BlockFi

User Journeys, Design Thinking, UX Design
2022

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BlockFi Design Challenge
twoBirds Product Proposal
Guideline Mobile App Design Challenge
Project Overview
Within two hours, I aimed to collect user feedback, collate and analyze user data, and propose design requirement changes for the BlockFi mobile app.
Outcomes
Developed a 2x2 matrix of user feedback to help expose areas of user distrust/discontent. Created a user journey map to address UX challenges and proposed design updates to solve for these challenges.
Project Contents
  1. Collecting User Feedback
  2. Design Requirements
  3. Recommendations for Action
  4. User Journeys
  5. Final Thoughts

Collecting User Feedback

When 1:1 user interviewing isn't an option, user feedback can be gleaned from online reviews.
  • App Store Reviews

    App Store Reviews

    I read through and collated feedback from 10+ reviews from the BlockFi App Store page. I chose user reviews that spanned from 5 to 1 stars, to allow for a breadth of experiences.

  • Google Play Store Reviews

    Following the same process, I collected Google Play Store reviews on Android. Again, I included the breadth of experiences from 1 to 5 star reviews.

  • External Reviews & Comparisons

    Additionally, I collated information from reviews on Investopedia, Nerdwallet, and Fool.com. These third-party reviews give a fairly unbiased opinion of BlockFi without being daily users themselves.
Feedback Organization & Analysis

Raw Feedback Analysis

In Google Sheets, I included feedback from App Store user reviews, and added in tallies for frequency of feedback expressed.

Feedback Categorization

I then categorized feedback by Pro/Con, Specific/General, and finally Category that the feedback addresses. The following categories were identified as particularly relevant:
- Overall Usability
- Customer Service/Security
- Credit
- Wallet
- Loans
- Checking/Interest

Kanban Organization

Using a Kanban Board, I categorized feedback based on Category (described above). These categories allowed me to formulate a 2x2 matrix that channeled the design process towards features that were general (applied to many users), and were given high priority in terms of feature chronology.
Feedback Categorization

2x2 Matrix

As I sifted through feature requests based on the analyses above, I wanted to prioritize feature requests that had two features:

1. The request pertained to a product that has been a part of the BlockFi family of products for a long time.

2. The feedback was general rather than specific in nature, pertaining to more users and interactions than specific requests.

Design Requirements

Based on insights gleaned from gaps in the above 2x2 matrix, I identified five design requirements for older members of the BlockFi product family.

  • Displaying market analytics for individual coins & users' portfolio.

  • Personal data seeming disjointed, not flowing like a narrative.

  • Needing to use a third-party authentication app daily when logging into the app.

  • Time delay of up to 24hrs after sending over first transfer to wallet.

  • Lack of video explainers similar to competitors, e.g. Coinbase.

Understanding Existing
User Flows
In order to understand where users were expressing concern with the existing usability of the BlockFi app, I broke down the homepage view into the user flows to complete various actions.
These actions (trade, withdraw, fund, observe markets, and secure a loan) spanned the gamut of existing BlockFi products identified earlier.

Recommendations for Action

Combining insights from the 2x2 matrix with my analysis of the existing BlockFi mobile app experience surfaced specific recommendations for action in a mobile app redesign.

  • Coin Analytics

  • Telling Your Crypto Story

Coin Analytics
In the marketplace of personal finance apps, I have seen a movement towards analysis in-app, rather than having to leave the application or the product family itself.

This is one of the main concerns expressed by users in App Store and Google Play reviews. To address this problem, I recommend:
  • Messaging & Mission
    The messaging around what BlockFi is (and what it isn’t) may be unclear to some users coming from competitor applications. They expect to see the same analytics dashboards that crypto trading apps are known for, and may be taken aback when this isn’t at the forefront of the BlockFi mobile experience.
  • Analytics At Your Fingertips
    ‍Seeing the market trends of the coins you hold (and those you don’t) is a simple and effective way to communicate price fluctuations and asset value. Even applications like Guideline and Acorns, which give users information about the growth (and potential) of their investment portfolios effectively utilize graphs to communicate asset value.
  • Analytics End-Goals
    ‍Is showing market minutia a priority for the average user of BlockFi mobile? Based on my assessment, this feature should be prioritized. This feedback was general rather than specific, and pertained to older products (Trading, Lending) in the BlockFi family. It was also brought up by a large minority of users in feedback on the Apple App and Google Play stores.
Telling Your Crypto Story
Many users mentioned a desire for a smoother flow of information, creating a narrative of their crypto holdings and history on BlockFi. To address this, I recommend the following:
  • Messaging & Mission
    BlockFi situates itself as a bridge between crypto wallets/platforms and traditional financial institutions. Storytelling in banking apps is a new addition for many, from the new Wells Fargo app, to Mint, TurboTax, Guideline, and others.
  • Developing User Loyalty
    ‍Being able to tell (and experience!) a story with an application is a unique way to develop rapport with your users and keep them coming back. This is supported by game-ified apps like DuoLingo, or apps where data must be updated frequently, like MyFitnessPal or Fitbit.
  • How to Tell the Story
    All that talk is fine, but how do you actually tell a compelling user story with data? What features of a narrative are central to a user coming back for more, and understanding where their money is headed (and where it's already gone)?

