Credenza App
Enabling the secure handling of digital credentials
Client
Akowe Services
Overview
Redesigned the mobile app for Akowe Services, enabling Nigerians to store and verify their digital credentials securely.
Role
UX specialist as part of a 3-person team
Responsibilities
User Research, UX design, UI Design
Collaborators
UX design team & Akowe Services.
Context:
- Akowe is a platform for the digital issuance and verification of academic records using blockchain technology.
- Credenza is the name of the mobile app that provides Akowe services.
- Akowe’s goal is to help prevent academic credential fraud in Nigeria and other developing nations.
- The Akowe website is currently more extensively used than their mobile app.
- Akowe sought to redesign their Credenza mobile app to meet the growing market demand for mobile credential storage and verification.
Project Overview:
- Created a user-friendly 'digital wallet' interface that allows users to securely store and easily access their academic credentials.
- Developed an intuitive Peer-to-Peer verification system, enabling graduates to obtain endorsements from fellow alumni, thus enhancing the credibility of their qualifications.
- Optimised the overall user experience to increase engagement and adoption rates among Nigerian students and recent graduates.
- Ensured the design aligned with Akowe's brand vision while meeting the technical requirements of their development team.
Research Summary:
- User interviews and usability testing on the original app with 17 participants who were familiar with Akowe Services. Competitive analysis to complement user research.
- Identified 5 core problem statements revolving around security features and feeling in control.
- Usability testing of wireframes with 8 participants who were familiar with Akowe services.
The Solution:
- We identified a need to provide a positive connection between the user and the employer, so we designed an interface that would make verification status, peer-to-peer verification and the integration of external platforms intuitive, using icon communication to distill complex ideas.
- We designed a file storage interface that resembled google drive, as our research highlighted how users felt confident when using this platform.
Tools:
- Figma, Miro, Optimal Workshop.
Delving into the Process:
Insights gathered from user research enabled me to define "How Might We" Statements which served as a guide to creative problem-solving in the ideation stage.
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Having sketched out a broad range of ideas, it was possible to design basic wireframes, which I could test out with our target users. Adopting a "design fast, fail fast" approach proved highly effective, as it allowed me to quickly identify critical design flaws, ultimately saving time and streamlining the design process.
In brief, usability testing revealed that the prototype's navigation and core functionality were effective, but users hesitated when navigating to the homepage, whilst they also pointed out ambiguous language.
Additionally, user testing highlighted the need for enhanced product details, the inclusion of a careers section, as well as sustainability information regarding the sourcing of the smoked salmon. These insights enabled me to carry the design forward.
However, just as the project was nearing completion, the team at Uig Lodge decided to change direction completely. Rather than opting for a custom build, they decided to transition the site to Shopify.
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Project Roadmap
The E-commerce Platform
Initially, I advised the Uig Lodge team on the advantages of migrating their website from WordPress to Shopify. This made sense given the small size of the Uig Lodge business and the goal to reduce overall running costs, whilst enabling the team to handle the site independently.
However, the team was hesitant to change platforms due to concerns about handling the technical aspects of Shopify, difficulties in migrating accounts, and potential loss of data analytics.
Delayed Decisions
The stakeholders decided to stick with WordPress and so I redesigned the website in Figma to accommodate their requests. However, as the design was almost completed and I was conducting usability testing on the hi-fidelity prototype, the client decided that transitioning to Shopify was indeed the best decision.
A New Direction
What's more, at this stage the stakeholders expressed their desire to target a younger demographic than their existing customer base, prompting me to revisit my designs.
Adapting to the new direction for the digital storefront, I designed three potential Shopify templates tailored for the Uig Lodge website, to enable the client to select their preferred option.
Keeping key user research findings in mind, I am now developing the rest of the Shopify website.
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