Intro
Led the User Management’s improvement initiative from ground zero to a fully functional system. This journey involved in-depth problem exploration, extensive research, design conceptualization, and seamless handoff for implementation. The internal tool I developed plays a vital role in assisting banking representatives by enabling them to swiftly create customer profiles, assign financial services, and efficiently manage these profiles.
Context
myRaiffeisen is a platform that integrates a range of B2B financial services offered by Raiffeisen, enabling customers to access these services through internally created user profiles. My focus was on overhauling the entire profile creation process, from gathering user details to assigning requested services within the user management system.
Problem
The internal tool had never undergone design improvements; it was initially created by business analysts and engineers. Relationship managers and administrative colleagues faced challenges in creating and managing user profiles due to a high degree of repetitive interactions and touchpoints.
Goals
As a designer, my primary objective was to streamline the user creation process, with a specific focus on simplifying micro-interactions. I aimed to make it easier for banking representatives to assign one or more services to user profiles and enable efficient management of existing profiles within the user management system.
Reduce the number of touchpoints
for service assignments, & creating flexible solutions for app assignments.
Provide the ability to review
actions before creating a profile, allowing users to view a summary of provided data points.
Decrease the time
required for profile edits, enabling administrative colleagues to redirect their efforts to more urgent tasks.
Successfully introduce
a new authentication method by distinguishing certain authentication-related information, thereby supporting users in selecting their preferred authentication method.
Final solution
After months of dedicated work, the revamped user management system has been tailored to assist internal colleagues in swiftly creating or modifying customer profiles. This refined user management environment provides a straightforward and easily scannable platform for setting up and managing user profiles seamlessly.
Research
My research efforts included conducting cognitive walkthroughs and UX audits in collaboration with the platform design team for this internal app. Additionally, I conducted over 40 usability tests involving relationship managers and support colleagues.
Usability test
Highlights
Messy user creation
The introduction of a new authentication method, including conditionals, had the potential to increase clutter and slow down the setup process. This was compounded by cultural propriety drawbacks in authentication perception, issues with input field stacking, challenges related to inputting phone numbers and selecting validation methods, repetitive interactions for service assignments, and a lack of the ability to review everything at the end.
Status distinction
Customers' account activation processes took several days, and administrative colleagues lacked feedback on the actual status of these progressions. They were often unaware of whether others had already taken the necessary actions.
Scannability issues
The layout setup of user profiles was not tailored for administrative personnel who required a detail- and task-oriented approach to quickly scan details and manage requests.
Create & check assignments
The process of creating or editing user profiles requires significant effort and involves repeated interactions to assign one or more services to a customer's profile. Additionally, the system didn't provide quick access to information, and there was no option to preview assignments. Administrative colleagues had to open and review profile details to access information about assigned services and customer IDs.
Design decisions
User creation flow segmentation
Step-by-step creation
To address issues with cluttered visualization and the challenge of conditional changes while selecting a home base unit for the customer in a one-pager format, we redefined the logic of customer profile setup. Each aspect was separated under a stepper component, allowing for a cleaner and more structured flow.
User creation flow segmentation
Getting rid of extra steps
In scenarios where only one authentication method exists for network units, displaying this as an option was irrelevant and confusing for users. To streamline the process, we introduced conditional logic to display authentication selection only when multiple methods were available.
User creation flow segmentation
Filling in user details
An analysis of usage behavior and usability tests revealed that users interacting with this internal application on a daily basis often utilize smaller screen ratios. To accommodate this, we crafted a more compact layout that is easily accessible.
Defining phone numbers, particularly determining the appropriate security validation option, proved to be a significant challenge for administrative colleagues. To address this, I designed a feedback message integrated with an API logic that identifies the source of the numbers, distinguishing between landline and mobile numbers.
User creation flow segmentation
Review taken actions
It was crucial to empower colleagues to review order requests before finalizing user creation. We provided support for quickly double-checking inputted information and enabled users to navigate back swiftly to make any necessary corrections. Additionally, we introduced a compact top-down layout for assignments, as assigned customer IDs are integral to the profile creation process. Users needed a clear understanding of which services and roles had been previously defined for each customer.
Status communication
Introducing new status for transparency
Administrators overseeing profile creation and activation had difficulties quickly onboarding customers and tracking profile statuses due to the absence of key status differentiations, such as "onboarded" and "reenrolling." This led to prolonged discussions with customers during the reactivation process.
To address this issue, I restructured our status messaging. I aimed to provide administrators with essential insights and due dates after specific actions. This improvement increased transparency in status tracking and expedited customer onboarding by clarifying whether a reactivation link had been resent, if an activation email had expired, or if an account was locked due to incorrect password attempts. This reduced the need for extended discussions with customers and enhanced account reactivation efficiency.
Catching everything at the first glance
Non-edit mode
Users repeatedly expressed difficulties in locating specific information on the page, which led to experiments with various visualizations, including vertical table-like formatting for different data point clusters.
During the later validation rounds, a new requirement emerged – the need for a compact layout that would allow administrators to quickly scan all crucial details immediately upon opening a profile. To address this, I restructured the page, combining status changes, profile-related actions, and review page elements to create an easy-to-scan solution that instantly visualizes essential information.
Catching everything at the first glance
Edit mode
It was observed that users primarily focused on minor details and made small corrections rather than editing the entire profile at once. To cater to this preference, we transitioned away from a wizard editing mode and introduced section-based editing. This approach empowers administrators to concentrate on a specific topic at a time, allowing them to handle editing requests individually.
Assignment management
Untruth data - simplifying assignment
Despite having analytical insights regarding multi-service usage, we conducted usability tests to gain a deeper understanding of how services were assigned to profiles and in what quantity.
During these tests, we discovered that in certain situations, administrators simultaneously ran the Know Your Customer (eKYC) screening service while allowing customers to become familiar with and start using additional assigned services. This approach aimed to accelerate customer onboarding and assign more than one app to customer users right from the beginning. However, it was clear that they were struggling with repetitive micro-interactions.
To enhance the assignment process and make it more seamless and predictable, I transformed it into an on-screen building experience. This was a departure from the previous stepper-formatted dialog flow, offering a more user-friendly approach.
Final design
Simplified user creation
Administrative colleagues now have the ability to swiftly set up user profiles, focusing on one topic at a time in a frictionless environment. They are further supported in filling in user details, assigning multiple services to profiles, and reviewing inputted information before finalizing the user profile.
Easy to scan profile management
We have introduced a simplified yet compact profile layout that allows administrators to quickly scan details at a glance. This layout also accelerates profile editing by implementing section-based editing. It keeps users informed about the current status and enables them to take necessary actions when required. Just like in user creation, it provides a similar assignment management experience that addresses multi-service, multi-customer assignment, and extensive customization.
Outcomes
Streamlined creation
The redesigned user creation flow, although significantly different, has received positive feedback. It now offers administrators a user-friendly experience for entering user details and selecting assignments. Moreover, they can review the information before finalizing it.
Efficient profile management
The introduction of new statuses has enhanced follow-up actions and the ability to quickly access essential user details. This distraction-free environment allows for seamless editing, mirroring the ease of the creation flow.
Enhanced usability
Integration of APIs, on-screen assignment building, and status management has led to notable improvements in usability, resulting in higher usability scores.
Takeaways
This journey underscores the value of in-depth, longitudinal research to uncover genuine user pain points through an iterative approach. Understanding the business process, especially in critical areas like customer onboarding, is essential before implementing any design changes.