Christian Hertlein on the UX of Personal Finance
If there’s one thing that immediately stands out when using N26, it’s the app’s unique, clean, and intuitive design. In a conversation with N26’s Head of Design Christian Hertlein, we discussed the guiding principles of N26’s design and how putting users front and center has helped create a product that supports users without intruding on their space.
How do you define user experience?
User experience is the experience that customers have with our product throughout all touch points, whether it be through the app, on Instagram or Facebook, or through a more traditional marketing channel. We’ve worked to create an experience and a feeling when customers use our core product, the N26 app, that lets people use the app without needing instructions — ideally without questions or concerns, earning their full trust.
When it comes to UX in banking, what makes N26 special?
I think what is interesting is the fact that N26 incorporates all touch points under one umbrella. With this approach, we are able to make the banking experience more attractive to our users. Because we know and understand our customers, we can target them directly. We can serve them with the right product based on the knowledge we’ve gathered from user research, trends, and insights from customer feedback that we’ve collected.
N26 is “building a banking app people love to use.” What does this phrase mean to you?
We wanted to imagine a world where people were not afraid of using a banking product; to give them peace of mind and help them gain a better overview of their finances by providing them with an intuitive product. We do this by being present at the precise moment that a customer needs us. We don’t interrupt the user in a moment when they don’t want to think about their finances. An example of this is N26’s instant transaction notifications. Even a small vibration in your pocket helps the customer understand that they are still in control. That’s what people want — to stay in control of their finances without needing to think about them all the time. That’s what the N26 app provides.
Many people assume that designers spend all day using Photoshop, focusing on aesthetics and making things look beautiful. How accurate is this perception?
Of course, when people talk about design, they first think about the visual aspects, but design is much more than that. It’s a mindset. It’s how you approach difficulties or problems in general, which means that design also includes the understanding of the human, the user. As a designer, I think it’s important to be empathetic and to use research to understand what people care about, what their needs and problems are, and what their situation is. Based on that, it’s up to us to shape the environment that helps people manage their finances accordingly.
You’ve already mentioned the instant spending notifications. What other features are unique to N26?
Spaces is a unique and very simple way to organize your financial goals. Not only does it provide an easy to grasp, customizable interface, it also allows intuitive interactions like moving money by dragging and dropping. Another example is our spending statistics, which are automatically generated based on your expenses. Some people use several apps to keep track of their spending habits. Every time a user completes a transaction, the N26 app automatically generates statistics that illustrate their spending behavior. We want to be as transparent as possible and help people understand what they spend their money on.
What do you say to people who believe that they cannot have a good experience with a bank?
Try our app! A lot of people dread the physical experience of banking; going into a branch whenever you have an issue with your account and speaking to a teller in person. If you take Airbnb as an example, an experience like that is something that no one had even imagined before it was on the market. While stories, human communication, and photos are three of the core elements of Airbnb’s business, what sets them apart is that they understood their own role in the industry and how to position themselves as a connector and moderator with empathy. Linking this back to bank experiences, it’s about understanding the customer and learning how to address and help them in an appropriate way. And we’re making big steps towards that.
At N26, we believe in the power of simplicity and intentional design. Each and every screen in our app was developed with you in mind. Want a sneak peek? Join our waitlist for early access.
