AshishZestMoney · Android app · Consumer lending
Enhancing experience of fastest growing Fintech
ZestMoney gives credit to people with no credit card or credit history, more than 300 million households in India. I led the design of its Android app so existing customers could take repeat loans and manage everything themselves, from sign-up to repayment.
The headlines
Problem
Customers relied on support teams for things they could do themselves, and repeat loans were hard to start.
What we did
Two personas, a competitor review of 5 lenders, user stories, task and user flows, and a new information architecture.
Solution
A self-service app covering credit limit, loans, EMI payment, shopping, profile and support.
App and company milestones. They describe the product as a whole, not the redesign alone.
ZestMoney wanted existing customers to come back for repeat loans and to serve themselves instead of calling support, from sign-up through the full loan life cycle.
ZestMoney is India’s largest consumer lending fintech, founded in 2015 by Lizzie Chapman, Priya Sharma and Ashish Anantharaman. The app is the main customer interface, so it had to let people act on their own, whenever and on whatever device they chose.
What the app had to achieve
- Financial servicesEvolve from a credit provider to a broader financial services platform.
- Repeat customersImprove experience, repeat rate, collections and lifetime value.
- Easiest applicationThe simplest possible loan application process.
- Fast approvalApprove loans quickly.
- Pay EMI onlineLet customers repay without contacting support.
- One stop for loansEvery type of loan on one platform.
Who we designed for, and what they already used
Two personas came out of the research, defined by age group, goals, frustrations and primary tasks.
Competitive analysis
Five lenders and finance apps
We reviewed what each competitor offered and noted where it worked well and where it didn’t.
LazyPay
EarlySalary
Walnut
Affirm
Bajaj Finserv
Capabilities compared
- Instant loan
- Buy products online using credit
- Flexible and no-cost EMI options
- Autopay EMI
- Pre-approved loans and instant approval
- Loan calculator
- Track spending and set a monthly budget
- Bill and repayment reminders
- Virtual card
- Money transfer to a bank account
From pain points to stories, tasks and flows
We managed the agile storyboard in Trello alongside the development team, adding and tracking stories as we worked.
User stories
Written from the personas’ pain points
- As a user I should be able to complete a partially completed credit limit application.
- As a user I should be able to activate an approved credit limit.
- As a user I should be able to redeem an activated credit limit.
- As a user I should be able to apply for partial loans with an activated credit limit.
- As a user I should be able to apply for a gift card with an activated credit limit.
Task analysis
Resume and complete a credit application
Users wanted to pick up where they left off, know how much credit they would get, and see how many steps and how much time remained.
User flow
Unlock a credit application
Each task was detailed into the steps a user takes to complete it.
Information architecture
A sitemap kept as simple as possible
The sitemap kept the structure simple to build and to use, and guided the overhaul of the app’s structure.
From sketches to a self-service app
Low-fidelity wireframes
High-fidelity wireframes
Visual design
Six areas of the app
Sign in
Home
Loan
Shop
Profile
Support
UI elements
Icons and style guide
Where the product landed
Users in usability testing responded favourably to the app.App and company milestones describe the product as a whole, not the redesign alone.
