Embark

Workflow redesign

Embark serves as a sophisticated affordability assessment tool, trusted and utilized by esteemed organizations such as NatWest, Santander, PayPal, Zora, among others. It requires customers to fill out a comprehensive income and expenditure form, enabling clients to gain a nuanced understanding of their financial situation. This process facilitates the provision of tailored support, aimed at assisting individuals in managing their finances more effectively and addressing any existing financial arrears.

Typography

Mulish

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Colour palette

The brief.

The directive provided was straightforward and unequivocal: “Increase completion rates and decrease completion time.” While Embark was not performing poorly, its platform was somewhat dated and stood to benefit from enhancements. By upgrading both the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI), we aim to align with current trends and streamline the user journey. This update is crucial as it transforms a process that may be perceived as mundane, anxiety-inducing, or stressful into a seamless and more engaging experience for users.

The approach.

The approach to the project began with a thorough analysis of data, pinpointing drop-off points within the user journey and examining user recordings to identify problem areas. Additionally, user interviews were conducted to gather valuable insights directly from real users.

Upon completing the research phase, the focus shifted to developing the information architecture (IA) and constructing basic wireframes in a mobile-first approach. This preliminary structure was then refined into a detailed high-fidelity wireframe, which underwent rigorous user testing. Based on the feedback received, numerous iterations were made to enhance the product, striving to achieve the highest level of perfection possible.

Challenges.

The project progressed relatively smoothly, as our comprehensive preparation involving user personas, data analysis, and user interviews laid a solid foundation. However, coordinating input from various stakeholders across the business presented a challenge, primarily due to differing objectives and priorities. Once we developed a deeper understanding of these requirements and evaluated their alignment with our goals, managing and integrating this diverse feedback became significantly more straightforward.

The finished product.

Overall, the project was successfully delivered, achieving significant impact and receiving positive reception from customers, clients, and in-house employees alike. We observed an average monthly increase in conversions of 11.2%, alongside a reduction in completion time by an average of 12 minutes. Additionally, analytics indicated fewer user “u-turns” and a reduction in user frustration.

However, as is often the case in digital development, our work is not yet complete. We are now moving forward with optimizing the product through A/B testing, ensuring continuous improvement and refinement of the user experience.

View the prototype!

Click the expand button in the type right corner to view it full screen.