Intuit Mint’s New Feature
Role
UX/UI Designer
UX Researcher
Duration
80 hours
Tools
Figma, Zoom
Overview
This is a student project, and the requirement is to add a new feature to an existing app. The goal of the project is to learn to work with constraints and bring more to the table in order to increase the value of the app. Research plays a crucial role in determining what services and/or tools can be added to help the user reach their goals. For this project, I chose to work on Intuit Mint's mobile app because money and finance are challenging topics to me.
Problem
Intuit Mint, a personal finance app, is the first choice for users who are new to money management and budgeting. However, as the financial tech space grows more competitive, Mint is at risk for losing users to direct competitors, who offer services beyond setting up a budget and keeping tabs on it.
Solution
Improve the app’s usability by adding a feature that will keep users engaged throughout their financial journey.
Education feature that engages the user with lessons on money management and tracks the user’s learning process
Research
I interviewed 7 millennials between the ages of 26 and 29, who had experience in personal money management. I also conducted a survey to learn about general preferences with money management and goal tracking.
Goals
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Determine what problems the user encounters with money management
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Learn what motivates them to keep track of their money
Objectives
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Gather information on how the user learns about money management
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Learn about the existing tools the user uses
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Learn about the user’s financial priorities and goals
Annual Income Range of Interview Participants
Key Findings
54.5% of users prioritize paying off their debt, however, the same amount of users do not have a step-by-step plan to achieve their financial goals. The users learn about financial management through family and friends. Their money habits are passed on to from one generation to another.
Competitor Analysis
Both Intuit Mint and You Need a Budget offer resources for the user to peruse, but do not have an integrated learning system.
Closer Look at Resources Feature
Both Intuit Mint and You Need a Budget offer resources for the user to peruse, but do not have an integrated learning system. Instead of taking the user to the company’s blog, Intuit MintLife, I sought to translate those articles to an internal feature in the mobile app.
Suggested App Navigation Map
I reviewed the current app’s navigation and determined that the new feature fits best in the home screen. The home screen show the overview of incoming and outgoing of the user’s finances, and it would benefit from a feature that gives more positive vibes.
Ideate
To retain the attention of millennials, who are in a financial transition in their lives, I focused on designing with gamification in mind. Sitting down and reading source material can be difficult and tedious, but taking that and creating an interactive learning experience can help the user break down dense blocks of information.
Badge Overview
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The user will access the badge’s requirements in this section
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Gray layer with lock indicate that the badge has not been achieved
Badge Descriptions
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Steps are laid out for the user to follow
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Badges are sorted by low-level and high-level tasks
Usability Test
Participants
5 working adults between the ages of 22 and 30
Test Subject
Hi-fidelity wireframes with added new feature
Goal
Evaluate the integration of the badge system to determine how it facilitates the user’s understanding of financial concepts
What Works
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The users appreciated the educational aspect of the feature.
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The visual design is fresh and appealing to younger audiences.
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The flow was straightforward and “mindlessly easy.”
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The badge system is recognizable and reminds users of Yelp’s award badges.
What Didn’t Work
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Language of the texts and CTA were confusing.
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The users wondered what happens after achieving a badge.
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Reading through a lesson and taking a quiz is not ideal and is too time-consuming.
Priority Revisions
The concept of learning financial topics through the Intuit Mint app received positive notes, but it was clear that users were unsure what the new feature was suppose to do in the beginning. The next step of action to take was to reframe the badge idea. Instead of putting the direct badge achievement at the forefront, I took a step back and shifted focus to leading the user to learning the material.
End Product
I revised the badge overview to show learning progress in 4 major categories instead individual achievement badges. It clearly indicates to user what how much more they can learn about money management. Each major category is broken down into specific topics that have their own set of lessons. Compartmentalizing will help users break down dense material. Each lesson can be completed with a quiz to help check their comprehension.
Conclusion
I challenged myself with this project topic because I feel the same sentiments as the participants in my research. At my age, I feel the need to consider my financial goals and standing. Money is a complex and emotionally burdening subject, but this project pushed me to really understand the core topic and learn how people handle their money. There is definitely no one way to help everyone as one person's situation varies from another, so I believe it was the best idea to provide them with a learning tool that helps them grasp fundamental ideas and use as they need.
Takeaways
With the feedback from the usability test, it was clear that I had to revisit the initial research interviews. I felt that I had to start all over from the beginning, and it was daunting. However, it allowed me to clarify the new feature's purpose. I learned that I got lost in all the potential solutions in the beginning. Moving forward, I will go more thoroughly through my research data to pinpoint key findings and seek out more synthesizing methods.
