Easily manage your REDcard account—anywhere, anytime
The Target REDcard is a credit card that helps Target shoppers save time and money in store and online, however, accessing account information and paying bills is easier said than done. The REDcard app makes it easy for card-holders to manage their accounts from anywhere.
Problem
Managing a REDcard account and paying bills online is cumbersome and frustrating
REDcard accounts can only be accessed through Target’s My REDcard website, which is difficult to find from target.com and has a clunky mobile UI.
Goal
Design a mobile app so REDcard holders can easily access their account and pay their credit card bill from their phone
Hypothesis
Creating a mobile app will allow REDcard holders to quickly access their account information and pay their bills on time.
Role
UX Designer
User Research, Wireframing, Prototyping and Testing
*Part of a prototyping course
Duration
1 month, 2019
RESEARCH
As part of a prototyping and user testing class, my process focused on rapidly designing, testing and reiterating prototypes over a period of 5 weeks.
Usability Testing
My first step was to understand how REDcard holders managed their accounts and how they felt about the existing process. I observed three REDcard holders use My REDcard (the website for managing a REDcard online) to pay a bill. This revealed what type of information is needed to manage an account, as well as major pain points in the existing bill-pay process.
The Biggest Problem:
Users struggled to find the correct login page for My REDcard.
Every user started by logging into Target.com, only to realize they were in the wrong place and then explored Target’s website until they found a small link to My REDcard at the bottom of a long page advertising Target REDcard. This reaffirmed my hypothesis that a mobile app would help REDcard holders quickly access their account.
Competitive Analysis
Next I wanted to see how existing credit apps help card holders easily manage their accounts, so I observed people using their favorite credit card app to pay a bill. I focused on three areas where My REDcard was causing frustrations:
Login process
How account information is displayed
Flow of bill pay
The most user friendly apps had several things in common:
A simple login with face or thumb recognition
Graphic display of account information with clear information hierarchy so users can quickly view their balance
Transparent language throughout the bill pay process that prevents users from having to second guess their actions
(RE)DESIGN PROCESS
User Flow
Using the findings from my usability tests and competitive analysis, I sketched a user flow to outline the primary tasks of signing into the app and paying a bill. This helped me visualize what type of information would need to be included in my initial wireframes as well as the order in which information should appear.
Rapid Prototyping & Testing
With a user flow established I quickly began designing, testing and refining prototypes. I started with simple sketched prototypes so I could focus on content and flow before incorporating graphic elements. This rapid form of testing and prototyping allowed me to quickly modify my designs after each test so I could meet a short deadline.
Users like the ability to preview account activity without opening a new screen.
A single page payment process can be overwhelming as compared to a step-by-step process.
Card holders like having the option to set up automatic payments.
Users prefer to review transaction history within the app. No need to save it elsewhere.
FINAL DESIGN
A REDcard app that allows card holders to quickly log into their account, view their balance, and pay bills.
Review Account Summary
Information hierarchy is clearly defined, allowing REDcard holders to quickly scan their account to understand their current balance, minimum payment amount and due date, and recent activity.
Pay a Bill
Paying a bill is straightforward and painless with a step-by-step bill pay that uses UX standards people are familiar with from other mobile bill-pay experiences. Users can also use the top navigation to jump back to previous steps if they need to quickly revise information they selected.
Next Steps
If Target were to implement this mobile app, I would suggest they do a soft launch with select REDcard holders to gain a better understanding of when, where, and how people use the app and how to further improve the design to fit those scenarios.