CELERO XPRESS
Challenge: Create a seamless online banking experience on mobile apps and web for 30+ Credit Unions across Canada.
Deliverables: High-fidelity mock-ups, prototypes, user research, user testing
Roles: Research, Design, Testing
BACKGROUND
Celero Xpress is a retail digital banking platform for Canadian credit unions. The solution includes public website, online banking, and mobile app capabilities for personal, retail, and small business clients.
Current credit unions that use Xpress online banking for their mobile apps and web platform include: Assiniboine Credit Union, Synergy Credit Union, connectFirst Credit Union, and more.
PROJECT SCOPE
- Gather and evaluate user requirements in collaboration with project managers and engineers
- Work with Credit Unions’ marketing team and business analysts to apply their company’s branding (colours, fonts, logos) to the Xpress products. The products include responsive public website, web-based online banking, and mobile banking app on Android and iOS
- Ensure the Credit Union's branding adheres to their guidelines and establish ongoing communication with client during different design iterations, collecting feedback as we continue
- Design original graphic user interface elements like widgets, images, and promotional banners for all platforms
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS
I conducted web conference interviews with the Credit Union’s marketing team and project managers to ensure branding guideline compliance as well as gain insight into preferences and pain points. In these interviews, clients would share brand assets, colour, branding guidelines, and other documentation. We would go over examples of the branded product, timeline, and deadlines to meet.
Most of the Credit Unions we onboarded into Xpress already had an existing online banking solution, but needed an upgrade. I researched their previous banking platform, and asked the Credit Union about what they wanted to see in their new apps and website.
In this discovery phase, some of these questions asked were:
- What do you like/dislike about the current mobile banking app?
- What are the main tasks you typically perform using the credit union's mobile app?
- Are there any specific features, emerging technologies, security measures, or functionalities you frequently use or would like to see added?
- Do you use any third-party financial apps or services that you would like to integrate with the credit union's mobile app?
PERSONA & USER STORIES
After learning about the Credit Union's customers through the discovery phase, I created multiple personas of the Credit Union clients that included business owners, senior retirees, experienced investors, or students new to savings.
The Young Professional:
- Demographics: Age 25-40, working professional, consultant or entrepreneur.
- Psychographics: Values flexibility and autonomy, seeks banking solutions tailored to irregular income streams and self-employment.
- Goals: Managing cash flow, saving for taxes and retirement, and accessing financing for career development or business expansion.
The Family Member:
- Demographics: Age 25-45, employed, married or in a long-term relationship, with young children.
- Psychographics: Values stability and security for their family's future, seeks guidance on saving for children's education and homeownership.
- Goals: Establishing a solid financial foundation, saving for a home, and planning for their children's education.
MOCKUPS & PROTOTYPES
I developed high-fidelity Mockups for the mobile apps (iOS and Android), web online banking, and public website. The mokc were compiled together in a Colour Guide to help visualize the new layout, navigation flow, and user interactions.
These Guides were presented to the stakeholders and tested with a sample of users from the Credit Union team to gather feedback early in the process regarding the colours, branding, and graphics.
LAUNCH & FEEDBACK
The redesigned platform (online banking platform, public website, and mobile apps for iOS and Android) was launched in stages:
- Test environment
- Staging environment
- Beta tested thoroughly by both Business Analysts and the Credit Union team.
- Final production environment
The launch was attended by all relevant teams to ensure no issues, and was closely monitored after for user engagement and feedback. Usage analytics, and service tickets submitted by the Credit Union team as well as their members were collected to assess user satisfaction and identify any areas for further refinement. The UX/UI design team and DevOps team continued to standby for everything from site breaking issues, to minor design bugs.
MOBILE
WEB
FINAL THOUGHTS
The successful redesign of the Credit Unions’ public websites and launch of the branded Xpress online banking platform has been a great learning experience in collaborating with stakeholders, meeting tight deadlines, and managing expectations. As the Xpress platform grows, it brings opportunities for additional features to the product.
Our next steps on the Xpress product is continuing the conversion of the online web platform to meet accessibility guidelines, and using best design practices to ensure accessibility for all users.