nBanks Website

nBanks is a financial management software that offers its users the possibility to manage all their business's bank accounts on the same platform.

A solution built to facilitate the daily management of those who have  to manage their business or a portfolio of clients.



The entire service is controlled and managed by the user on an exclusive digital platform.

User Interview

I used a specific moment, when video recordings for nBanks' institutional material were being produced.

At this time, I took the opportunity to interview four existing users, financial representatives or company administrators from the Porto region, to find out their main frustrations and challenges with the product.

The Interview
The interview consisted of a quick conversation, where I addressed the following main questions:



- Why do you use nBanks platform?

- What is the value acquired, and which tool do you use the most?

- What are the difficulties in the daily use of the platform?

- How did you discover the nBanks platform?



Note: Despite knowing the questions were not the most appropriate for the technique in question, they were part of the context brought by the stakeholders and helped to perceive a scenario that was practically non-existent for the team until that moment.

Answers in common

Users interviewed

Desk Research

I researched data and habits related to other banking aggregation programs to understand competitor behaviors and benchmark information queries. Additionally, I examined how other platforms engage users, recognizing that such services lack training programs and are often more complex than users intuitively understand.

The competitor analysis revealed that companies tend to focus on a single user profile, such as accountants or financial managers, offering tools tailored to these exclusive groups. This emphasized that the type of information presented varies across different business fields.

With input from stakeholders, I realized that the content is vast and dispersed across various professional sectors, yet all are interconnected and sourced from the same origins.

Benchmarking copetitors

I realised that this new market proposal was causing a lot of confusion and suspicion about open banking. Our strategy was to emphasise the security and benefits of this new approach.

In addition, reinforcing user referrals to potential new customers would help to increase trust in the platform's services.

Prioritising to build

Prioritising resources helped me define what was most important to raise and bring to the solution.



So I created a matrix of opportunities to think about the potential solution in an embryonic scenario.

Matrix of opportunities

What to prioritise

1. Offer simple, straightforward information.

2. Teaching how to take advantage of the benefits.


3. To share as much information about this market as possible.

The value proposition is to separate the platform from institutional content by creating a dedicated information site. This new site will feature individual product advantages, promote marketing, and serve as the login gateway to the service platform.

Maintaining regular communication with the founders was key to aligning expectations with market realities. However, the most valuable lesson was that user feedback offers deeper insights into the market than the opinions of professionals involved in the process.

Concept

I realised that it's essential to keep only the essential information on the platform's main screen, with support materials available only when necessary.


User Flow

The core idea was to fully separate the institutional site from the platform.
The site will serve as an access channel to the platform's services, a means of presenting these services to the market, and a user manual with simple, intuitive tutorials on nBanks' features.

nBanks site user flow

Wireframe

I initially created digital wireframes to facilitate dynamic collaboration with stakeholders. This allowed me to quickly adjust screens based on feedback and requests before finalizing any concepts.

High fidelity wireframe

User Interface

The 3 categories on the site show:



- Presentation of tools and resources;

- Plans and benefits to promote subscription;

- Exclusive content to present the dynamics of the market.

Three key channels

Adhering to the visual identity guidelines was crucial to ensure consistency, cohesion, and alignment with the company's branding and existing communications.

User manual

Highlighting each tool’s advantages and benefits was a significant step in enhancing usability, eliminating the need for training teams, and reducing extra costs for the company.

Explaining the features

Business Presentation

By presenting the platform's advantages and functionalities in separate content pieces, we enhanced business consistency and directly connected each service to the client's daily use.

Showing variety of products

Ongoing

After the creation phase, ongoing project evolution was essential. We conducted in-depth user research to test and validate the site, aiming to improve the initial version.



Analyzing metrics like retention, engagement, and new user subscriptions was crucial for assessing success and shaping the product roadmap. Preference tests and surveys provided valuable insights into content effectiveness and helped address as many user needs as possible.

Results

The site has become a win-win solution for both users and the company. 

‍The main impacts reached in less than one year helped increase the company structure and the development needs.


Some of the benefits were:

- Easy access to the platform for the existing users;
- A new user subscription structure with much higher user retention than the original;
- A complete information center, which supports the nBanks platform;
- A powerful tool to work on sales and communication.

Reflection & learnings

As my first project fully focused on UX, I experienced a steep learning curve, not only in applying techniques and interpreting insights, but also in managing expectations, prioritizing information, and balancing user needs with company goals.

However, the most valuable lesson was advocating for the importance of applying UX Design before project development.  Successfully selling that idea was the greatest reward.



Although I wasn't able to continue working on this project, I'm confident that my efforts laid the foundation for the main structure, ensuring the project remains on track for future development.

Thanks

A big thanks to the people who participated in this entire journey and gave me feedback to improve the idea.



In particular, I thank João Ferrão who helped me throughout the process, creating with me or questioning every step.

That’s all Folks.