NOVUS
OVERVIEW
Novus is a mobile-first responsive web application that fosters a community of money-smart individuals by connecting young professionals with highly qualified financial advisors through video chat and direct messaging.
MY ROLE
ENTIRE PRODUCT DESIGN
APPROACH
DESIGN THINKING
TOOLS
FIGMA, ADOBE CS, BALSAMIQ,OPTIMAL SORT, GOOGLE FORMS
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Financially-smart individuals need a way to connect with a financial expert so they can accomplish their financial goals with ease and feel confident in their overall financial well-being.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Adults aged 20-50 that may need expert assistance making very important decisions such as home buying, investment, retirement, saving and budgeting.
SURVEYS & INTERVIEWS
RESEARCH GOALS
01
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND PEOPLE'S BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS FINANCES
02
TO FIND OUT HOW (AND IF) PEOPLE CURRENTLY RECEIVE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
03
TO DETERMINE WHICH FINANCIAL TOPIC PEOPLE NEED MOST GUIDANCE
Courtney's Hierarchy of Needs
I created a survey using Google Forms and I ran the survey for one day. Some of the survey results can be seen below.
I am confident in my current financial wellness
I prefer learning about finances by (check all that apply)
How often do you study finance?
The financial topic I am most interested in learning more about (check all that apply)
I would feel comfortable video chatting with a financial expert online
In conjunction to the survey I completed user interviews. I like interviews because I can ask "why" and gain more detailed insight from users.
AFFINITY MAPPING
Each colored sticky represents a different person.
PERSONAS
Meet Samantha,
the family planner
32 years old
Recently engaged
Resides in Austin, TX
Works as a Marketing Specialist
"I want to make wise financial decisions as my fiancé and I combine our finances and plan for a family. I would feel more at ease to meet with a finance expert."
Goals & Needs
• The ability to quickly browse through expert qualifications before scheduling a call.
• An easy way to schedule appointments with experts to keep organized.
Motivations
• Regularly reads finance blogs that have peaked her interest in learning more about finance
• Samantha needs to budget for upcoming wedding and family planning
Frustrations
• Poor quality video-calls interfere with good communication.
• Finds Amex app user friendly and great for monitoring accounts, but wants an app with more tools.
Everyday Activities
• Samantha works 9-5 each weekday
• Samantha leads group fitness classes twice a week
• Samantha is very active on social media and posts weekly
• Samantha studies finance by watching YouTube videos and reading finance blogs
Device Usage
Desktop Devices
Mobile Devices
Social Media
JOURNEY MAPPING
DEMOGRAPHICS
SCENARIO
• Samantha
• 32
• Marketing Specialist
• Austin, TX
Samantha wants to use Novus to quickly browse experts and view their qualifications. She wants to browse and book a call in one session.
Decide on a topic
Browse experts
Book a call
Wait
• Make a list of finance topics
• Decide which topic she needs to learn more about
"What is the most important topic for me to focus on right now?"
• Open app
• Select finance topics
• Browse qualified experts
"I hope I can find someone that has experience assisting people with my specific goal."
• View expert availability in a calendar
• View drop down of available times
"I hope this expert is available at a time that is convenient."
• View call confirmation screen
• Close app
"I should set myself a reminder so I am prepared for this call."
• Allow users to select topics during onboarding
• Match users with qualified experts based on selected topics
• Provide a small list of 3-5 experts for users to browse
• Offer a calendar for easy scheduling
• Prompt users to browse through blogs while waiting on scheduled call to take place
• Give user the option to receive push notifications as a reminder for upcoming calls
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Optimal Sort was used to conduct an open card sort with 22 cards. Fourteen participants completed the study. I focused on the organization of My Profile. Some changes were made. I changed My Profile to My Settings and added FAQ, Tech Support, Give Us Feedback, Notifications and My Calendar.
WIREFRAMING & PROTOTYPING
PAPER SKETCHES
MID-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
HIGH-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
USABILITY TESTING
