SPLIT API
This project was part of my Master's degree final year project in 2017.
SPLIT is an innovative API that allows customers to share online payments, in a simple and convenient way.
Payment transformation has generated a shift from paper to cards and electronic payments in the world. The transformation has been driven in part by changes in technology that facilitated improvements, but also by changes in consumer demand, as consumers have become more familiar with the methods available to them.
The problem
Thing is, when it gets to group purchases online, it's quite difficult, you either have to pay separately or pay the whole bill and wait to get reimbursed. I wanted to build something to help customers pay their part of the bill.
The Insights
I used Google Forms to gather data. In total 105 different people answered the survey. I only asked questions I was sure I could use the information to help design a better solution.
I learned what people buy in groups:
. Food delivery (52%)
. Group gifts (25%)
. Vacation rentals (18%)
. Car rentals (5%)
How do they get reimbursed?
. Classic bank transfer
. Cash
. Collect and manage money website (www.leetchi.com)
. Money transfer via Fintech (www.lydia.com)
I've had conversations with different students and also colleagues and discovered that they would avoid group purchases online after one bad experience e.g: late or no reimbursement at all. They would also find it difficult to collect money from everyone on time.
One main insight from my previous research was that Food delivery was the most common and contains logistically the most challenges. Behaviors have shifted, people would rather order in than go to the restaurant for lunch, diner and even breakfast! In order to ensure that my ideas would be valid for all types of online purchase, I thus chose to initially focus only on Food Delivery and then see whether any adaptations are necessary for others.
The Solution
I distilled my research insights into a guiding statements to frame the development of solutions: How might we make online group purchases easier for companies and customers?
SPLIT's strategy is a holistic one that attacks on multiple fronts. The final product focuses on :
1. Splitting the bill fairly and easily directly in app or with a simple link.
2. helping companies with their last mile deliveries something that costs allot of money to the entreprises
Sketches and Wireframes
Sketching was a very important phase of the project. I tried to keep as much as possible on low fidelity levels because production would be much faster and the rework necessary would be minimum.
Prototyping and user testing
The prototype was created with Adobe XD. I intended to do a fully interactive prototype at a high fidelity level to avoid losing information due to the amount of user's abstraction necessary. I ran a few pre-tests with friends to make sure every flow was complete and to make sure the tasks order were logical.
The result
What I've learned?
This was the very first project where I was able to properly apply important UX methods. I learned a lot about the process and about the methods themselves. The whole experience opened my eyes to the difficulties and joys of creating products.
