the design process
Generating hero prototype flows
Ultimately, Experian was expecting a prototype that could be validated with three types of primary users: people who were new to credit and identity management, those focused on protecting their identity after a potential breach, and people casually interested in tracking their status.
After we reviewed Experian’s existing research, proto-persona, and their results from previous user testing, Morgan and I worked together to come up with a series of high-level user flows.
An example of a high-level flow for setting a goal: Triggered by getting rejected from a car loan, Ben, who is unfamiliar with credit scores, creates an account, learns about what impacts his credit score, sets a goal to improve
Five flows were selected: on-boarding, creating an account, adding items, managing notifications, and setting goals. Once we had the primary flows set, we fleshed them out to account for more detailed actions and decision points.
Oh yes, the ol’ sticky notes on a whiteboard. Charting creating an account and adding an item for monitoring. Sticky notes were nice because we could walk through our white boards with Experian and edit on the fly.
Creating the user experience
From our high-level flows and whiteboards, Morgan and I moved into low-fidelity "thumbnails" that dove deeper into individual flows. We used these to validate flow concepts and screen content with our stakeholders.
For instances where we needed to explore more detail around components and screen structure, we used typical high-fidelity wireframes.
Part of a high-level flow for onboarding
Feeling out how things could be organized on the dashboard
Developing the visual design language
Based on our understanding from kick-off of how Experian wanted to be preceived, I guided Edgar in creating a design language that felt bright, friendly, and comforting – especially for people experiencing stressful financial and personal security situations. As the user experience needs evolved, so too did the visual design.
