Using data to iterate
Product Design 101
Split the Bills
Product Design
Utility-tech
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Long overdue change
Split the Bills' quote engine, the primary profit driver of the business, had been given absolutely no attention in well over two years. Barring some improvements to bring the business in-line with modern compliance demands, the approach seemed to be if it ain't broke, we're not even going to touch it.
However, even a UX Design Junior would have some valid concerns and thought about how the platform could be improved straight off the bat, even before diving into the data. This is how the journey of optimising conversion rates began and how I set the groundwork for future improvements.
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Understanding the problem
But is there actually a problem here?
Whilst initial flow analysis identified no real friction in the journey, this could have been down to what I call 'The Tech Generation' effect. That is to say, even bad UI will be overlooked to reach a predetermined goal, owing to the newer generation of users (STBs' key demographic) being competent enough with digital journeys to brute-force their way through if they have an idea of the expected outcome.
Nevertheless, I still saw room for improvement in the front end, particularly on mobile devices. There was also troubling data suggesting we were seeing extremely high drop-off rates.
I managed to cobble together the following key stats that would influence the Product Design process
84%
Mobile usership, with no optimisations made for this base
71%
Drop rate from the initial summary page. A fundamental drop.
c.30%
Users that restart the flow to try and find a cheaper price
Qualitative is crucial
Chatting to stakeholders, the people who use it every day
I reached out to the head of Customer Services and Sales to better understand our users. They talked to them every day to try to get a quote across the line, so they were best placed to help me.
This confirmed my hypothesis that users were engaging in repeat selections before dropping. Either this cold implies that the choices they were making were too high-stakes, or merely that they were misunderstood.
This also meant that, even if we weren't going to get their business, why make their life more difficult by making them repeat the quote engine cycle over and over? If anything, this will discourage their return business, were they to find themselves in a better financial situation, or after browsing other alternatives.
Quantitative cliffs
Assumptions based on device usage
With an 85% share, the STB quote engine is clearly, and should always be treated as, a mobile-first application.
This suggests that any friction in the mobile UX (poor responsiveness, complex interactions, long forms, etc.) will disproportionately damage user journeys.
This higher mobile skew also indicates a more speculative, less-committed user base, as they are reaching the service through social media or search engine promotions. These users are also more prone to distraction and drop-off, primarily if the experience doesn't immediately spark trust.
Conversion data overview
29%
Progression from 'Short Summary' to the user entering further information
10%
Progression from 'Short Summary' to the user reaching the payment stage
76k
Sample size for 90 days
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The key identified UX challenges
Mobile UX
Unresponsive UI and inconsistent design patterns are detrimental to user trust. Poor legibility and interaction affordances are also harming user journeys.
Messaging and positioning
Overemphasis on functional descriptions of the service combined with limited articulation of emotional or practical benefits
Journey looping
Users frequently return to the beginning of the journey via the 'edit' button indicating confusion or indecision. Compounding time to discovery will also hinder return users.
What to fix immediately
Restructuring and reconsidering the edit flow
The quickest 'bang-for-our-buck' solution was to reconfigure the edit flow from the short summary page. This was the largest drop-off point, so naturally, we'd notice any improvements (or mistakes) quickly.
The hypothesis was that by keeping a user on the summary screen, we were less likely to bore or frustrate a new user through repetition.
The introduction of modular or inline editing on this page is also aimed at reducing decision fatigue and retaining user momentum. The user would be able to toggle certain aspects of the quote on or off and see live price updates within the UI.
The main goal was to present key decisions in context rather than forcing linear user restarts.
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Bridging engineering and design
Snag lists and insightful conversations
This project was also a turning point in my relationships with the enqineering team, and was the first time I felt that I was truly managing the team. Not only was this to do with meeting deadlines but also being the 'bad cop' regarding missed opportunities and calling out those that worked in isolation to their detriment.
Here you can see a few things from the snag list, highlighting quality control issues, but also how it was progressed through as a team.
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Planning for the future
Driving strategy for the platform
While this specific piece of work focused on only one screen, I'm particularly proud of the mark it left on me as a Product Designer, especially regarding project management and looking beyond the immediate tasks at hand.
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The results
Increase
In engagement time on the short summary page
Proving the hypothesis about user drops
Slight reduction
In user drop rates
Although not off a cliff like I'd hoped, the fact that this had no major detrimental impact on the flow shows how iterative design can be implemented in and around existing infrastructures.
Improved communication
Between engineering and product
The introduction of a calm and safe environment for engineers to raise concerns or ideas lays fthe groundwork for more efficient future projects.