Helon Lee
A Unified App
Experience
Question for the Team:
How many apps are too many for our brand?
Context
The ID.me Engineering Team is dealing with the challenges of managing different code bases for our apps, highlighting the need to work together to improve usability and support our mission of saving users time and money.
In this case study, I’ll share insights into our design process, decision-making, and teamwork strategies that are helping us create better user experiences.
Objective
To unify our brand strategy and effectively communicate our value to both prospects and existing users.
DURATION
5 Weeks
MY ROLE
Lead Designer & Researcher
01 /Discovery
A Comprehensive Audit: Compiling Facts and Data
This step is essential for grasping how users interact with our products.
By analyzing user behavior, we can pinpoint areas needing improvement and make targeted adjustments to enhance usability and overall experience.
Additionally, the data collection process and clarification of each app's purpose will ensure our efforts align with our monetization goals as we move forward.
Analyzing User Sentiments
User feedback from interviews and surveys indicates that many users, especially those verifying government credentials, find our web and mobile apps confusing.
This confusion is worsened by users downloading multiple 'ID.me' apps due to limited features, resulting in frustration and questions about our legitimacy.
To help our stakeholders align with reality, I presented the following key findings:
Love the Utility and Clean Aesthetics
Users frequently download the ID.me Authenticator App under the impression that it's designed for identity verification, while its actual purpose is to ensure secure sign-in, post account creation.
Enjoys Exclusive Offers
& Special Deals
We are thrilled about the positive reception of the ID.me Shop experience! However, a substantial portion of our users are unaware of how to manage their profile and settings to unlock additional benefits and fully harness the potential of the ID.me Wallet.
Unaware of ID.me Wallet's Purpose and Benefits
This missed opportunity is significant for the company, as we can utilize account management and security features to effectively communicate our brand value.
Setting Realistic Goals
Given the time-sensitive nature of this 5-week project, I will collaborate closely with the Mobile, Data, and Engineering teams to define technical constraints and align our strategies.
To facilitate this, I have organized a kickoff meeting to establish clear expectations and define our business priorities while advocating for the needs of our users.
A Kickoff Meeting: Setting the Stage for Success
To meet the project's aggressive timeline and deliver an enhanced user experience, I called a kickoff meeting to establish clear expectations, roles, and responsibilities.
This collaborative effort engaged our stakeholders and helped us achieve a shared vision and approach, outlined below:
The outline was published on Confluence as a shared reference, keeping teams aligned, reinforcing commitments, and ensuring details are easily accessible.
Balancing User Needs and Business Goals
To be cost-effective and deliver results quickly, I applied lean agile principles and utilized our core company values to make the process relatable.
1) Close Collaboration with Our Experts
Collaborating closely with technical experts is essential to avoid impractical solutions. I emphasize the importance of "sharing early and often," reflecting our value of "Communicate like a scientist."
2) Timely Knowledge and Data Sharing
Our success relies on effective knowledge and data sharing. As we merge app features into a single platform, gathering insights from all teams is crucial. I highlighted our value of "Inspire people with your passion" to underscore the importance of teamwork in this effort.
Why Is It Important
to Act Now?
Cost and Complexity
Managing multiple apps is costly and complex. Developing a 'Mega App' would consolidate services into a single platform, offering a seamless user experience and streamlining operations.
Informed Decision-Making
We must consider the available data to proactively address the benefits and drawbacks of acting now. This ensures we make informed decisions that enhance operational efficiency and minimize risks.
Solution Hypothesis
Based on our findings, I worked with our researcher to create a Solution Hypothesis to guide our design and implementation, ensuring our solutions are data-driven and user-focused.
02 /
Design & Execution
Consolidating Our Core Features Into a Unified Concept
By combining the following user activities into a single mobile experience, we expect:
1) enhanced user convenience
2) increase our engagement (and value)
3) improved retention as a result
Brainstorming Sessions and Design Workshops
Through ongoing collaboration with key stakeholders, we established a unified vision by leveraging data from each product and gathering input during our workshops. This comprehensive approach allowed us to develop solutions that enhance engagement and deliver tangible value, with convenience as a core principle.
