Overview
How I Designed a Finance Feature for Actors and Boosted App Downloads by 50%
In just three months, I took on the challenge of enhancing financial management for actors by designing a new finance tracking feature. The result? A 50% increase in app downloads and a 75% improvement in financial tracking for users.
Key Results
50% increase in app downloads after the finance feature launch.
75% improvement in financial tracking for actors using the app.
Role & Timeline
Senior Product Designer
3 months (2023)
Methods
User Research / Wireframing / Prototyping / Cross-Department Collaboration
The Problem
Actors struggle with managing multiple income streams and expenses
Actors face unique financial challenges, juggling multiple income streams (1099s, W2s) and expenses related to their craft. Managing this complex mix often involves piecing together various tools that aren’t tailored to their profession. My goal was to design a single, intuitive feature that simplifies this process while enhancing usability, all within a short three-month timeline.
The ability to see 1099s and W2s all in one convenient place.
The ability to filter between important categories as needed.
Live on the iOS app store
Defining the Problem
Understanding Actors' Financial Struggles
To design a feature that truly meets actors’ needs, I dove deep into user research. I interviewed over 20 actors to gain insights into their financial management challenges, discovering a few recurring pain points:
Income Management: Actors struggle to track income from multiple sources (W2s, 1099s), which are vital for tax season.
Expense Tracking: Many rely on disorganized spreadsheets to manage various expenses related to their projects.
Tax Complexity: Preparing taxes with multiple income streams and numerous deductions is a major source of frustration.
Key Findings
Actors Need Simplicity: Financial management tools should provide clear, easy-to-navigate dashboards to help organize both income and expenses.
Tailored Tools: Generic financial tools don’t cater to the needs of actors, making it difficult to track diverse income streams and organize project expenses for taxes.
Solution
From High-Fidelity Wireframes to an Intuitive Finance Feature
Since I was working independently, I focused on building high-fidelity wireframes from the start. My goal was to create a user-friendly, streamlined experience that would make managing finances easier for actors.
Design Explorations
Exploring Simplicity Amid Complexity
Balancing simplicity with functionality, I explored various layouts to present actors' financial data without overwhelming users. Through high-fidelity wireframes, I refined the design to ensure quick navigation and clear categorization, making complex financial tracking feel seamless.
Collaboration with Stakeholders
Dealing with Stakeholder Feedback and Staying on Course
I dealt with one key stakeholder, whose feedback often leaned toward overcomplicating the user experience. I had to carefully manage his expectations while keeping the end users' needs at the forefront. To streamline communication, I recorded detailed Vimeo presentations to showcase my design progress and explain the reasoning behind my decisions.
These presentations were particularly helpful in keeping things efficient and avoiding miscommunication, allowing me to maintain control over the user experience while still incorporating the stakeholder's input where necessary. The key was balancing his ideas with the usability and accessibility principles I had uncovered during my research.
Impact
Driving Engagement and Delivering Value
Post-launch, the finance feature received positive feedback for its ease of use and ability to streamline financial management for actors. The app saw a:
50% increase in downloads after the finance feature launch.
75% improvement in actors' ability to manage their finances, significantly reducing the time they spent on tax preparation and financial organization.
Learnings and Next Steps
Balancing Complexity with Simplicity
The challenge was finding the right balance between presenting enough information without overwhelming users. Advocating for accessible design principles and iterating based on feedback was critical to the success of this project. This experience underscored the importance of user-focused research and cross-functional collaboration in delivering effective design solutions.
Continued Improvements Based on User Feedback
Moving forward, I’ll focus on continuously improving the feature based on ongoing user feedback. Plans include adding advanced filtering options and expanding the finance tool to support more complex income and expense scenarios, ensuring that actors can manage their finances with ease as their careers grow.
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