Nationwide

Next Gen Banking

Project Overview

Summary

Nationwide first launched their Mobile Banking App in 2012. Due to a proliferation of devices and changing customer needs the team saw a need to re-design the App to increase agility.

Brief

The challenge was to:

Let customers do whatever banking tasks they want, wherever and whenever they want
Make banking feel less like a ‘task’
Give people a greater understanding of their banking
Create a richer conversation with Nationwide.

My role

My role as Business Analyst (BA) & Information Architect (IA) on the programme was part of an overall design team., which was broken down into sub-teams including Customer Experience and Functional Design. We were integrated and worked with Nationwide representatives to ensure that we met their requirements. The programme was delivered in a waterfall method.

Key Deliverables

Key Deliverables included (not an extensive list)

Functional Spec Docs - a document describing the function being delivered including links to key 'instructional' documents, i.e. use cases, business rules etc.
Use Cases - actions or event steps typically defining the interactions between the user and a system to achieve a goal.
User Flows / Activity Diagrams - a behavioural diagram i.e. it depicts the behaviour of a system. An activity diagram portrays the control flow from a start point to a finish point showing the various decision paths that exist while the activity is being executed.
User Interface Specifications - covers possible actions that the user may perform and all visual and other interaction elements.
Business Rules - business rules tell you what you may or may not do something. They might also provide criteria or conditions for making decisions.
Content Matrix - central repository of content items with unique references that will be displayed in the app.

My Involvement

Key functions delivered (not an extensive list):

My Account & Greeting
Details & Settings
TouchID
Payments 2.0

Process

When developing the App, Nationwide set up an Experience Design process that puts customers at the centre of the development process to deliver on their customer-centric objectives

Throughout its development, 10 rounds of customer testing were conducted with a cross section of customers involving over 100 people. Wireframes were then adapted following user testing.

As a result of customer involvement throughout the design process, Nationwide has achieved:

Simplified processes and touch ID log in
Clearer, simpler and more engaging user interface
Cross-device, cross-platform experience
Flexible design that can grow in the future

Outcomes

Post- launch, customer satisfaction surveys revealed 95% of customers are satisfied/extremely satisfied with the updated App, with feedback including:

“I love the new updated App! Logging in with my fingerprints is amazing and means I can get straight to all my bank info without waiting but it’s still secure”.

My involvement with such a great client continued into the next phase, where I lead the development of Payments v2.0 functionality.

Personal Learnings

I spent almost two years on this project and in that time I learnt a lot.

Team work definitely at the top. This app required mobilisation of teams from Nationwide, IBM, contractors and offshore resources to make it work. The latter, working with teams based in India, was the most exemplary of team work. To build rapport and ensure that my counterparts were trained in the ways of working, I went to Pune and Bangalore to provide knowledge transfers.

To succeed in the time-frame the project had set itself, everyone needed to be 'singing from the same hymn sheet'. This was possible through regular and open communication across the whole structure of the project.

This project will always be a prime example of a successful digital delivery.