Building for bad times

Tips for creating products that help users in their hour of need

In Product Management we often talk about users loving our products, adding user delighters, and optimising for happy paths. But what about the times when the product we are building isn’t necessarily one that sparks joy?

There are many reasons why a user might need to start a journey with your product that they would much rather not. They may be in financial difficulty, reporting a death, illness or theft or going through legal proceedings.

I was the Product Manager on a digital retail banking app for customers who are in arrears, due to ongoing financial difficulty. Here are some things I learned about how to approach providing an optimal experience for this type of user.

1. Use simple language and signposting

When designing a product that customers would rather not use, it's important to make it as easy as possible for them to find what they need. This means using language that is easy to understand and ensuring clear signposting throughout the user journey. Avoid using technical terms that may confuse the user and cause frustration in an already difficult situation.

On the retail banking app, we kept language simple - for example replacing ‘short term weekly arrangement’ with ‘repayment plan’. We also made sure that the user knew exactly where they were in the process at all times, using progress bars during a journey and brief explanations of next steps at the end of a journey.

2. Design with empathy

Empathy is key when designing products for any user. It’s important to understand the user's situation and design a product with a strong awareness of those needs. We spent time testing our journey with users who were experiencing financial difficulties. This helped us to understand their needs and design a product that was sensitive to their situation.

In the case of retail banking, user testing identified that people who are experiencing financial difficulties may be feeling anxious, overwhelmed or even embarrassed. So it was important that we communicated in a sensitive and supportive way. We provided empathetic and encouraging messaging throughout our suite of resources (e.g. “Losing your job can be a really difficult time”) and ensured to provide comfort where people might be anxious about the status of their finances (e.g. ‘Don’t worry if you don’t see a recent payment reflecting here, this can take up to 48 hours to be processed’). 

Self-service options are also a great way to empower users. By giving them the option to complete the journey without the need for human interaction, they can avoid exacerbating any difficult feelings. In retail banking, this could include tools such as budget planners, debt calculators, and savings calculators, which help users to understand their financial situation and make informed decisions about their money. This gives the user a level of autonomy and control and over their own journey to financial wellbeing.

3. Make your user journeys as short as possible

Regardless of simplicity and clear signposting, if your customer journey is too long, users already going through difficulty are more likely to abandon it. When users are going through a difficult time, the last thing they want is to spend hours navigating complex forms or being passed around various web pages. Instead, they need a simple and efficient process that enables them to access the support they need as quickly as possible. Note that users in distress could want to leave the journey for other reasons - allow people to exit and re-enter journeys without losing their position.

The goal would be to make the journey as short as possible, while still ensuring that all necessary information is captured. In the case of the retail banking app, we focused on collecting only the information that was necessary to process the user's request, and captured any other useful information from other backend sources.

4. Avoid distracting the user from their journey

Even on products we love to use, it can be frustrating to be routed out to other webpages. There are several ways we can signpost information to clients without interrupting their customer journey. One approach is to include concise headlines or summaries from the hyperlinked sources if relevant and valuable. Or, incorporating the information into the product itself, rather than sending them to another website or app. We achieved this on the app by using tooltips or pop-ups that provided additional context or guidance. It’s also important to avoid any overt cross-selling or upselling, as it could be perceived as exploitative.

Ultimately, the key is to balance the user's need for information with their desire to complete their journey efficiently. Incorporating the relevant information in a thoughtful and strategic way can help avoid frustration.

5. Provide human support (where possible)

While self-service options are important, it's also important to provide human support where possible. This can help to reduce feelings of isolation or helplessness that the user may be experiencing. In retail banking, this could be internal customer service colleagues or third party services - people who can offer guidance and advice with that personal touch that will make a user feel understood and supported. We provided users with the option to speak to a human advisor on the phone at the end of the journey, if they needed additional support. This can be particularly important for users who are facing complex financial situations that are difficult to navigate alone and helps to ensure that the user feels supported throughout the journey.

6. Prioritise the basics

Finally, it’s always important to get the basics of delivering an efficient and effective customer journey right. This means ensuring that the product is intuitive, fast, and responsive to feedback.

Users who aren’t delighted to be using your product may not have the time or energy to navigate complex systems, search for information or wait a long time for data to load, so it's important to provide clear and easy-to-use navigation options that enable them to get straight to what they need. This could include intuitive menus, clear supporting text on icons and simple search functions.

Additionally, a common challenge in the retail banking sector is long release cycles and complex governance processes. Striving for shorter release cycles means that we can quickly respond to user feedback and make improvements to our platforms in alignment with user needs. 

After all is said and done

Designing a product that users ultimately don't want to use is challenging. By following these principles, it’s possible to reduce the barriers to entry for users to use your platform. By striving for simplicity and efficiency, designing your product with a deep understanding of user needs and emotions, and providing both self-service options as well as human support options, you can help lessen feelings of frustration, shame and isolation that a user may experience. We can play a key role in empowering our users to take control of their difficult situation and make informed decisions, by delivering the best possible digital experience for them.