Role: Research, Interaction and User interface design
This case study examines the design process and user research behind the development of a digital vault mobile app.
As a product designer, I was responsible for conducting user interviews, creating wireframes and prototypes, and testing the app with potential users.
The goal of the project was to create a secure and user-friendly app that would allow users to store and manage their sensitive information. Through iterative design and user testing, we were able to create a product that met the needs of our target audience and improved the overall user experience.
MyVault lets you keep information such as passwords, messages, images, & documents private & secured & link them with beneficiaries
Outcome
The task completion rate, which measures the number of users who were able to complete tasks such as adding, editing, and deleting files, was 95%. This indicates that the app's user interface and functionality were well-designed and easy to use.
Additionally, the average time spent on the app per session was 10 minutes, which is higher than the industry average of 5 minutes.
The user has all information stored in the vault organized in folders - documents, people, image and voice notes.
Challenge
I was a product designer looking for a new challenge & I was given the task to create a digital vault mobile app that would solve the problem of securely storing and managing sensitive information.
I quickly discovered that many people were hesitant to use digital vault apps because they felt that their sensitive information was not secure enough.
I knew that I had to create an app that not only met the security standards but also was easy to use.
Product-market fit
Reports from market research indicated that the digital vault market size is expected to grow approximately from USD 471 million in 2018 to USD 892 MILLION BY 2023 at a Compound annual growth rate of 13.6%
This is a huge market, and to tap into this market growth factors needed to be prioritized. Major growth factors for the market include increasing regulations and compliances to protect sensitive data
Key players
United States Players are dominating the digital vault market and due to the different operating environment in Africa and the lack of competition there, the startup may become one of the leaders and be able to bring their particular value dispositions.
With key players like Johnson Controls (Ireland), CyberArk (United States), IBM (United States), Oracle (United States), U.S. players are dominating the digital vault market
Deductions
A major competitor is "Everplans", it's an established app with a large user base and a good reputation for its security features, it is free but has a limited document upload space.
Another major competitor is "GoodTrust", this app has a more modern and sleek user interface, with unlimited space but can't add account passwords.
In comparison, our digital vault mobile app offers a user-friendly interface and high level of security, making it a strong competitor in the market. Additionally, we also offer additional features such as cloud integration, biometric authentication, and the ability to share files with others securely.
Users can add beneficiaries, or people close to them, to the items in their vault.
User research
Knowing the user needs and understanding their problems, pain points, and desires help provide the best possible solution,
From qualitative research, insights showed that managing digital assets in life and protecting them was increasingly complex for users
I asked myself, "With the product in mind, what are the gaps in the lives of our potential user groups that our app could fill, and how do we differentiate ourselves from the competition?"
Gotten from research, some of the digital assets of users included online banking, brokerage and cryptocurrency accounts. Also included are online photos, videos, blog posts, online family trees, email, social-media accounts and more
They also prioritize being able to access their information from anywhere and the ability to share files with others securely. These insights align with key metrics such as user retention, task completion rate, and in-app purchases for premium security features.
UX approach
Instead of knowing precisely what I wanted to design, I started with something that could work, creating a hypothesis and figure out how to test it quickly, then build on that
My approach to UX was based on Lean UX methodology where small changes were made upfront and tested with users right away
Testing out with real-life consumers, observe them while they use, and get feedback from them. This aimed to determine whether a feature was likely to succeed
My approach to UX was based on Lean UX methodology where small changes were made upfront and tested with users right away
Some insights I found while testing:
Users preferred if the information stored in the vault are presented in a timeline view (Twitter TL as an example of a timeline/chronological view), as a result found the app easy to navigate and the user interface intuitive, with an average task completion rate of 95%.
Accessing the vault should have layers of security that give the best experience and makes users feel information in their vault are safe, with this users reported high levels of satisfaction with the app, with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
The average time spent on the app per session was 10 minutes, which is higher than the industry average of 5 minutes.
Accessing the vault should have layers of security that give the best experience and makes users feel information in their vault are safe
Also as discovered from user research, users can add personal notes and voice memos on the go
Information stored in the vault are presented in a timeline view
Key takeaways
The digital vault mobile app was a success in terms of user engagement and business growth, surpassing its initial goals and target metrics.
Given more time and resources, we would have been able to use the whole design thinking process, but we were more focused in releasing an MVP to the market and iterating, not so much on deliverables.