User Journeys

Combining the desire for a strong story with crypto analytics to address recommendations described earlier is as easy as developing a strong and meaningful user journey.

Exposition
New users require onboarding and instructions for how to get the most out of their experience. Onboarding must be smoother and more enjoyable, and an initial optional tutorial could heighten the sensation of involvement with all of the tools BlockFi has to offer – tying them together into one family of products.
  • Optional tutorial during onboarding
  • Completely in-app onboarding experience (incl. ID verification)
  • More personalized questions for later recommendations
Inciting Incident
User's first crypto crash. They've lost untold amounts of money (except we know the numbers here). How do we help them move forward in the wake of their loss?
  • Educational videos pop up when certain coins drop below a certain threshhold (to explain price fluctuations, volatility, and timelines)
Crisis
User follows the narrative structure of our app and learns about price fluctuations, volatility, and the benefits of "buying the dip". User feels reassured that they aren't alone or doing things wrong.
  • Recommending a pause on automatic purchasing or trading
  • Educational material about serious market shifts
Rising Action
User follows the narrative structure of our app and learns about price fluctuations, volatility, and the benefits of "buying the dip". User feels reassured that they aren't alone or doing things wrong.
  • This period may be a good time to recommend inviting friends to download the app
  • Price push-notifications for game-ify the user experience
Climax
Another rise in price for a coin the user purchased during a dip. Perhaps the user would like to know what price they purchased at, and what the current price differential is on a particular coin in their wallet.
  • Graph of the price differential between purchase and current price of each coin
  • Timeline of price of coin since user has held it
  • Overall value of wallet since first joining
Falling Action
User purchases a home with a loan they have taken out against their crypto holdings. Though they are less cash-rich, they are excited about the journey they have been on with their crypto holdings.
  • Encourage user + congratulate them with a small reward for successfully taking out a loan
  • Allow users to "save" towards certain goal purchases, e.g. raising a family, buying a house, and reward them if they hit the goal during the time allotted
Resolution
User is a pro using BlockFi, and has used all of the products effectively to achieve their financial goals. They have →
  1. Purchased and traded crypto, even withdrawing during a high point
  2. Applied (and been accepted) for a loan against their crypto holdings
  3. Linked multiple bank accounts, leaving their traditional bank aggregator apps behind
  4. Checked the coin markets for when to buy (and when to hold)
  5. Funded their account with money from their linked bank in order to purchase more Bitcoin

Final Thoughts

Well, what does this all mean?

From my analysis, I would recommend that the narrative structure of the BlockFi app must be flexible enough to encourage users even when their story paints a less positive picture.

Striking a balance between accurately portraying the value of their assets, and providing education and encouragement for the future is critical to these users.

We should also be able to celebrate wins with the user without over-promising results.

twoBirds

User Research, Design Thinking, UX Design
2020

Jump to Projects

BlockFi Design Challenge
twoBirds Product Proposal
Guideline Mobile App Design Challenge
Project Overview
Design an iOS app and business model for a new FinTech/charity startup idea.
Outcomes
Dove deeply into the needs of my target users, creating design requirements that addressed their needs. Created mockups that incorporated these features into an elegant and robust iOS app prototype.

Motivation

Why donations? Why now?

  • Media Coverage of Covid-19 and #BLM

    Media coverage and journalism during the first half of 2020 highlighted the atrocities of society in a way I hadn’t seen in before in America. Constant streams of negative information left me feeling helpless to make change.

  • Stanford Campus Mutual Aid Funds

    Despite significant efforts by Stanford’s student body, there still wasn’t a centralized location for mutual aid, whether for BLM, Covid-19 relocation + safety, or other causes affecting students on campus.

