2. Background
• Design principles have emerged from the work of User Experience (UX)
professionals over the past few years.
• Much of this insight has been gleaned from user research and
implementing effective designs.
• Something that we've learned to keep in mind is that we're competing
with other channels.
• If it is easier, faster, or provides a greater sense that the transaction has
been completed by picking up the phone or walking into an office, then
that is what customers will do as opposed to doing it online.
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3. Design Principles > 1. Reassurance
• Customers fear that online transactions wind
up in a "black hole."
• They need reassurance that what they've
gone online to complete has actually taken
place.
• Designers can help allay these fears through
the use of:
• date and time stamps;
• confirmation numbers; and
• enabling the customer to either print or email a Chase offers a transaction
confirmation page to themselves. number to customers after
making a credit card payment.
• Given the growing use of tablets, it is
important to enable customers to also email a
confirmation message or quote to themselves.
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4. Design Principles > 2. Clear Link Labels
• User research shows customers are often
time-pressed with performing self-service
transactions.
• Design considerations:
• Clear link labeling to find their way to the
transaction they wish to complete.
• Usability testing focused on proper labeling is
time well spent in this regard.
• Customers are not in an ideal place to offer USAA surfaces common
marketing advertisements. transactions in the left rail once
• Targeted email however is appreciated. a customer logs in.
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5. Design Principles > 3. Hub & Spoke
• Interaction design models need to help
facilitate costumers finding and completing
transactions.
• Design considerations:
• Providing users with a hub or landing page to
start all of their self-service transactions with is
helpful in this regard.
• As transactions are completed, the user is
brought back to the hub to either sign out or
begin another transaction.
• During usability testing, we've often seen USAA brings customers back to
customers feel that the hub or landing page the “hub” or authenticated
provided them with a certain sense of security landing page after completing
before attempting another transaction. transactions.
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6. Design Principles > 4. Password Recovery
• One of the most common reasons for
customers to call the call center is because
they have forgotten either their user name
or password.
• Design considerations:
• It is essential to make the retrieval of these
as easy as possible via the website or mobile
device. USAA allows customers to have
a temporary password via email
• A best practice in this regard is to send an or text message. They also
email to the customer with the address in their
have the option to answer
profile and prompt them to click on that link to
re-enter the website. Knowledge Base questions.
• Oftentimes this enables the customer to easily
reset their password without having to call the
call center.
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7. Design Principles > 5. Price & Comparisons
• While it may seem obvious, most
customers will not make an online
purchase without a seeing the price first.
• Design considerations:
• Ideally, customers want to see a
side-by-side comparison of what they
have now and the options for
USAA customers are clearly
replacements.
shown the price impact of
• With some clients, their older systems adding a teen driver before
are not at a point where they can present purchasing.
a price to the customer online.
• Unfortunately, this is a non-starter for the
online channel to compete with others.
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8. Design Principles > 6. Plain Language
• Extra effort should be made to simplify
the instruction text that is used on a
self-service site.
• Design considerations:
• While some specialized terms are
required by legal considerations,
the customer should be able to
quickly find in-line or contextual
help to better understand what Capital One 360 (formerly ING
troublesome terms mean. Direct) offers contextual help in
• This should be a particular focus during plain language to help
usability testing and with other user customers link to other bank
touchpoints. accounts.
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9. Conclusion
• While many of the design considerations mentioned above may seem like
common sense, it is surprising how often they are ignored.
• Sometimes this happens because of pressure from leadership to provide
more complex or compelling designs.
• It is important that the designers do everything possible to keep these
transactions as easy to complete as possible.
• When we have been successful in doing so, customer satisfaction scores
have indicated that did our jobs well.
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10. Improved Usability
At Improved Usability, we are dedicated
to helping you delight your customers
whether your company sells services or
products.
We able to help you better understand
your customers needs and how best to
position your products or services in
their current workflow or lifestyle.
We also conduct usability testing for
current and new products or websites.
Usability testing is typically
conducted in one-on-one sessions.
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