Aleph Labs
My experience working in a design agency on Corporate Banking Mobile Application.
BAU Focus
Features that I actively participated in creating will be QR LogIn, Export of files, warning modals, Multi-Selection, Trade Track it and other miscellaneous enhancement items. Just to illustrate an example of my work, I will go through the working process for one of the items I have worked on.
Trade Track-it
Trade Track IT is a web platform that lets users track their transactions, shipments, and documents before logging in. While bringing this service into the mobile app, we want to consider potential opportunities to improve the experience. Therefore we started with a competitor analysis followed by a feature analysis of the current web platform.
Competitor Analysis
Each application was examined to assess its strengths and weaknesses. After analysing all four applications, we compiled a list of learning points - key principles that other applications follow and that we should consider when designing the customer experience.
Feature Analysis
During our analysis of the web journey's features, we focused on what is already available and what could be added to the mobile journey. Any features that could be potentially implemented were then brought to the attention of the wider team, including the Design Head and Product Owners.
A working prototype
After completing the design research, we create a simple user flow that can be implemented. I usually present a few options to the product owner to identify any development limitations and understand their goals for the user experience. Once we have chosen one of the options, we create a wireframe of the flow, followed by a full, high-fidelity prototype. This prototype will be shared with the rest of the team as part of the workflow.
A typically workflow
A typical Design Sprint is one week long, and the design team starts working one week before the development team. However, the internal process involves several layers, as shown below. The product owners create the user stories, and the designers must consult with the product owners or UX research to get more detailed information about the available user research. Then, the design team creates all the designs. If development issues arise, the product owner will go back and update the user story, returning to the cycle
Conclusion
I have had many lessons from my short stint in Aleph Labs .
Setting the Design Direction
This project had two Product Owners with Design Head from the cilent side. Often both of them with different concerns with different expectations of the outcome. It would have been more helpful for one side to step their foot down on a decision and to see through it.
Communication is key.
Major contributor to a lot of the problems as you have seen from the workflow. There is a tendency for the Design Team to go cylo from the Developer team. There is also a tendency for the Product Owner to groom the stories without the development team input. This will ends up with the development teams concern being buried and the design team overworked with making all the changes.