Banking Made Simple: Your Money, Your Way with Monzo

Case Study

Background

As a newcomer and international student in the UK, my attempt to open a Monzo account ended in disappointment. Faced with usability issues and an unsatisfactory customer support experience, I decided to lead the revamp of the Monzo app as a case study project. The focus: address usability concerns, simplify account creation, and introduce innovative features for an enhanced banking experience. This journey is driven by a commitment to elevate user satisfaction and align with industry standards.

Problem Statement

The Monzo mobile banking app, a popular digital banking solution, faces challenges in user experience, marked by identified pain points. Despite offering current accounts, budgeting tools, and real-time transaction tracking, users encounter usability issues affecting their overall satisfaction. The project's objective is to address these pain points through targeted enhancements, ensuring improved usability and elevated visual aesthetics for a more streamlined and modernized banking experience

Opportunity

My research found over the years, the pattern of the immigrants entering U.K to study or work has increased by.

370k

2010

350k

2015

300k

2020

250k

2023

200k

Information

Role

Product Designer, Visual Designer, User Researcher

Visual Design: Figma

Tools

Duration

8 Weeks

Design Process

Define Goals, Scope,

Approach &

Research Methodology

App Reviews,

User Interviews

Discovery

Workshop

User

Research

Understand

Users

Competitive

Analysis

Design

Thinking

Design

Strategy

Experience

Design

Prototype

Refine

UX Opportunities

Mood Board

Information Architecture

Task Flows

Design Solution

User Research

During the initial exploration stage, our goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the issue and its significance.

To achieve this, we conducted both the primary and secondary research.

Research Goals

1

User Needs

Understand the specific needs and preferences of users in the context of mobile banking, with a focus on the target audience.

2

Analyze

Identify and document existing pain points and challenges users face in the current Monzo app, especially during the account creation process.

3

Review

Research current technologies and accessibility standards to ensure the redesign aligns with the latest trends and is accessible to a diverse user base.

4

Engage

Gather feedback from current Monzo app users through surveys, interviews, or feedback forms to understand their experiences, expectations, and suggestions.

User Personas

BIO

Noyal Claiton is a young boy, he arrived in the UK to pursue a master's degree. He has a keen interest in both online shopping and discovering new cuisines. Being new to the country, he is considering getting the Monzo app for handling transactions, both online and offline.


Goals

Looking for trusted banking applications

User friendly application

Effectively manage his finances, including budgeting and saving.

Pain Points

Taking a lot of steps

Rejecting account without any information

No proper guidances

Motivation

A user-friendly interface that simplifies managing finances.

Features to help track spending and manage a student budget

Managing savings and investments effectively.

Applications

BIO

Akshitha is a civil engineer who is passionate about designing and art, She also enjoys hiking and badminton. She loves online shopping

Goals

High security and fraud protection measures for peace of mind.

Features that help track spending, set savings goals, and provide financial insights.

Reliable and accessible customer service for any banking issues or queries.

Pain Points

Encountering unclear or unhelpful error messages when something goes wrong in the app, leading to frustration and confusion.

Inadequate or slow customer service.

She gets frustrated with complicated banking procedures, preferring straightforward and intuitive solutions.

Motivation

Easy going

Time Saving

Clear information

Friendly UI

ROI

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Applications

Heuristic Evaluation

Severity Rating

0 = I don't agree that this is a usability problem at all

1 = Cosmetic problem only: fix if time is available

2 = Minor usability problem: fixing this should be given low priority

3 = Major usability problem: important to fix, given high priority

4 = Usability catastrophe: fix this before product can be released

Heuristics

Violation

Recommendation

Severity

1. User Control and Freedom

Check if users have the freedom to navigate, correct errors, and reattempt the account creation process easily.




In the Monzo app, users have limited control and freedom during the account creation process, particularly when encountering errors or rejections. The app provides no clear pathway for users to rectify issues or reattempt the account creation process if rejected.

Enhancing User Autonomy in the Account Creation Process

Empower users with greater control and freedom by incorporating features that allow them to address errors and navigate through the account creation process seamlessly. Implement options such as error clarification prompts with actionable steps, clear guidance on how to resolve issues, and the ability to retry account creation without losing previously entered information. This will enhance user autonomy and improve the overall user experience.

4

2. Error Prevention

Assess the design for features that prevent errors during the account creation process and provide users with opportunities to correct mistakes.



The Monzo app lacks sufficient error prevention measures during the account creation process. Users are not provided with real-time feedback or prompts to prevent common errors, leading to potential mistakes and frustrations during data entry.

Enhancing User Experience through Proactive Error Prevention in Account Creation

Implement proactive error prevention measures throughout the account creation process to minimise user errors. This includes real-time validation of user inputs, inline error messages indicating specific issues with data entry, and clear guidance on how to correct errors. Additionally, provide tooltips or contextual help to assist users in understanding the required information. By proactively preventing errors, users will experience smoother account creation and reduced frustration.

3

1. Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, and Recover from Errors

Check the effectiveness of error messages in helping users understand issues and guiding them toward recovery or resolution.


The Monzo app fails to adequately assist users in recognising, diagnosing, and recovering from errors encountered during the account creation process. Users are left without clear guidance or support when faced with errors, leading to frustration and uncertainty about how to proceed.

Empowering Users through Effective

Error Handling in Account Creation

Implement robust error handling mechanisms to assist users in recognising, diagnosing, and recovering from errors effectively. Provide clear and informative error messages that explain the nature of the issue and suggest actionable steps for resolution. Additionally, offer intuitive pathways for users to seek further assistance or guidance, such as access to help resources, customer support channels, or self-service options. By enhancing error recognition, diagnosis, and recovery processes, users will feel supported and empowered to overcome obstacles encountered during account creation.

3

Current State

Uncertainty

Restriction

Disappointment

Time duration

00:00

00:20

Despite investing time in the account creation process, users are met with a disappointing and impersonal rejection message at the end. The message simply states "unfortunately we can't offer you the Monzo app" without providing any specific reasons or explanations for the rejection. This lack of clarity and personalization can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction among users who were expecting a different outcome after investing their time in the process.

Overall, these issues highlight a disconnect between user expectations and the actual outcome of the account creation process, resulting in a negative user experience.

Statement

Assumptions

This flow shows where we got the error to gain a deeper understanding of the issue and its significance.

Final Takeaways

1

Insights into User Needs

Understand the specific needs and preferences of users in the context of mobile banking, with a focus on the target audience.

3

Design Recommendations

Research current technologies and accessibility standards to ensure the redesign aligns with the latest trends and is accessible to a diverse user base.

5

Continuous Improvement

Advocate for ongoing iteration and improvement of the Monzo app based on user feedback, usability testing, and industry best practices to ensure that it remains competitive and meets evolving user needs over time.

2

Improvement Opportunities

Identify and document existing pain points and challenges users face in the current Monzo app, especially during the account creation process.

4

User-Centric Approach

Gather feedback from current Monzo app users through surveys, interviews, or feedback forms to understand their experiences, expectations, and suggestions.

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