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Overview
Serve is an alternative banking solution - a prepaid debit account that provides the benefits of online banking for people unable or unwilling to get a credit card or bank account.
Tax season is one of the biggest initiatives that Serve tackles each year as it is an opportunity to help people receive their tax refund quickly and electronically, showcasing Serve’s strengths as a digital banking alternative.
American Express Tax Season
Role & Employer
Product designer for American Express working closely with a content strategist, design manager, and engineer. I led the design process including auditing and research, synthesis, design workshops, wire framing, and creating final designs.
Challenge and Solution
Taxes are stressful, especially for those that depend on a refund to pay for essential living expenses. Tax season is, therefore, an important time for Serve to support its customers with an experience that easily conveys the benefits of loading a refund onto an account, how to do it, and what can be done with a refund once it is there.
The solution was to create a clear step-by-step guide for users from the moment they opened the app or landed on the website through to using or saving their money in the way they want.
The day with the highest load of tax refunds using this redesign was over four times that of any day from previous years.
Due Diligence
I conducted a full design audit of previous Serve experiences and usage data to understand what had performed well and what could be improved. The information of each experience was sorted into categories, ranked, redefined, removed, and added to. Stripping away the visual design exposed the service design building blocks needed for an experience in tune with user needs.
Transferring
Identifying key content and components revealed two clear states of a user’s journey: adding a refund (which requires multiple actions) and using a refund. A tabbed design structure with a numbered guide was a clear solution for these states that surfaced in sketches and carried through to wireframes and then final designs.
Reconciling
The resulting journey thoughtfully leads users from high level information to specific details using the most intuitive language, components, and overall structure. It creates an easier process that in turn instills more confidence in the Serve platform.
Funded
Testing revealed that final designs aligned with business units, incorporated the successes of previous designs, and intuitively led customers through the experience.
The final UX guides users with helpful copy and quickly funnels them into action, revealing specific information relevant to each step of the process. The tabbed and numbered UI shows them what to do next. Whether it is adding or deciding what to do with a refund, the designs supports users and builds necessary trust in Serve.
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