20min. WHITEBOARD CHALLENGE:
Ipad App to encourage ppl to sign up for a Target credit card
While I was being provided with my challenge information, I wrote down what the problem was, so I’d have a constant reminder in front of me, that I could re-visit throughout the process. To help solve the problem, I wrote down the device and format (iPad App) that would be used, so I could try to make sure my solution included everything feasible/doable, with using an app on an iPad. I thought it’d also be helpful for me to write down what the end goal was that the solution needed to accomplish and to write down things to keep in mind that had been mentioned during the explanation.
The helpful items mentioned were:
1.) the lines at checkout
2.) bounce rates - friction (too long)
3.) 10% off - applied to current purchase
4.) 10% off - will be applied to next future purchase, which will be pre-loaded on card
I wanted to be clear on everything from the get go, so I began the challenge, by asking questions about the criteria/information I was provided with (in the picture above).
Speaking out loud to my audience, I said something to the fact that I start out all projects I do, by conducting researching first, but since I had to come up with some sort of a solution in 20 min., I was unable to conduct research. I then continued to say that I would have done the research by creating/sending out a Public Survey and also doing User Interviews, but I'd just run through a super speedy research process, based on my previous knowledge and/or research I’ve done dealing with iPads, Apps, Credit cards and/or similar scenarios.
By also answering some important questions, I said it’d help me understand what types of people would be using this app which would help me to get to a better solution. So based off of information I already knew, my own past experiences and from my assumptions, I said I was asking myself some questions in my head. I started rattling them all off, but didn’t want to waste time writing them all down, so I let the audience know that as well.
While checking out of a store, what would somebody’s opinion/idea be for their checkout line experience? What would it need to be like, in order to get them to sign up for a new credit card for that store?
What types of people shopped at Target?
What different lifestyles did the types of people that shopped at Target live?
What those peoples needs would be?
What the environment would look like for those types of people?
What things would they question?
In order to fully understand how the credit card worked, what would the different types of people need to understand and know?
What sorts of things the different types of people would find important?
How different things would be important to the different types of people?
Why these things are important?
Who these different things would be important to?
How to show/tell different types of people these important things?
How to show/tell/help people to sign up for the card, somehow showing and explaining the incentives of 10% off their current order being purchased, as well as 10% off for the next order that they purchase
Then I thought, "Well I’m a Target shopper…and I’ve signed up for a handful of credit cards in my lifetime, so what are my thoughts on the above?" I knew I’d only fit one audience type, so I’d still have to keep the other possible types in mind as well.
I then started thinking/explaining my experiences from signing up for a credit card and wrote down things that I felt would/could encourage myself, and other types of people to sign up for something, that hadn’t been mentioned during the problem explanation to me.
Quick
Inputting little amount of information
Perks
Free
So from here, I was thinking of a solution that would be quick, or quicker, and things that would discourage/encourage a customer to sign up for a credit card, while waiting in the checkout line. So I felt the time span it would take to go through the app and the whole sign up process, would definitely be important to keep in mind, and thought that if there were somewhat long lines, if people were bored while waiting, there could be a big screen above all registers on the wall, so if customers happened to look up and see the big screen above all registers, it’d be another way to get their attention to explain the Target credit card.
There could also be an ad explaining advantages/perks of signing up for it and say that an iPad was available to quickly sign up at all registers. As a side note, I then said out loud that in order to save more time and for extra security, the iPad could be attached to a cord, so it could be passed back through the line and to let customers know a bit more about what the Target Credit card is all about, while waiting. If there was something enticing on the beginning screen and let them know it was quick to do, (like the words Free and 10% off your current purchase and next purchase and complete signing up in less than 30 sec.), customers would probably be more inclined to go forward with using the app to sign up for a target credit card.
From there, I began drawing out a flow of the screens and explained their order.
I said that the screen after the beginning "enticing" screen, would be entering Phone #, Email, Facebook Login or Amazon Login (to give the options of having some info auto pre-filled)…and if the user chose to enter their Phone # or Email, it’d take them to another screen to enter in personal details for the credit card...if they chose to login via Facebook or Amazon, it would go to another screen to sign in.
After signing in and tapping “Proceed," it’d say something like “linking account to a secure app” and all the available info from saved credit cards (if person has on file) from Facebook or Amazon would auto-populate as much as it could with Social security info needed, into the personal info fields on next screen. If they don’t have a credit card linked to their Amazon or Facebook accounts, the person would have to enter info into the necessary fields.
At this point (literally 1 min before the challenge was over), I began questioning all of my thoughts and assumptions, and all of a sudden, thought of a much better solution…since customers would be using an iPad, and it did have a camera on it and technology for a thumbprint read, to quickly obtain a person’s personal info securely, customers could snap a picture of their Driver’s license or could simply use their thumbprint to identify themselves. If those didn’t work, they could scan/take a picture of another credit card or ID or could enter in their Social Security.
Once done, they’d immediately be able to see if they were approved by the next screen saying “Congratulations, you’ve been approved.” or “We’re sorry, we can’t approve you at this time.” The necessary info would then be sent to the cashier's register monitor, to alert them of a customer's status in line and if there would be a 10% off applied or if they needed to get additional answers, to any questions still needing to be answered.
Reflections after challenge:
I would have thought about what the product did and it’s capabilities a bit more before beginning
Personas for groups of people and their value systems could have helped a bit more to get me started easier
Giving more reasons why I wanted people to do things would have been more helpful
Whenever I was making an assumption, I should have said/wrote it down. For ex:, “I’m going to assume that people can pass the iPad down the line to sign up as they wait”
