ZELLE

Zelle, a leading peer-to-peer payment platform, sought to increase user retention and engagement by addressing key pain points and enhancing its overall stickiness. My role as a Product Design Intern focused on conducting user and market research to uncover insights that informed design improvements and fostered loyalty.

Retention was a primary concern for Zelle, with users occasionally opting for competitor platforms due to perceived usability gaps. The challenge was to identify opportunities to make Zelle a more engaging and intuitive product that users would return to consistently.

Key Insights

  • Introduce social features (e.g., reminders, personal payment notes) to boost engagement.

  • Improve transaction transparency to build trust.

  • Create an ecosystem-like experience to foster loyalty and stickiness.

Impact

My research influenced:

  • Improved transaction statuses for transparency and reliability.

  • Exploration of social engagement features, such as payment notes and reminders, to make interactions more personal.

  • Optimized workflows for a seamless user experience.

  • Recommendations for lightweight social elements to foster connection and increase app usage.

As a User Experience Design Intern, I was responsible for:

  • Conducting user interviews and surveys to uncover behavioral patterns and preferences.

  • Analyzing market trends and competitor platforms to identify gaps and potential features.

  • Synthesizing findings into actionable insights to inform the design team’s work on user retention strategies.

User Research

Conducted user interviews with Zelle customers to identify common frustrations and preferences.

Designed surveys to validate findings and gather quantitative insights.

Personas

Sarah – The Busy Professional

  • Age: 32, Marketing Manager, Urban area

  • Goals: Quickly send/receive money with trust and ease.

  • Pain Points: Unclear transaction statuses, unnecessary steps.

  • Needs: Transparent, real-time feedback and seamless workflows.

Alex – The Social Splitter

  • Age: 25, Recent Graduate, Suburban area

  • Goals: Split bills and pay friends easily for social outings.

  • Pain Points: Lacks personalization and social features.

  • Needs: Payment notes, reminders, and better engagement features.

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

Analyzed Venmo and Cash App for engagement features like payment notes, transaction histories, and streamlined workflows.

  • Went outside the box by studying the Apple and Tesla ecosystems, focusing on seamless user experiences and brand loyalty.

  • Researched the Nintendo Switch for its versatile design, drawing parallels to how Zelle could enhance engagement.

Jamie – The Family Organizer

  • Age: 39, IT Consultant, Suburban area

  • Goals: Reliable money transfers for family emergencies.

  • Pain Points: Confusing error messages, lack of feedback.

  • Needs: Clear transaction confirmations and secure workflows.