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Mastercard
Duration
10 weeks
Role
Product Design Intern
Tools
Mural, Sketch, Adobe Analytics, Microsoft Suite
Team
Director of Design, Steve Boldt
Manager of UX Design, Shawn Weston
Project Overview
Throughout Summer 2021, I worked on researching & redesigning parts of the Sales Demo App which is essentially a mobile application that is used by different teams within Mastercard (Sales, Marketing & Analysts) to promote and advertise Mastercard Products.
Problem
The Sales Demo App was created about two years ago and my team was responsible for its initial design and release. Over the course of two years ago, they have focused to enhance its usage and experience as Mastercard promotes new or popular products. Our team's question is to find out how to make the Sales Demo App a powerful tool that internal Mastercard employees can leverage in their meetings, conversations, pitches etc.
Solution
My team dived into UX Research methodologies to understand the users of the application and where the application was going well and where it wasn't. Through the discovery of these issues, we mapped out resolutions that would lead to more users being educated about the application, fixing certain areas of the mobile app, and overall focusing on how to really cater to the correct audience of the Sales Demo App.
Stages of Work
Evaluation
STEP 01
Evaluation of Sales Demo App
In starting my internship, I had to understand what the sales demo app [Partnerbank] meant to users within Mastercard. How was the app helpful to its’ users? What and how could this help Sales & Product people gain an edge on pitches and presentations? This is what I learned.
The Purpose
Partnerbank is intended to help internal Mastercard employees showcase products through the feel of a modern banking app. In this app, all Mastercard products are listed and demoed to mock a real banking experience for Issuers, Acquirers etc.
What I Learned
1
Understanding Mastercard Products
2
Analyzing real time data via Adobe Analytics
After becoming acclimated with the sales demo app, we looked through live data on the usage of the application.
3
Conducting My Own Heurisitic Evaluation
By doing my own evaluation, I was able to understand each Mastercard Product and also seperate questions from critiques I had about the app overall.
It helped clarify certain aspects of the app as well the intentions of specific designs.
STEP 02
Identifying & Brainstorming
Identify
After taking a look at the data, we started to formulate observations and pain points about the Sales Demo App. Through Mural, a whiteboarding application, we generated questions around the data we found.
These were observations based on the data. Here you can see...
Based on the observations we created questions that helped craft our research in terms of understanding what to ask the users about their experience with the app, the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY, and HOW.
I created a survey which we iterated on to make sure we were asking the right questions for the users we were sending the survey to.
STEP 03
Research & Synthesis
Research
Post-survey, we collected various responses from different regions which helped gain a lot of insight into what users felt about the app as well as address:
Problem Statements
User Personas
Key Takeaways & Pain Points
In the survey, we also asked if users were comfortable to participate in an interview. We were able to interview some users on their experience which provided a more holistic evaluation of the Sales Demo App. It was an enriching experience to see other employees in places around the world!
To make the user interviews, we created interview scripts based on the interviewees’ responses so it was curated to getting specific responses from each person.
Problem Statements
From the interviews, we gathered crucial takeaways that helped identify pain points and navigate where we can potentially create solutions for users that are struggling.
"Companies already having pre-existing technology beyond the sales demo app”
From what Jill said, this was a big reoccurring theme in the data & insights. Users often found their clients too advanced to use this app. It shows that this app’s usage is not global, but more region-based.
“Would be useful if you’re with someone face-to-face to share the application, I don’t know to share it virtually”
There are others like Ruby that struggle with how to apply the application in her conservations with customers especially with the adjustment to remote work. This is also a common trend in terms of teaching users how to implement the application in their pitches, meetings etc.
“For it to be more helpful, I wish I could understand the product segments to present with customers”
Users didn’t know how they could show products confidently and were not able to find themselves using the app due to either their confidence in using ir or knowledge.
User Personas
Based on the feedback from the survey and interviews as well as the data from Adobe Analytics, I developed some low-fidelity personas that arised through the data that was found.
STEP 04
Ideation
Ideation
From the early research that I did, I designed some options for what to do next in terms of addressing pain points and creating a plan to help users have a better user experience.
#1
Educational Workshops
Part of the big reason usage was either low or rare is that users did not find a way to implement the application into their discussions with clients. Users like the app in terms of having a visual experience and being able to see a live demo, but were not confident in carrying out the demo in conversations.
Introduction
Educational
Perform
Evaluate
In this phase, we would briefly walk through the app and showcase its various aspects (profile, customization, tutorials etc) and get the target demographic acclimated to the application. This phase is most important to get the user comfortable with the Sales Demo App.
To enhance confidence, this phase is geared towards creating a seamless process in how the application can help a salesperson pitch the products within the application. Every process is different for each team, so in this phase, it is highly important we cater and specialize to each team’s experience.
In the third phase, we let the users go out and perform their pitches, conversations, and practice using the application to their advantage. The goal intended is to advance their conversations and be able to communicate Mastercard products with ease.
Lastly, to further iterate and find a way to craft a productive user experience, we review and evaluate their pitches, get feedback and continue to strategize.
#2
Extensive Research
For this summer, we tapped into a lot of different areas of research that brought unique and insightful experiences, but with that also came more areas that needed to be further investigated. My research generated more questions like, “What regions use this app the most?”, “How can we promote the app for remote & in-person usage?” or “How can we educate people about this app and how can it be standardized?". So I suggested continuing with user interviews, usability tests on the mobile application, and surveys to gain more insight into what audience are we catering to and how to formulate a better user experience.
#3
Redesign Features
Many people had trouble understanding tutorials or resetting their demos. My recommendation was suggest renaming “Reset Demos” to other potential titles.
"Refresh Demos"
"Click to reset settings"
"Reset to Original Demos"
"Clear demos"
CONCLUSION
Takeaways & Learning
I came into Mastercard with little understanding of applying my knowledge of design & research to the corporate world. Throughout my internship, I was able to build skills in confidence with my findings. I stepped out of my comfort zone and was able to engage in effective communication with users throughout interviews. With the help of my managers, I developed very transparent and meaningful relationships within Mastercard.
I extended my hand in research as well as designing solutions that didn’t necessarily have to be through a product, but an overall experience.
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