Introduction
I’ve banked with 4–5 different financial institutions over the years, often at the same time, and it’s difficult to have a clear understanding of my financial health across the different individual apps. So I explored what a centralized wallet that integrated with different financial institutions might look like.
Research
To help set a baseline of features and capabilities, I examined and compared the mobile apps from Wells Fargo, PNC, Chase, and a local credit union. I also compared the features and interactions of 3rd-party apps like Venmo and CashApp to identify what makes these apps so popular.
Prototype
If you’d like to walk through a limited prototype, tap the button below. The different pages and quick actions are active, but you cannot complete the actions.
Static Screens
Home
The home screen includes announcements, a section that includes most frequented tasks — e.g. Send Money, Mobile Deposits, Transfer Money, and Secure Card — and a quick view of all linked cards.
Pictured below is the home screen, and a glimpse at the experience of tapping one of the quick actions, in this case Secure Your Cards.
Quick Actions
As the name may imply, these interactions allow the user to quickly do some of the most frequented tasks. I imagine in the future these actions could be customized.
Pictured below are examples of quick actions: two screens about sending money, and one about securing, or locking, a card.
Account Detail
The information architecture update on these screens was especially critical, because many of the apps reviewed had issues prioritizing account balances and activity. These screens display the account balance and pending withdrawals at the top and, where applicable, appropriate quick actions.
The bottom half of the screen reveals recent activity, where the user can filter or search for specific information.
Pictured below is the alternate view of the account when the user scrolls past the hero image. A simplified image of the card appears anchored to the top, with the last four digits of the card number and the current balance. Two quick actions remain available.