Hero Workflows: Turning Research into Action
Hero workflows are essential for consolidating our features into one app, as they define the best user journeys. By prioritizing these workflows, we can focus on key features that help users achieve their goals, enhancing satisfaction and making the app more effective.
Developing Hero Workflows
I led a FigJam brainstorming session with key stakeholders from engineering, design, and product to refine features for the new ID.me app. This approach ensures we leverage their input and address concerns efficiently.
To comply with contractual agreements, I cannot share additional details about my work at ID.me. The case studies below are restricted and not publicly accessible—please reach out if you’d like to learn more.
Each concept is supported by ready-to-experiment designs that bring the motto “No Identity Left Behind” to life, giving individuals greater transparency, control, and trust in managing their personal data—and showing how these principles can translate into products with real-world impact.
Unrivaled Transparency
To give customers ownership of their data, I designed a central place to access verified credentials and records.
Control Leads to Trust
To build confidence in data sharing, I created ways for users to revoke or customize what information connected sites can access.
Digital Identity Wallet
A familiar, wallet-inspired design made identity credentials easy to find, organize, and carry across life events.
Verified Social Profiles
To legitimize online identities, I expanded verification into trade licenses and professional credentials, helping individuals and businesses build trust on social platforms.
Verified Social Profiles
To legitimize online identities, I expanded verification into trade licenses and professional credentials, helping individuals and businesses build trust on various social settings.
Passive Credentialing
To reduce the burden of renewals, I introduced reminders and visibility that keep credentials valid over time.
Results & Impact
Our vision is to not only enhance convenience but also transform user interactions with our brand.
We focused on the following key areas to redefine how ID.me users and members engage with us:
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Enhanced Security: Implementing Secured Sign-On and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to provide robust protection and instill confidence in the security of their information.
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Streamlined Account Management: Offering an intuitive and transparent interface for easy management of accounts and personal data, giving users control and clarity.
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Personalized Offers and Benefits: Delivering tailored promotions and rewards to align with individual preferences, boosting satisfaction and loyalty.
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Continuous Engagement: Keeping users engaged with regular updates and effective feedback channels, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to their experience.
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Encouraging Positive Interaction: Designing features that foster frequent and rewarding interactions with the app, reinforcing trust and encouraging ongoing use.
By addressing these areas, we enable a more secure, personalized, and engaging environment that transforms how users views ID.me.
What's Next?
With over 111 million users and a substantial daily influx of new users, a meticulously planned and structured testing approach is crucial to guarantee an equitable and outstanding experience for every member of the ID.me community.
Presented below is a roster of currently active test plans:
1. Prototyping and Usability Testing:
• Create interactive prototypes of the mega app design, covering all key features and functionalities.
• Conduct usability testing with a group of target users to evaluate the app's ease of use, navigation, and overall user experience.
• Gather feedback from participants to identify pain points, usability issues, and areas for improvement.
2. Beta Testing:
• Develop a beta version of the unified mega app with basic functionalities.
• Invite a select group of beta testers from the target user base to use the app in a real-world setting.
• Monitor user interactions, collect feedback, and track usage patterns to understand how users interact with the app.
3. Security Testing:
• Conduct rigorous security testing to identify potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the MFA implementation.
• Ensure that user data and accounts remain well-protected from unauthorized access or data breaches.
4. Performance Testing:
• Assess the app's performance under different scenarios, such as varying user loads and network conditions.
• Check for any lags, crashes, or bottlenecks that could affect the app's responsiveness and stability.
5. A/B Testing:
• Implement A/B testing to compare different versions of the app's user interface, user flows, or benefits claiming processes.
• Measure user engagement and satisfaction with each variation to determine the most effective design and user journey.
6. Focus Groups and Surveys:
• Conduct focus groups to gather qualitative feedback from users about their overall impressions of the mega app and its features.
• Use surveys to collect quantitative data on user satisfaction, preferences, and likelihood of continued usage.
7. Iterative Development:
• Based on the insights gained from testing and feedback, iteratively refine and improve the mega app's design and functionalities.
• Continuously involve users in the testing process to validate changes and ensure the app aligns with their needs.
8. Release and Monitoring:
• Once all testing and refinements are complete, launch the unified mega app to a wider audience.
• Monitor user engagement, retention rates, and feedback after the official release to measure the app's success and impact.
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