Concept: SMB search directory embedded in Citibank app
Timeline
July - August 2021
July - August 2021
Team
Design and internal research: Sara Choi
External research: Saahil Barai
Finances: Oyindamola Obisesan
Timeline: Debleena Chatterjee
Team liaison: Gabriel Palacios
Design and internal research: Sara Choi
External research: Saahil Barai
Finances: Oyindamola Obisesan
Timeline: Debleena Chatterjee
Team liaison: Gabriel Palacios
Role
UX designer
UX designer
Platform
Figma
Figma
Problem space
Current situation
As a global company, Visa has used its digital payment technology to power businesses of all sizes and give them the tools to become major players in the economy. While the company has created incredible impact around small and micro-businesses (SMBs) through partnerships with Yoco, Bridge for Billions, and IFundWomen as well as social impact programs such as the Visa Everywhere Initiative, its work largely goes unrecognized by its most important audience: consumers.
As part of Visa's 2021 Internship Program this past summer, I created a proposal with my case challenge team to help Visa more effectively communicate its impact to the public.
Background research
An important distinction to make is that we needed to come up with a way to help Visa better communicate what it was already doing, instead of coming up with ways for it to create more impact. To do this, we started by analyzing its existing public resources and past initiatives.
Resources and initiatives
• Back to Business Project: Tool for shoppers to find local businesses open during pandemics and natural disasters
• Back to Business Study: Survey research on the impact of COVID-19 on consumers and small businesses
• Small Business Hub: Online repository for small businesses in need of digital resources and guidance
• #WhereYouShopMatters: Regional campaign websites highlighting local business stories (Australia, Middle East, the UK)
• Back to Business Study: Survey research on the impact of COVID-19 on consumers and small businesses
• Small Business Hub: Online repository for small businesses in need of digital resources and guidance
• #WhereYouShopMatters: Regional campaign websites highlighting local business stories (Australia, Middle East, the UK)
Research synthesis
Given the desire of customers to support their communities despite low awareness of local businesses, this disconnect indicated a relevant solution space to fill.
Exploration objectives
In brainstorming potential ways to revamp Visa's existing online directory tool, we needed to consider how it could communicate the impact of its digital payment technology on SMBs to:
• Raise public awareness of SMBs.
• Keep customers engaged.
• Set Visa apart from competitors.
• Raise public awareness of SMBs.
• Keep customers engaged.
• Set Visa apart from competitors.
Back to (Small) Business
Originally, we considered creating a separate mobile app for a new mobile directory as an extension of Visa's Back to Business Project, but ultimately discarded the idea because of the challenges that user adoption would bring. We needed a way to unintrusively put news about the company's efforts to help SMBs in front of users while still actively promoting its value.
This brought me to the idea of embedding this content into apps users frequently use. In the context of shopping at small businesses with Visa cards, it made sense to choose issuer apps, such as Citibank, that cardholders regularly use for tracking their spending and exploring perks.
Home
I considered two entry points for the user to begin their journey:
• Existing rewards module carousel on home screen provides convenient access to the SMB directory with higher visibility.
• Services tab leads cardholder to their reward options, including earning bonus points for shopping locally with the directory.
• Existing rewards module carousel on home screen provides convenient access to the SMB directory with higher visibility.
• Services tab leads cardholder to their reward options, including earning bonus points for shopping locally with the directory.
Entry point 1
Entry point 2
Directory search
Visa's SMB Directory opens with an in-app browser to preserve the user's sense of their location within nested navigation layers.
The map view gives the user a sense for how many shopping opportunities are available in their area.
• The search bar limits location results by city or zip code.
• Sorting entries organizes results alphabetically or by distance.
• Interactive results provide opportunity for engagement, compared to a static list.
• Payment methods and addresses offer key information upfront.
• The search bar limits location results by city or zip code.
• Sorting entries organizes results alphabetically or by distance.
• Interactive results provide opportunity for engagement, compared to a static list.
• Payment methods and addresses offer key information upfront.
Directory screens
Business profiles
Tapping on a search result opens the small business' profile.
Each search result opens a profile modal containing the following information:
• The business name at the top allows for easy identification.
• The photo and video gallery enable the small business to visually tell their story.
• Contact information and website connect SMBs with the community.
• Badges display Visa-related accomplishments and milestones.
• The business name at the top allows for easy identification.
• The photo and video gallery enable the small business to visually tell their story.
• Contact information and website connect SMBs with the community.
• Badges display Visa-related accomplishments and milestones.
Sample small business profile
Feature highlight: Badge board
Leveraging the gamification aspect, icons representing an SMB's milestones, grants, and accomplishments through Visa initiatives showcase Visa's impact on local businesses.
Badges are interactive and open pop-up modals with additional information on the selected initiative.
• Icons designed with the partner or program's logo create and reinforce a direct visual link to Visa.
• "Learn more" buttons give curious users the chance to dive deeper into Visa's work.
• Icons designed with the partner or program's logo create and reinforce a direct visual link to Visa.
• "Learn more" buttons give curious users the chance to dive deeper into Visa's work.
Badge board displayed on sample small business profile
Final prototype
Check out the final walkthrough videos below.
Takeaways
As a content design intern for Visa this past summer, I was exposed to fascinating projects at different stages in the product development cycle. The experience gave me great practice at systems thinking to virtually own almost the entire process in just 4 weeks for this case challenge.
Being the only design intern on the team made this one of the more challenging group efforts I've taken part in. I needed to effectively communicate my creative ideas into a pitch to my team who, in a professional scenario, would be the other stakeholders from the sales, finance, and marketing departments in similar projects. Although we didn't make it to the next round of the case challenge, this was a valuable exercise in developing holistic thinking skills and collaborative team dynamics.