Cashflo
Overview
About
I worked in a team of 5 designers, under the direction of our Project Lead, Ethan Pidgeon. After four months of weekly design sprints and an extensive research and discovery phase, we created a comprehensive visual identity as well as a high-fidelity prototype that will enable our client to take Cashflo to the next steps.
Understanding the founders' mission
The first step was to understand the problem ourselves. We researched underbanked and unbanked communities to learn about their needs. We found that many people mistrust traditional banks, live far from them, or prefer managing finances on their own.
The founders wanted to create an easy way for people to convert cash to digital money at any location, like a convenience store. As the world becomes more tech-reliant, they hoped this digital money could be used for ecommerce, investing, and more.
"In an economy that runs on the assumption that individuals have full access to traditional banking, living without that access has a number of costs."
- Forbes ↗
Discovery workshops to uncover the brand
By going through a series of workshops both internally and with the founders, we aimed to understand Cashflo’s brand personality, target audience, mission, and goals. These workshops helped us clarify key product features and benefits, aligning them with user needs and expectations.
Everyone initially came up with their own statements, but after some discussion we settled on the above problem statement to guide us through the rest of the project.
Another workshop that we took part in was continuums. This helped us align with the founders to understand more of the product experience and brand.
User interviews and finding inspiration from others
We also conducted user interviews with potential users, industry experts and key stakeholders This gave us further understanding on the product. We conducted research on other apps that had similar features to what we were thinking about for our app. Looking at their pros and cons, we were able to pull inspiration for features and flows. We developed user stories and a features backlog to help us prioritize the must haves, nice to haves, and the things that were just out of scope.
We did a quick market analysis, examining products that also have similar flows of transferring money. We looked at what they did well, and what could be improved and what features we could possibly implement in our own solution.
Information that we can take from our market research
Avoid overly trendy elements but maintain a youthful appeal.
Users should feel like the app is reliable, but also simple enough for them to understand the process.
Focus on creating a personal and user-centric brand name.
Coming up with a brand
When brainstorming the initial visual brand for Cashflo, we were drawn towards visual identities that were approachable and trustworthy, yet steered away from a predictable financial look and feel. The final result took on a more modern look through high contrasts, simple UI and playful illustrations, all in which encompass Cashflo.
Direction 1
Direction 2
Direction 3, the one we ended up going with.
More about the logo
Cashflo’s logo and lockup features ligatures that represent the ideas of flowing and transfering. Customized uniquely on the typeface Nimbus Sans, the logo is able to stand on its own while potraying both a contemporary and playful feel.
Sitemap and lo-fi wireframes
While some team members worked more on the brand side, establishing Cashflo's look & feel, others worked more on the product side. We developed a sitemap to wal
Our final sitemap reflects a refined scope, concentrating on two key flows: the sign-in/sign-up process and the primary objective of the app, which is to convert cash into digital money.
User testing the sign-up flow
After we developed our lo-fis, we did a user testing session and these were some of the notes we took away from that:
Feels lengthy, combine name, email, and password fields on one page
Consider splitting profile setup and account setup to reduce steps
Ensure clickable language text
Add a description explaining how the app obtains account information
User testing the upload funds flow
We also user tested the main functionality and these were some notes that we took from that:
Provide clear instruction screens
Allow users to tap through success screens; consider combining success screen with the choose account page
Inform users that the QR code is on the next screen
Clarify that multiple transactions can be performed via pop-ups
Option to show instructions screen every time or have each instruction on a separate page with an option to skip future views
Moving onto the hi-fis for final delivery
The initial rounds of user testing were incredibly beneficial, providing us with valuable insights to move on to our high-fidelity designs. We spent the final weeks iterating on wireframes, getting feedback and learning as we went. When the project came to a close
I helped to create the illustrations that our users would go through in order to understand the purpose of Cashflo.
The final sign-up flow guides you through creating a Cashflo account and connecting additional accounts to the app.
The final upload flow demonstrates how users can upload cash into any account once they enter any point-of-sales location.
Other screens such as locations allowed you to look up information about nearby stores that carry the Cashflo service.
Learnings & Reflections
This project marked one of the first times I was on a team that was responsible for shipping a product to clients. I had the least experience on the team, but that motivated me to learn quickly and contribute effectively.
🔍 Ask questions, but also take the time to observe.
On this team, I've learned the importance of asking questions to understand the project and user needs better. But it's also crucial to take time to observe. Watching how users interact with a product shows problems that aren't always mentioned. Observing my team was just as important; it helped me understand how everyone works together and where I can best contribute. It was also just awesome to watch people with more experience do what they do, and I definitely took away with me a lot. By asking questions and observing, I can create better designs and work more effectively with my team.
🖼️ It's all in the details.
As a designer, I've realized that the smallest details can make the biggest difference. Attention to typography, color choices, spacing, and alignment can transform a good design into a great one.
Impact & Looking Ahead
After a semester together with Cashflo, we were able to handoff a comprensive brand book that would enable them to further develop the brand with a strong visual identity. In addition, we were also able to handoff a high fidelity prototype that would enable Cashflo to begin the development process and pitch to investors an idea that would help the underbanked and unbanked populations.
