with users based on ongoing feedback.
Conclusion
The project successfully enhanced the user experience on Lendo’s app, making it more intuitive and investor-friendly. Our comprehensive approach, from initial fintech research to detailed usability testing, ensured that the app not only met but exceeded user expectations. The feedback-driven iterations led to a product that not only looks great but functions seamlessly, significantly improving user satisfaction and engagement. This case study underscores the importance of a user-centered design process and continuous improvement based on real user feedback.
