UX writing and guerrilla testing – new app feature
Summary
I wrote the UX copy for the new feature on Nationwide app: round-ups. This feature was made available to 16 million app users per month, with a predicted income value of £2 million per year.
In the process I also co-facilitated some guerrilla testing – which was a lot of fun!
The problem
Nationwide Product Managers concluded they could boost savings balances by implementing a new feature in the banking app.
One quick win was to start offering round-ups – which many of our competitors were already doing.
The round-ups feature would take the user's "spare change" from their card transactions and put it into their savings account.
We were asked to create and launch this new feature within 2 months.
And we had no budget for formal research 😅
My approach
1. Briefing and collaboration
The banking app's Product Manager briefed us about the project. We also had to work with Engineering and Legal early in the process to accommodate complex technical and legal obstacles.
2. Build prototype
Working closely with the UX/UI Designer, we built a working prototype using InVision.
3. Decided to do guerrilla testing
It became apparent that we wouldn't have any resources for formal research... so we floated the (crazy) idea of doing some guerrilla testing instead.
Doing research without a Researcher was kind of intimidating. We didn't know what we didn't know. So we asked our Researcher colleagues about the best methods, ethics and outputs.
Now reassured, we went on our merry way... to Swindon.
4. Carried out guerrilla testing
We set up our makeshift testing lab... in a Costa Café. (With permission from the café Manager, of course.)
We recruited participants by bribing them with free coffee. In exchange, they spent a few minutes completing 'tasks' using our working prototype, on mobile.
Here's a picture of us in our high tech facility:
5. Gathered initial research findings
At first, we found that participants were generally experiencing the following pain points:
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Pain point 1: Some participants thought that using the new feature might cost them money in some way.
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Pain point 2: Some participants were afraid that once they set up the feature, they wouldn't be able to turn it off, or wouldn't remember how to turn it off.
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Pain point 3: Some participants would struggle to find and use the feature after setting it up.
6. Iterated designs based on findings
Based on the findings, we updated the designs while still in the café. (Talk about a Lean process!)
I edited the content to address common pain points our participants were coming up against.
Pain point 1: Users thought the new feature might cost them money in some way.
Solution 1: I decided to address this issue up front in the journey – "Impulse saver is a free, smart tool..."
I did this because people love free stuff. And it's good practice to address any reservations people might have early on.
Pain point 2: Some participants were afraid that once they set up the Impulse Saver feature, they wouldn't be able to turn it off, or wouldn't know how to turn it off.
Solution 2: I addressed this by including the text near the button – "Setting up Impulse Saver takes less than a minute, and you can turn it off anytime."
I did this because it makes setting up the feature feel easy, low risk and reversible.
In short: I wanted to made it feel like a no-brainer 🧠
Pain point 3: Some participants would struggle to find and use the feature after setting it up.
Solution 3: We added a screen to prompt users to use the feature as soon as they'd completed set up.
We used a image which highlights where the features lives on their app, along with specific instructions:"Tap the blue button to save your spare change to your savings account." We did this to encourage users to get familiar with the feature, and start using it straightaway.
7. Conclude research and finalise designs
After several rounds of testing and iterating our designs, we found that participants were no longer facing the same pain points, and could complete their tasks easily.
8. Hand over designs for build
We then worked with Engineers to hand over the designs for build.
We found that sitting in their area of the office meant we collaborated more than if we just sent the designs without context.
The solution
Here's a walkthrough of the user journey. It goes from the promotional banner on the accounts screen (kind of the home page of the app), through to switching on Impulse Saver, to using the feature.
Outcomes
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The round-ups feature had a predicted income value of £2 million per year
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The feature encourages users to save money – which is good for them and for Nationwide 😊
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Launched a designed, tested and deployed feature release within 2 months
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Got some experience doing guerrilla testing – which was a lot of fun. Speaking to users directly was very insightful.