assist by Barclays
The app that's designed to help everyone take control of their finances, with features tailored for neurodivergent individuals and anyone looking to build financial confidence
6 WK Collaboration
Hard & Soft Skills
UI/UX
Prototyping
Usability
Empathy
Information Architecture
Tools
Figma
Final Cut Pro
Adobe After Effects
Nica Mendoza - XD (UX, Strategy, Copy)
Shaunak Patel - XD (Strategy, UX/UI )
Shuhan Tu - XD (UX/UI, Art Direction)
Patrick Nguyen - XD (UX/UI)
Maryn Tan - XD (UX Research, Copy)
The Ask
Barclays seeks innovative digital solutions that address the banking needs of neurodivergent individuals. Develop an intuitive, user-friendly app or tool to improve financial management. Consider digital-first solutions that bridge the gap between digital and real-world experiences. Focus on a specific area or encompass a range of neurodivergent issues. Overcome customer barriers and demonstrate how your idea can make a difference.
Situation
Money management and personal finances are major causes for stress and lead users to ignore or deprioritize their finances, even more so if the user is neurodivergent.
Neurodivergent individuals may face difficulties when using banking apps due to various reasons, such as complex interfaces, overwhelming information, and difficulties with managing finances.
Opportunity
How might we make banking a bit easier by providing tools and support to help people manage their money better and, as a result, improve their quality of life?
Key Insights
60% of people with ADHD indicated feeling anxious when thinking about their personal finances, and the majority of them believe it has a direct cost implication due to its impact on day-to-day money management.
Through interviews and research these were some key pain points discovered:
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Users lack all the information they need to be completely successful in managing their personal finances
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Learning about money management feels like a huge, impossible task
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Lacking focus when accessing their banking apps because of different task/notifications/updates
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Most understand the concept and importance of budgeting but find it difficult to implement into their daily lives
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There is a struggle to conceptualize money amongst many users, making it hard to develop healthy financial habits
Solution
Barclays Assist: a new companion app by Barcalys that makes personal finance less intimidating and more approachable for not only neurodivergent users but anyone who might need help with personal finance.
How It Works
There are two main features to reduce the anxiety users feel when using banking apps.
Assist Envelope Budget
This feature allows users to create virtual groups within their primary Barclays accounts for different expenditure categories. Purchases made through the account are automatically routed to the appropriate group, facilitating effortless budgeting. The app provides push notifications for low funds, prompting users to authorize fund transfers from other groups to maintain spending awareness. Users can easily adjust their budgets in the app to make purchases, ensuring better financial management and spending habits.
Assist Classroom
The Classroom feature provides video learning modules on personal finance, Barclays product information, and weekly updates on new topics, with recommended videos based on user's banking level.
Onboarding
Assist's onboarding process assesses the user's level of banking and finance experience, categorizing them as Beginner, Intermediate, or Expert. The app then tailors its user interface to provide the most optimal experience based on the user's proficiency level. This approach reflects Assist's commitment to accommodating diverse user needs and ensuring a personalized experience.
App Video
Brand Identity
Assist is branded to feel welcoming and inclusive by using a joyful, yet soothing, color palette, easily readable sans serif fonts, and engaging illustrations.
A. Jenkins
adult w/ADHD
An app that doesn't feel overwhelming or look like a spread sheet is something that could be helpful with me gaining an interest in banking.
M. Gonzalez
banking novice
I shy away from banking apps because information that I am looking for feels hidden and not readily available.
R. Ariota
data analyst
Education with finance is the hardest thing. There are so many details to consider, I never know where to start.
Benefits
Financial Futurist
-Simplified onboarding and interface personalization
-Greater control and customization of the app experience
-Relevant and easily digestible finance topics through the learning section
-Improved financial decision making and confidence
Barclays
-Attracting and retaining neurodivergent customers
-Improving customer satisfaction and loyalty
-Increasing engagement with digital banking services
-Expanding the customer base and driving revenue growth
Reflection
Creating products and services that are inclusive and cater to the needs of diverse groups of individuals is important. It is vital to understand and address the unique challenges and overlapping features of conditions like ADHD, autism, and dyslexia and their impact on managing finances. This helps inform design solutions that are intuitive, user-friendly, and engaging. Learning that color and font are key components in creating an inclusive product was very insightful. By adopting a user-centered approach and involving neurodivergent individuals in the design process, products and services can be created that empower and support their financial well-being. This project highlights the significance of leveraging technology and innovation to drive social impact and create positive change in our communities, giving more people the opportunity to have a positive financial future.