Reel
A Save-to-Own Webapp Redesign focused on improving the on-boarding process and flow.
Product Overview
Reel—previously Reeelit—is a free save-to-own webapp that provides its customers with a debt-free, effortless, and attainable saving strategy by allowing them to save up for clothing and fashion accessories they dream of owning. By automating savings from a bank account on a daily or weekly basis, Reel lets its users shop online without a credit card.
Why the Drop-off?
HEURISTIC EVALUATION
Spotting the Issues
The first step toward improving Reel began with the assessment of its current user experience through a Heuristic Evaluation. We inspected Reel’s user interface and evaluated its compliance with recognized usability principles and best practices. Then we applied those findings in the first design sprint.
Key Findings
Our assessment of the current user experience showed several pain points:
- The information architecture of the app is poor and inconsistent
- Call-to-Action buttons were flat and unnoticeable
- The “How it Works” educational content is too long and unclear
- Error Prevention elements were not in place
- Navigational icons we unclear and inconsistent
- Important messages regarding security weren’t prominent
USABILITY RESEARCH
Defining the Users
We began the research process by dividing existing Reel users into three groups:
Surveys – User Groups 1 & 2
Surveys – Key Findings
Reel users…
96.9%
are women
***
61.5%
are employed full-time
67.0%
have credit cards
***
65.6%
have credit card debt
71.9%
have linked checking account to apps
***
56.0%
shop often
Interviews – User Group 3
Interviews – Defining the Key User
Mila the Millennial
Mila is a 25-year-old manager of a clothing store. She got herself through community college by working in retail. However, she had to take out student loans after transferring to a 4-year university to complete her degree in communications. She also accumulated credit card while in school. She’s committed to being more financially responsible and avoids using her credit card to make purchases.
- Wants to be a lifestyle blogger and wants to add more diversity to the influencer world.
- Wants to pay off her debt, especially her credit card, but also wants to enjoy life and buy things to help build her brand as a blogger.
Pain Points
- Has a hard time compartmentalizing her savings.
THE SOLUTION
Design Sprint 1 – New Structure
The first design sprint was based on the results of the Heuristic Evaluation. We sketched, designed, and prototyped low-fidelity wireframes based on our findings and conducted the first round of user tests. This redesign was a major overhaul of the existing user interface—new sitemap, new navigational and functional icons, and restructuring of existing pages.
Design Sprint 2 – Refinement
The second design sprint was based on the results of the user testing results from design sprint 1. This redesign included minor layout adjustment and refinement of functional icons throughout the app.
Design Sprint 3 – New Features
The third, and final, design sprint was based on the key findings of the usability research and user testing results from design sprint 2. This redesign included major refinements to user flow, content strategy, and introduced new features requested by users.
Project Summary
The goal of this redesign was to identify, address, and test various solutions to usability issues that were affecting the app’s user experience and causing an 85% user drop-off in the app’s sales funnel. By conducting usability inspections, user research, and multiple design sprints, my team and I came to understand Reel’s user groups and deliver research-based user experience and user interface changes to Reel.