Sinv
Investments System

Research UX UI Facilitation

Context

SINV

SINV is the main system used by professionals, investment consultants, managers, and assistants to carry out investment advisory activities for a large bank in Brazil.

Investment Division

Banks division that handles trading operations, consultants, and investment specialists. These professionals perform direct customer service and support the network of branches and platforms.

Problem

The Investment Division needs to update its main internal consulting system (SINV) to better meet the demands of internal and external customers and adapt to the new standards of experience and service from the market - consolidated after the emergence of new players and fintechs in the financial market.

My roles

  • UX Researcher
  • UX Designer
  • UI Designer
  • Facilitator

Methodology

Ilustração Solução

Using Design Thinking as a guiding method, the team's approach to planning the new investment system followed the following steps:


  • Research with users from the current system
  • Analysis and consolidation from discoveries
  • Ideation with co-creation workshops
  • Development of functional prototypes
  • Validation with real users

User Research

To carry out the research and immersion process, a semi-structured interview model was adopted


The scope of the interviews was concentrated on exploring aspects of daily work, the use of the current system throughout the investment journey and the tools and artifacts of the different processes adopted by users.


The research process was carried out as follows:

1 Profile mapping

Using logs and access data, we identify the main usage profiles of the system.

2 Running the interviews

Performed in pairs, the research used a semi-structured script and activities mappping to understand user's journeys.

3 Data consolidation

Several notes and insights from the entire investment consultant process were categorized and organized.

4 Results report

A consolidated document was prepared with the main findings, pains and opportunities.


Recruitment by location

In order to diversify and expand the process of discovering about users and also to obtain a less regionalized view of their daily work, it was decided to conduct research in different locations in Brazil.


The locations selected for conducting the research interviews after analyzing access data were:


  • São Paulo
  • Paraná
  • Rio de Janeiro

Profile interviews

The data analysis from the access and use of the current system allowed the distinctiveness of 5 main profiles to be explored in the research process.


The selection, recruitment and scheduling process was followed by the execution of interviews with 35 users segmented as follows:


08

Prime

07

Prime Invest

09

Top Tier

07

Specialists

04

Assistants


Interviews and Consolidation

The execution of the interviews involved exploratory conversations and journey map activities and a immersion on the daily work context, on the tools and on the processes used by the users throughout the investment consulting process.


The data consolidation process, involved an extensive reviewing using categorization, organization and classification of notes and records generated from the team and also by the use of journey maps and use cases identified.


Research and consolidation of discoveries

Analysis and consolidation

As result for the research process, source documents were generated for the next steps of the project and for an Ideation phase.


In order to guide the evolution and definition of what would become the new system and also to provide relevant and objective information for the designing a MVP, some artifacts were generated such as a User Journey Map, consolidating the entire investment advisory process in a single document.


Consolidated documents were also created reuning the main characteristics of user behavior and some user profiles (inspired by the proto-personas approach).


Investment Journey

Map with user pains, oportunities and main actors from the investment journey


Profiles - "Proto-persona"

User profile example


Highlight map with the major pain points

Consolidation of the main pains and points of attention identified in each of the stages of the investment advisory process:


Map with the major pain points splitted by journey steps

Ideation

To prepare solution proposals for the different segments and modules of the new system, a co-creation workshop was held with the participation of 24 users, and with the participation of some members of the project's business teams and technology leaders.


For the workshop, I worked on its design and planning through the structuring of activities, preparation of the physical space and in the preparation of materials used as artifacts to provide greater details and deep information to all participants.


During the execution of the workshop, I acted as one of the facilitators of the activities and as an exhibitor to the whole group about the findings generated in the entire research process.


Co-creation workshop consolidation

After the workshop, a detailed analysis of the proposals, drafts, sketches and ideas originated by each of the participating groups was carried out:


Red and black markings on the images demonstrate part of the analysis

Solution prototyping

As a way to make the proposed solution of the new system tangible, a new organization of its modules and functionalities was structured, in order to then start the development of prototypes at various levels of fidelity until the final interactive proposal.


The prototyping process was done as follows:

1 Information Architecture

2 Sketches & Wireframes

3 High fidelity prototype

4 Interactive prototype


Taxonomy & Card Sorting

To plan and organize the different functionalities and use cases of the new system, taxonomy and card sorting activities were carried out. Thus, it was possible to outline the information architecture and define the initial organization of the different modules of the new system.


Summary of one of the taxonomy exercises


System modules organization


System modules organization - "macro view"


Wireframes

As a first step for sketching the solution, wireframes with medium fidelity were used for a initial design and defining a structure for screens of the new system.


Wireframes generated in the solution design process


High Fidelity

The evolution of prototype fidelity included a version using UI components with colors and spacing closer to the final version. With this version, which now includes interactivity and navigation of the main use cases, the initial version of the MVP for validation was drafted.


Prototype with a deeper level of fidelity for user testing

User validation

For the validation and verification of the proposed solution, it was decided to carry out usability tests with the identified user profiles. The process was carried out with the following steps:

1 Script & Recruitment

Tasks with identified use cases and recruitment of users matching the profiles.

2 Running the tests

It occurred in loco with visits to users and with moderation carried out in pairs.

3 Results analysis

Through recorded videos and audio and using the moderators' notes.

4 Adjustments & Improvements

Report with results indicating adjustment points before development.


Usability Test

Usability tests were performed with 25 users in 3 brazilian States and relied on a standardized and structured task script in addition to the high-fidelity interactive prototype.


Profile segmentation followed the same approach used in the immersion surveys:


08

Prime

08

Prime Invest

04

Top Tier

05

Specialists


I had the opportunity to conduct and participate in all 25 usability tests performed and structure the script of all use cases that were being evaluated.



Results and Improvements

After performing the tests, the results were analyzed and compiled.

Points for improvement, adjustments and various corrections were pointed out and presented to the project's working group through consolidated report and face-to-face presentation followed by debates and discussions to define the scope of the MVP of the new system.


An initial sketch of the evolution of the prototype was also presented with the consideration and application of the findings from the tests:


First prototype sketch with post-test usability improvements



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RafaelMR.com | 2020