As the lead product designer, this case study outlines how I revived the product's vision and delivered a successful user experience.
To start, I reviewed the backlog by examining the Jira board and Confluence pages. I conducted interviews with stakeholders and lead developers to gather insights from previous customer assessments. I categorized initiatives into education, engagement features, UX improvements, cross-selling, and branding. This step helped us prioritize and allocate resources.
Collaborating closely with the product owners, we held productive design sessions that fostered innovation and alignment with stakeholder expectations. Using these insights and collaborative sessions, we created a comprehensive quarterly plan that instilled confidence in our business partners and aligned with broader objectives.
To enhance the Teen Checking application, we prioritized improving the onboarding experience. Creating a journey map, we analyzed the sign-up process and identified a related initiative by a partner team who were developing a new design system. We collaborated with the partner team, aligning our research-backed onboarding improvements with their design system to streamline efforts.
In response to business needs and considering developer availability, we pivoted and I lead the Teen Checking team to embark on a referral program initiative. The initial phase involved conducting a comprehensive competitive analysis, examining more than 100 referral programs spanning web, mobile, and diverse industries. This extensive audit provided valuable insights into industry patterns and best practices, enabling us to make informed decisions as we ventured into designing an effective referral program.
I facilitated two design jam sessions alongside the content designer and product owners to shape the flow and content of the experience. Our focus was to ensure that the user journey didn't feel like marketing or sales material. With care, we crafted language that exuded confidence in the product's value proposition and resonated with users, emphasizing the benefits it offered.
I collaborated with product owners and content designers to create an impactful illustration header for a specific user experience. Through iterative feedback, we refined the composition, style, and messaging of the illustration. Our final iteration featured a joyful scene, depicting a girl and a boy responsibly enjoying their credit cards while purchasing delightful knick-knacks and treats. This depiction struck a balance between enjoyment and responsible financial behavior, aligning with the core themes of the experience.
To secure funding and maintain project momentum, I proposed an explainer video as a powerful communication tool. This case study highlights how the video effectively conveyed the project's value, leading to budget considerations. By succinctly presenting the project's essence, benefits, and value to stakeholders, the explainer video generated excitement and buy-in from business leadership. Its engaging nature allowed stakeholders to envision the project's impact, igniting discussions on budget optimization. The positive reception prompted stakeholders to reassess constraints, exploring creative solutions. Through strategic use of the explainer video, budget considerations were facilitated, project momentum was maintained, and funding was secured.
I really appreciate how engaged Ryan is with the developers throughout the development process. At least in the past, engineering & design have felt kind of separate but Ryan has done a really great job at bridging that gap. I appreciate that Ryan goes out of his way to not only keep us informed and involved on where he is in the design process, but also to stay up to date on where we are at as well. Harriet Symington (Developer on the Teen Checking Account team)
Ryan is amazing at collaborating with multiple design disciplines. He's constantly seeking out everyone's perspective and encourages new ideas to be added to his own ideas. Even though he's more experienced with illustration design, he constantly reached out to me for my feedback and asked me ways to add a content strategy perspective to his illustrations. He was also a great collaborator when designing solutions around the content I wrote. As we continue to work together in the MONEY teen space, I'm looking forward to continue closely collaborating with Ryan and looking forward to the things we'll be able to create. -Emily Rivera (Content Designer)
Ryan is a UX Motion designer that considers branding and content essential to the user experience.