Product & Service Design , Scrum
In today's competitive digital landscape, providing an exceptional app experience is crucial for customer engagement and retention. American Express aimed to elevate its app by focusing on four key areas: driving transaction volume, enhancing gamification, improving merchant discovery, and optimising push notifications.
Despite the app's existing features, there were challenges in effectively incentivising lower transacting Card Members (CMs) to increase their spending. Additionally, the current gamification elements did not fully engage users and the merchant discovery process could have been more intuitive and personalised. Furthermore, the use of push notifications needed to be optimised to ensure they were perceived as valuable rather than intrusive.
These initiatives were designed to deliver a more personalised, engaging, and efficient user experience for CMs.
The following outlines the project objectives and approaches to achieve those goals.
Driving Transaction Volume
Research Question:
What app features can incentivize lower transacting CMs to increase their transactions?
Approach:
1. Conduct surveys and focus groups to understand spending habits and barriers.
2. Explore incentives such as cashback, bonus points, and limited-time offers.
3. Test personalized offers based on spending patterns to identify effective strategies.
4. Implement A/B testing to optimize incentive structures.
Driving Gamification
Objective: Enhance the Local Champion experience and develop engaging gamification features.
Research Question: How can we gather feedback on the Local Champion experience and build appealing gamification features for CMs?
Approach:
1. Collect qualitative feedback through user interviews and focus groups.
2. Analyze app usage data to identify engagement patterns.
3. Implement an in-app feedback loop for real-time user input.
4. Develop new gamification elements like tiered challenges, leaderboards, and social sharing features.
Driving Merchant Discovery
Objective: Improve the merchant discovery process within the Amex app.
Research Question: How do CMs prefer to discover merchants through the app?
Approach:
1. Conduct user surveys and interviews to understand current discovery methods and preferences.
2. Identify pain points and opportunities in the customer journey.
3. Test new app features such as interactive maps, personalized recommendations, and user reviews.
4. Integrate AI-driven suggestions based on user behaviour and trends.
Push Notifications
Objective: Optimize the use of push notifications to enhance user engagement.
Research Question: What are CMs' attitudes and preferences towards push notifications, and how do they integrate with their app usage?
Approach:
1. Survey and interview CMs to gather data on perceptions and experiences with push notifications.
2. Present example notifications using an InVision prototype and collect feedback.
3. Identify preferences for notification frequency, content, and personalisation.
4. Develop a strategy balancing informative content with user engagement.Implement customiable notification settings within the app.
By addressing key areas identified through thorough research and user feedback and by focusing on increasing transaction volume, enriching gamification features, improving the merchant discovery process, and optimising push notifications, the app now offers a more personalised, engaging, and efficient experience for CMs. These enhancements drove higher user engagement and satisfaction, solidifying American Express's position in the competitive digital landscape.
With the first initiative out of the way, next came...
Optimising User Engagement for American Express Send & Split Cross-Sell
American Express endeavoured to enrich user experience and drive enrolment in its Send & Split feature, enabling cardholders to split payments and transfer money seamlessly. The strategic placement of a cross-sell tile at the conclusion of the card provisioning process within PayPal aims to promote this feature, intending to elevate user adoption and satisfaction with the Send & Split service.
Challenges:
Despite the potential advantages of the Send & Split feature, several hurdles needed addressing:
1. User Awareness: Users may lack a comprehensive understanding of the purpose and benefits of the Send & Split feature when presented at the end of the card provisioning flow.
2. User Decision-Making: It remains unclear how users decide whether to explore the Send & Split feature at the cross-sell point.
3. Feature Differentiation: Users might fail to recognise Send & Split as a distinctly different service from merely using their card on PayPal.
4. User Continuity: Users might experience disconnection or dissociation when transitioning from the "Card Added Successfully" screen to the Send & Split flow.
5. Messaging Clarity: The effectiveness of the updated copy for Send & Split necessitates evaluation to ensure clear communication of its benefits.
Question:
The research aimed to address these challenges by answering key questions:
1. Do users grasp the purpose of the Send & Split cross-sell tile?
2. How do users decide whether to explore Send & Split at the cross-sell point?
3. Do users discern Send & Split as a distinct feature from their previous experience?
4. Do users understand they can still use their card on PayPal without enrolling in Send & Split?
5. Do users feel disconnected transitioning from the "Card Added Successfully" screen to the Send & Split flow
6. How well do users understand the updated copy for Send & Split?
Solution Approach:
To tackle these questions, the research concentrated on the following objectives:
Research Objectives:
1. Product Objective: Identify the most effective method to prompt users to enroll in Send & Split post-card provisioning on PayPal.
2. Design Objective: Investigate factors influencing user engagement with the cross-sell; pinpoint features encouraging enrollment.
3. UX Writing Objective: Determine the most compelling and transparent language to elucidate and promote the Send & Split feature.
