e-Cash: Small Business Banking App

Build an MVP from scratch with multidisciplinary teams

Project Overview

Objectives

CTBC aimed to build a new SME app that meets entrepreneurs’ needs with the advantage of its reputation of personal banking.

Challenge

The team had to start with early-stage research to define the business goals and product scope, involving multiple stakeholders.

Duration

Sep. 2020 - Aug. 2021 11 months

Outcome

The overall number of transactions on the platform increased by 16%.

My Role & Deliverables

Main UX Designer

  • Responsible for the app proposal and delivered wireframes for 5 main features.

  • Created a prototype for the usability test and iterating designs.

Co-interviewer

  • Participated in 15 user interviews and created user journeys with 30+ design opportunities.

  • Participated in 8 usability tests.

Workshop Facilitator

  • Guided participants to brainstorm ideas and summarized actionable items in the co-creating workshop.

Background

In the past, CTBC focused primarily on credit cards and wealth management, resulting in relatively limited services for small and medium-sized enterprises. Previously, it only offered a web-based e-Cash platform that does not align with the trends of digital transformation in banking. The bank is determined to launch a new app to meet the real-time transaction needs of business owners.

Challenges

Uncertain Product Direction

The team started with early-stage research, gradually clarifying the business goals, product positioning, and target audience.

Cross-functional Collaboration

The app involves the expectations of different units within CTBC, requiring extensive communication to foster consensus. Additionally, it needs to be co-developed with the external vendor, IBM.

Complex Business Logic

The business is diverse and involves numerous details. Clarifying the logic of the existing online banking system, which has decades of history, requires significant effort.

Design Process

1. Stakeholder Interviews × 7: Define the success of the project and identify potential risks

Acted as recorder, concluded project goals and user needs issues.

4. Feasibility Evaluation: Define project scope with PO, Engineers and Legal Advisers

Acted as a facilitator for discussion and conducted a competitive analysis. Utilised ser jobs across our personas to further define solution scope for an MVP.

2. User Interviews with different roles × 15: Discover user needs

Served as an assistant interviewer, created the customer journey map, and identified over 30 “How might we“ questions.

5. Design Proposal: Propose APP solutions

Acted as a main UX designer to define Information architecture and propose APP keyframes for 4 main features, including homepage, account, transaction.

3. Co-creation workshop: Brainstorm ideas and Prioritize features

Acted as a facilitator for discussion and organized ideas into 100+ features for the feasibility evaluation.

6. Usability Tests: Validate design concepts

Acted as an assistant interviewer, created the prototype and proposed solutions for usability issues.

Pain Point

Opportunity

📥 Receiving

Key Research Findings

  • The lack of deposit notifications makes reconciliation difficult.

  • Multiple billing cycles require memory or calendar reminders.

  • Customizing Notifications

  • Integrating receivables

Target Audience: Sole Proprietor

  • Make transactions in less time

  • Transfer funds between personal and company accounts

  • Struggle to grasp real-time cash flow trends

📤 Payment

  • Password token is necessary for authorization of transactions.

  • Unable to fully record notes in transaction remarks.

  • Ensure sufficient balance before checking maturity.

  • Biometric Authentication for Transaction.

  • Optimize the remarks field.

  • Balance Alert Before Check Maturity

📝 Reconciliation

  • Manually record transactions in Excel to track income and expenses.

  • Switch between two platforms to transfer personal and business funds.

  • Visualize cash flow to understand the overall ins and outs of changes

  • Integrate personal account operations

  • Filtering trasnaction

💰 Loan

  • Spend significant time researching loan options

  • Difficult to track repayment status

  • Proactively Offer Customized Loan Options

  • Display Repayment Progress

Final Design Solution

Final Design Solution

01 HOMEPAGE

The homepage brings together everything you need for financial management, tailored to meet different needs.

02 TRANSACTION

Customized notifications keep you on top of key transactions, enabling fast and efficient trades.

03 Management

Stay on top of cashflow ebbs and flows

Project Results

One year after the app's launch, the overall transaction volume on the platform increased by 16%.

Consecutively awarded 'Best Global Mobile Banking for SMEs' by The Digital Banker for 2023 and 2024.

以終為始

We should take a broader perspective on problems and focus my efforts on top priorities within limited time and resources.

早做一步

As consultants, we should anticipate situations ahead of the client, proactively communicate our planned approaches, empathize with the client's circumstances, address their concerns, and build a sense of trust.

協作共識

During collaborative efforts, clear documentation rules and structures should be established. Throughout the process, it’s important to continuously align with all parties to ensure a shared understanding.

key Learnings