Barclays
Cutting costs and simplifying life admin for Barclays customers and beyond.
IOS App
Role
Lead Product Designer
Work Delivered
Art Direction & Branding
Product Strategy
UI/UX Design
Results
Design & shipped MVP
Introduced agile design
Navigated regulations
In 2018, Barclays created a new business unit known as Barclays Ventures (BV) to design, incubate and scale new ideas using emerging technologies faster than it could traditionally.
Faced with increasing pressure from start-up banks, disruptive apps and new regulations (such as open banking), BV needed to help Barclays stay relevant and capitalise on the rapidly evolving fin-tech landscape.
As a founding designer at BV, I led the Life Admin app's research, design and product strategy while establishing the internal design processes for all other venture projects whilst overseeing initiatives.
Life Admin
The idea for ‘Life Admin’ comes at a demanding time for young adults and new families who must keep up with increasing costs, the complexity of utilities and ongoing outgoings. Combining users' open banking data with the large pool of Barclays anonymised data, we could intelligently analyse and prompt simple ways to help users save time, cut costs, and better control their finances.
Our mission: Create a simple digital solution for all consumers to have a holistic view of all monthly expenses, consolidate accounts, simplify comparing and switching, and ensure customers are always getting the best deal. All powered by machine learning and data science.
Consumer Insights
The driving force behind Life Admin was addressing key pain points faced by everyday people. Through extensive research and consumer insights we identified three foundation aspects that shaped the product, the design and how we communicated.
Personalisation
Consumers want a tailored experience that fits their financial situation. They expect personalised help that reflects their spending habits and goals.
Always the best deal
The complexity of comparing and switching is a common frustration and time sink. Consumers want to get the best deal hassle-free.
Full picture approach
Managing multiple subscriptions and accounts can often feel overwhelming. Leaving users struggling to keep a clear, holistic view of where their money is going.
Smoke Test
Target Audience
Barclays commissioned Illuminas to conduct detailed quantitative and qualitative research using a nationally representative sample of 804 adults. The study examined attitudes toward administrative tasks, current Life Admin behaviours, and reactions to the proposed Life Admin value proposition.
From the findings we identified our core target demographic for the Life Admin would be young professionals and new families, and the app would be especially successful among individuals who fall within the ‘Enthusiastic Amateurs’ and ‘Resigned But Relaxed’ topologies personas.
Behaviour Traits
The analysis of the quantitative research data provided two key behavioral insights that shaped the design and strategy of the Life Admin app:
Satisfaction through organisation:
Insights found that individuals find significant satisfaction in “bringing order out of chaos.” To leverage this, the app was designed to deliver a sense of accomplishment. This approach ensures the app feels both rewarding and motivating.
Single-owner approach for success:
The research revealed that a “divide and conquer” approach would be less effective for managing Life Admin tasks. Instead, success is more likely when one person assumes ownership. We focused the app on empowering a single user to take charge of a full household's task management.
Smoke Tests & Prototypes
Barclays Venture's initiatives were developed through a series of funding gates, similar to startup funding rounds.
Each milestone needed to meet specific objectives, adhere to legal and compliance standards, and prove the product's feasibility.
To report back on design and its impact, I captured and summarised bi-weekly feedback from customers and, where needed, used other UX methods like smoke tests to provide evidence of market size and interest.
Designing for Trust
Barclays is a household name globally and has huge trust with its users. However, our app was designed to grow beyond Barclays customers, allowing anyone with any bank to join and benefit from Life Admin.
To achieve this, we needed to build trust with people who didn’t bank with Barclays or may have had past negative interactions with the bank.
To help make the app more credible, we partnered with Citizens Advice, a reputable independent source, to verify deals and provide peer-to-peer reviews for services and suppliers. Through the app, you will see the citizen advice logo alongside ratings and reviews.
Ratings Powered by Citizens Advice
Smart, simple, and rewarding
Smart & simple would become Life's admin's guiding principle for design, execution, and product strategy.
Insights are only shown if they strike the perfect balance between simplicity and delivering real value so users are not overwhelmed with generic offers. Behind the scenes, Life Admin partnered with other technology providers and digital solutions to help deliver each of our insights quickly.
For customers, this means unlocking better deals using our integrated switching service, saving hundreds by easily changing credit card providers, or even getting available dates and times to help book an MOT when it’s due. Life Admin handles time-consuming tasks in the background, surfacing simple, actionable steps exactly when relevant.
Onboarding Screens
