Analogfolk- Designing a Bank API service
AnalogFolks' client had new site advertising APIs and allowing developers to start playing with a sandbox. Still in a conceptual stage, but with much thinking done and the next steps included workshop output, user journey and key annotated wireframes to illustrate the thinking. This project did not entail any user testing.
Understand.
API as a Financial service was a conceptual project due for proposal so to understand the project at hand I collaborated mostly with AnalogFolk’s client throughout the length of the plan either working from their offices and remote.
We set out to explore how might we allow developers to access and experiment with the API’s possibilities, so that they can see the value integrating it with their product
First, I followed a stakeholder workshop to walk me through their concept. The stakeholders had already created an initial user journey of a Product Manager accessing the API’ page and sharing this with their Developer to explore potential integration with their products. The UX lead on the client-side and the AnalogFolk discussed some draft changes to match the client’s customer experience and values.
Create.
I quickly created the user journey using Lucidchart, to include the proto-personas and the scenario as above, so that we as a team can envision the concept with more clarity. I was working closely with the stakeholder we begun by delving deeper into the user journey points of opportunity and system interactions. We then exchanged initial ideas on the website components and features and some competitor work to inspire each other. Finally, we sketched some key screens together, so that I could begin fleshing them out into wireframes.
After that, I built the annotated wireframes on Sketch App, receiving feedback from my stakeholders and the Head of UX during three iterations of the current user journey as well as the future user journey. I also have time to create interactions so the prototypes would follow the user journey and the scenarios of two personas, the Product Manager and the Developer of an online retailer.
A challenge arose while working in more detail on the journey I quickly understood that the stakeholder’s project scope envisioned much more work. Early flagging, both the stakeholder and AnalogFolk team meant what we had time to suggest him with options and look for a visual designer to work in parallel.
Deliver.
In overall, in 10 days, I documented the stakeholder workshop in a report including early user journey concepts on Lucidchart and defined the key screens to create.
I then delivered two versions of the high-level user journeys’ current and future states. I also helped define two provisional personas and a scenario for each to define their goals and motivations, which was not in scope, but still essential to have the full picture. I designed four annotated wireframes and created prototypes of the homepage, the API Catalogue, Product Overview and the email communications between the two personas. I managed the stakeholder by understanding his needs early, providing them with options and negotiating a common ground to meet the agreed timeline.
As such, my stakeholders’ proposal could clearly illustrate to his seniors the value added by this new service. This thorough preliminary UX work set the ground for more research and design to be done having a solid knowledge of the offering, the target user group and a visual concept prototype to test as early as needed.