Key Assumptions/Hypotheses:
1. Users perceive value in enrolling in Send & Split as a continuation of their journey.
2. Users comprehend the purpose and functionality of Send & Split from the information presented in the tile.
3. Users differentiate between PayPal provisioning and Send & Split.
4. Users explore Send & Split due to the cross-sell tile capturing their interest.
5. The target audience for both features significantly overlaps.
Key User Tasks:
1. Navigate through the flow leading to the ‘card successfully added to your PayPal account’ page.
2. Express thoughts at the cross-sell point regarding expectations and intentions to enrol.
3. Interact with Send & Split intro screens and articulate expectations and intentions to enrol.
4. Describe the use case of each product post-flow and understanding of each feature.
5. Provide feedback on different cross-sell tile styles (A/B).
6. Share thoughts while interacting with the updated Send & Split tile.
User Goals:
Users aim to be motivated to sign up for Send & Split, perceiving it as a distinct, value-enhancing feature beyond card addition to PayPal.
Stimulus:
Test sessions employed clickable prototypes hosted on InVision, facilitating user flow simulation and gathering feedback on the cross-sell tile and Send & Split feature.
Recruitment:
Participants was drawn from a diverse pool (ages 18-55) with varied lending/charging behaviours and revolving/transacting habits. Preference was given to participants with existing PayPal accounts for platform familiarity.
Building upon prior studies and user narratives, the research ensured a comprehensive understanding of user behaviours and needs. Insights gained informed iterative enhancements to the cross-sell tile and overall user experience with Send & Split, aimed at bolstering user engagement and enrolment. Ultimately, these efforts seek to elevate the value proposition of American Express cards.
After seeing to the Send & Split initiative, I then tackled...
Wallets Provisioning
Within the provisioning workflow, cardholders initiate provisioning request either manually, with a new card, or by selecting a card already on file.
The objectives and methodological approach prioritised optimising and delivering exceptional provisioning experiences for card members. This involved establishing a designated hub and access point for users to minimise gaps in provisioning journey funnels and enhance card members comprehension of provisioning features. Key performance metrics include provisioning success rates and the volume of cards provisioned.
Various insights emerged from comprehensive research and were translated into actionable improvements for the provisioning process
Through meticulous analysis, assumptions regarding the utilisation scenarios for various card types were thoroughly reevaluated, considering factors such as current usage patterns, significance and contextual relevancies. This informed the generation of diverse hypotheses, subsequently subjected to rigorous testing via A/B tests spanning the entire user journey. Synthesised findings were thoughtfully distilled and presented in an executive summary.
Subsequent to continuous testing, affirmative user feedback underscored enhancements in product comprehension, linguistic clarity, terminological precision, navigational fluidity and alignment with users cognitive models.
Wallets Provisioning key milestones include the establishment of dedicated labs and the implementation of refined design processes, thereby elevating platform usability, user discoverability, comprehension and alignment with card members provisioning mental models.
And with Wallets Provisioning nearing the end, it was time to move on to...
Virtual Cards
Virtual payment options are gaining traction in the financial industry, transforming the way users conduct transactions. American Express recognised this trend and aimed to capitalise on it by introducing virtual payment cards.
Traditional banking methods often limit users control over their transactions, leaving them susceptible to various risks such as fraud, theft, and inconvenience. Additionally, businesses struggle with tracking and managing transactions effectively.
How could Amex virtual payment cards address these challenges and provide users and businesses with enhanced security, control and convenience?
The solution was empowering users with customisable features and high levels of security:
1. Empowering Users: Users gain independence from traditional banks, choose their preferred currency, set spending limits, and define merchant types.
2. Benefits of Amex Virtual Cards: These include immediate issuance, one-off transaction capability, enhanced security, burner card functionality, and instant termination.
3. Ease of Set-up and Use: Amex ensures a seamless user experience by allowing rapid creation, integration with existing accounts, and assigning unique card numbers.
4. High Levels of Security: Amex employs robust security measures such as non-duplication, expiration settings, and consistent security standards across its network.
The design approach focused on creating a user-centric and secure platform for virtual payment cards. It incorporated intuitive interfaces, seamless integration with existing accounts, and robust security protocols to enhance user experience and trust.
Journey:
1. Discovery: Users explore Amex's virtual payment card offering through various channels, including the website, mobile app, and marketing materials.
2. Registration: Users sign up for Amex virtual cards, providing necessary details and preferences.
3. Creation: Users generate virtual cards within seconds, customising settings such as currency, spending limits, and merchant types.
4. Integration: Virtual cards seamlessly integrate with users' existing Amex accounts, eliminating the need for additional authentication or sharing personal details.
5. Usage: Users employ virtual cards for online transactions, enjoying enhanced security and control over their purchases.
6. Termination: In case of any security concerns, users can immediately terminate virtual cards, minimising potential losses or fraudulent activities.
Amex provides users and businesses with a reliable and secure digital payment solution through its virtual payment cards, promoting transparency, accountability, and efficiency in transactions. By combining user empowerment, intuitive design, and robust security measures, Amex virtual cards redefine the digital payment experience, ensuring peace of mind for users and businesses alike.
