T. Rowe Price Mobile Apps
Empowering investors on the go
Case Study: Modernized the iOS and Android mobile experiences, added features that span multiple business units/teams, and validated the experience with users.
Overview
In 2019, T. Rowe Price set out to redesign and rebuild their native Android and iOS mobile applications. The original app was built without a design process and without any designers. Over the years, new functionality was added beyond the original intent and the apps were overdue for a redesign. At the same time, additional new features were added to the experience.
My Role
I took over as design lead on the project in June of 2020, responsible for all of the mobile app designs.
Modernizing the Experience
Modernization focused on 3 core pillars: navigation & UI, visual design, and OS native design patterns. The navigation for both platforms was redesigned while the visual designs were updated through the implementation of T. Rowe Prices enterprise design system, ensuring cohesion across products and platforms. Finally, interactions were enhanced to align more closely with user expectations for each platform. On iOS, the app was moved to a universal app to allow for rapid iterations to the iPad experience.
Experiential Enhancements
Many experiential enhancements have been made throughout the app. One such example is the mutual funds research tool - a large table that contains data for over 150 mutual funds available at T. Rowe Price. The previous iteration limited the amount of data available, reducing its value when compared to the comprehensive experience on the website.
I created a new approach to tables that allowed more data to be presented. The locked first column of the original table was replaced with a horizontally locked, tappable label at the top of each row. This allows users to scroll horizontally to view fund details without losing context of which funds they are viewing. Additionally, this reduced row height, improving users’ ability to compare multiple funds at one time.
This updated table style was also applied to the portfolio section of the application. In the past iteration, users were required to tap into each fund to view details on a standalone screen. This meant that in order to view their full account details, users had to navigate back and forth between multiple screens.
The updated tables allow users to have a comprehensive view of an account in one location. The horizontally scrolling data allows users to see all of their funds performance data for their account in one place. This reduced cognitive load and allowed users to compare and understand the total performance of their accounts.
Transaction Flows
Immediately following portfolio monitoring, transaction flows are the most important function of the apps. A handful of the transaction flows from the website were available in the app, featuring unintuitive interaction patterns, and out of date designs that failed accessibility checks.
I redesigned the existing flows to utilize the enterprise design system while incorporating interaction patterns users would be more familiar with. Once the existing flows were redesigned, I leveraged these patterns for the creation of new flows added to the app in effort to close feature gaps between the apps and the website.
The legacy experience had a number of issues including contrasts that failed to pass accessibility tests, redundant information, and hidden calls to action.
The updated experience leveraged iOS and Android best practices for standard interactions, while complying with accessibility. Information was streamlined, duplicative steps were removed, and visual design treatments were leveraged to improve legibility.
Results
Since the mobile app has been redesigned, it has seen significant growth in unique users and visits to the app.
App store ratings have also seen consistent growth as legacy experiences have been updated and new features have been added.
