Making Savings Accessible to Everyone
A concept 'Save As You Spend' feature to make savings easy and affordable to everyone.
A concept 'Save As You Spend' feature to make savings easy and affordable to everyone.
UX/UI Design • User Research • Prototyping
DBS is a leading Singaporean multinational banking and financial services corporation. It is considered as the largest bank in Southeast Asia and is well known for its banking digitalisation where almost 90% of DBS's banking services can now be accessed online.
• UX Design
• UI Design
• User research
• Data synthesis
• Usability testing
• Iterative design
• Figma
• Figjam
• Zoom
• Maze
March 2023 (4 weeks)
DesignLab case Study
While the convenience of cashless payment modes and "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) schemes has made spending easier for customers, those who struggle to manage their cashflow and budget may be at risk of overspending.
By making an item seem more affordable, it may encourage impulsive buying.
By not keeping track of their spending and not physically seeing the cash being spent, consumers tend to underestimate their expenditure.
Individuals who are facing financial difficulties often build up from common expenses such as dining out, transportation, and vacations.
I conducted user interviews with 7 DBS Bank users to gain insight into their challenges with savings and ways they could potentially save more. The findings revealed that only 57% of participants have a savings habit of "paying themselves first", and 71% engage in financial planning.
“ I know I need to save more, but its hard especially when I need to eat out everyday and expenses just occur randomly.”
“ I don’t really plan my finances, they’re a hassle to figure out. I just save if I have leftovers at the end of each month .”
“ I already set aside some savings every month, but sometimes I’m just so fed up and I reward myself and buy what I want.“
Everyone can start saving
With every transaction, everyone can now start taking small steps towards growing their future.
Automatic
Set your preference and let it run in the background. It helps you round up your spending and save your spare change.
Flexibility
Customise your savings preference at any time and decide how SAYS saves for you.
End product
B+ System Usability Scale (SUS) Grading
The usability of the SAYS Account was assessed using the SUS survey. Based on feedback from 8 users, the overall SUS score of 77.5 translates to a B+ rating, signifying a good level of usability.
Good Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
The CSAT of 75% reflects a high level of customer satisfaction with the SAYS Account, highlighting the positive experience provided to customers.
A competitive analysis was done on various financial and fintech institutions to understand their approaches to helping users save.
Key takeaways:
Automated savings can help combat the desire for impulse purchases.
Setting and keeping to a realistic budget instils healthy savings habits.
Saving and investing in smaller sums can make it more accessible to start.
Based on the user interviews, I was able to create a user persona that reflect those who are affected by the problem.
A journey map is created to understand user experience, to identify opportunities for improvement, and to create strategies that enhance user loyalty.
With a deeper understanding of the user's needs, I brainstormed potential design features and prioritised the 'Must Haves' that are essential to the product, while leaving the 'Nice to Haves' for future development.
SAYS Account creation
SAYS Account benefits
SAYS Account statement
Savings withdrawal
SAYS Account preference
View savings from spending
Automatic investment
Autoinvestment preference
CKA for autoinvestment
More round up options
More automatic savings options
Tie to savings goals
For this conceptual feature, I aim to achieve seamless integration with DBS's existing mobile banking app, enabling users to effortlessly apply for a SAYS account, modify account preferences, and withdraw their savings.
To get more insight and feedback of the design, I tested the prototype with 8 DBS Bank mobile app users. The test required them to apply for a SAYS Account, changing the saving preferences, and make a withdrawal. Although there were a few minor areas for improvement, the overall feedback was positive with 100% completion rate for all 3 task.
“I would definitely give it a try. The idea that it’ll help me save in the background without a lock in period sounds great, and I don’t have to do anything else. “
“I have never heard about this before, but it seems like a great idea. It’s like a piggy bank and it just helps me unconsciously save up, like when I was a child. "
“I think it's a great feature to include. It’s Important to start saving when young, and this can actually help them to save, especially for people who spend often. "
In response to user feedback and findings from usability testing, I have made ongoing improvements to enhance the accessibility of account application and the usability of the withdrawal feature.
25% of users had difficulty finding the account application. To address this, I implemented a new entry point through the dashboard banner, and added a 'New' tag to enhance its visibility.
50% of users overlooked the checkbox required for withdrawal. In response, I replaced it with a pop-up message to confirm withdrawal, and enhanced the readability of the disclaimer.
Affordable savings
How does SAYS Account make savings easy and affordable to everyone? Recognising that a fixed savings amount can be challenging for some users, SAYS Account now offers a solution that allows users to save their spare change. This approach recognises that every bit of savings counts towards building a better financial future.
Convenience
How does SAYS Account make savings more convenient? The SAYS account operates seamlessly in the background, and automatically rounds up your spending, enabling you to save while you spend.
Flexibility
How does SAYS Account make savings more flexible? With the ability to customise your round-up multiplier at any time and withdraw funds whenever you need them, the SAYS Account provides flexibility and control over your savings.
Warming up ...