  • Social Media Donation Campaigns

    Social media during the first half of 2020 became filled with donation campaigns, mutual aid funds, and other ways to support nearly constantly-evolving causes. Linktrees provided some centralization, but Venmo and GoFundMe reigned.

User Research

Preliminary Stakeholders & Initial Insights

Gen-Z Social Media Users
I interviewed three average users of social media from various educational and socio-economic classes. Findings from these interviews informed the user experience and product-market fit for my application.

“I didn’t have the income to match $50 donations but wanted to help...”

Charitable Organizations & Fund Organizers
I interviewed two organizers, one who had organized a mutual-aid fund, and another who ran a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

“I wish I could know how much money we’ll have in a month, two months...”

Social Media Influencers
I interviewed three visual artists who run non-profit businesses on Instagram. Their business model focused on “active donating”, or donating money collected from the exchange of products or services. Customers chose artists based on desire for their products, and weighed the quality of the art against the charity or non-profit that their money would benefit.

“I don’t feel comfortable moving such large amounts of $ into my personal account...”

Competitors
I spoke with five competing platforms to understand the existing charitable giving landscape, particularly focusing on companies that harnessed a “passive donation” model. These five competitors ranged from iOS apps to web platforms to services leveraged by existing businesses.

"There is a 3-part motivational divide in our users: harnessing synergy of social giving, sustained giving client-side, and B-to-B interests often conflicted..."

Defining User Needs

Gen-Z Social Media Users

  1. Need access to financial resources
  2. Need to feel like they are connected & contributing to the cause
  3. Need to do so through a socially-acceptable or "trend-oriented" channel

Charitable Organizations

  1. Need sustained donations & contributions
  2. Need to feel long-term stability through financial means
  3. Need to project & plan over time to maximize their impact

Ideation

"How Might We..." Statements

Gen-Z Social Media Users

How might we help Gen-Z gain access to otherwise-inaccessible financial resources?

Charitable Organizations

How might we reduce the burden of money collection for non-profit businesses?

Social Media Influencers

How might we make donating to charity feel like buying your favorite product(s)?

Turning Needs into Actions
Ideating on the three HMW statements led to insights about how to solve for the needs of my three target user groups.
Further brainstorming allowed me to begin drafting a user experience to address these needs. Main features initially included Search and Wallet.

Prototyping

Distilling ideation into V1 features

Easily Discover Reputable Charities

Social media is a great way to spread awareness about social issues, but after the viral trends have died down, organizations on the ground still need our help. twoBirds sustains investments over longer-term horizons, allowing users to meaningful contribute to causes over time, while helping 501(c)(3) organizations and charities to project donation income further into the future.

Set and Forget with Transaction Round-Ups

Raising money for your favorite causes is as easy as linking your bank to twoBirds. Then simply use your debit or credit card normally - purchases will be rounded up to the nearest dollar and aggregated within the app. Customize the minimum dollar amount at which your funds will be donated, and see your contributions grow - no intervention required!

Create Custom,
Share-able Fundraising Challenges

Here at twoBirds, we understand the importance of synergy in the fundraising process. Share your fundraising successes with friends on your favorite social media platforms. Choose from customized story content in-app, and set social fundraising goals with up to 5 friends. Harness the power of social awareness and reach your goals faster!

V2 Feature Low-Fidelity Prototyping
Home Screen buttons low-fidelity sketching, incorporating feedback from V1 user testing sessions.
Donation Wallet low-fidelity sketching, also incorporating feedback from V1 user testing sessions.
V3 Feature Medium-Fidelity Prototyping

Final Thoughts

What makes twoBirds different from its competitors?

Unlike other competitors in the charity donation landscape, twoBirds meets the unique needs of Gen Z users and charities:

  • 100% In-App Experience

    Searching, aggregating, and vetting charities – without ever leaving the app.

  • Social Synergy

    Invitations for friends to join and contribute to causes you all care about, through the social network of your choice.

  • Tax Benefits

    Aggregating your passive donation change to make a big impact – with positive tax implications.

  • Recommendation Algorithm

    Giving Wallets suggest similar charities to those already in a user's donation flow.

  • Set-and-Forget Donating

    No need to actively fundraise – passive donations are set-and-forget for users.

  • Charity Vetting Benefits

    Boost your donations with positive reviews and money allocation on charity review sites.
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