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Lessons from Digit: Learning to Save?

@mozzadrella
October 27, 2016
370

Lessons from Digit: Learning to Save?

Product analysis of the automatic savings app, Digit. Read the full post at: https://medium.com/@mozzadrella/does-digit-teach-you-to-save-69cbf3061ca3#.rfjbwzo73

@mozzadrella

October 27, 2016
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Transcript

  1. PRODUCT
    ANALYSIS:
    DIGIT
    Vanessa Gennarelli
    Instructional Designer
    @mozzadrella
    mozzadrella.me

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  3. OK, with this product I will
    become a SAVER.
    Who doesn’t want to be a
    saver?
    But my Spidey-sense is
    tingling…
    what’s going on under
    the hood?
    Is this app trying to tell me
    “Let-us-do-the-hard-Calculus-
    homework-for-you-don’t-
    worry-your-pretty-head-
    about-it?”
    Kinda seems that
    way.

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  5. Hi
    cutie.
    Not super-clear these
    are buttons, but what
    they hay, let’s sign up.

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  6. So I’ll need a checking
    account…that would be good
    to know in the app store copy,
    which kind of made Digit
    seem like a bank.
    (Which it kinda is, because
    Digit is opening an account
    for you in this flow).
    OK, it’s Blue
    Time!
    Whoah gang. We went
    from flirty winking Digit
    to stern Bank icon,
    without any visual
    cueing of how the app
    will interact with “Bank.”

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  7. These icons aren’t telling us
    a whole lot—ok there’s a
    bank…and the savings get
    bigger…
    Maybe make this a
    *happy account* that is
    bursting at its seams.

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  8. At this point, I’m worried
    about security and
    safety—this visual cue
    doesn’t put that at ease
    at all…

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  9. But the copy kind of
    does…maybe use a
    security or ease-of-use
    icon instead.
    Easy access to funds ==
    safe, legit business.
    At this point, I’m worried
    about security and
    safety—this visual cue
    doesn’t put that at ease
    at all…

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  10. OK, now White
    Time!
    Not sure what that
    signifies, but geez,
    sure is clean!

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  11. Glad there was
    some education
    on what to expect
    with Bank before
    account creation—
    that’s nicely done.

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  12. However, password-
    creation is one of the
    trickiest pieces of FinTech
    onboarding, and there’s a
    missed opportunity here to
    educate the consumer on
    why that’s important.
    Glad there was
    some education
    on what to expect
    with Bank before
    account creation—
    that’s nicely done.

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  13. Two-step
    verification makes
    me think the app
    is going to
    communicate with
    me primarily via
    email….

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  14. How are we going to
    communicate, Digit?
    Pretty sure you’re
    gonna use # to send
    me notifications…

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  15. But ok, you
    can have it,
    you cutie
    Digit ;)
    How are we going to
    communicate, Digit?
    Pretty sure you’re
    gonna use # to send
    me notifications…

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  16. Scary!
    I know what ACH
    is and I’m still a
    little freaked out.
    The copy should
    should say that this
    will allow us to
    transfer money to
    and from bank
    (using ACH rails).
    Unclear what the
    state relationship is
    between the six-digit
    code above and the
    “Verify Your Number”
    button here.

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  17. ACH enables
    push and pull
    transactions
    between
    accounts.
    ACH is a system owned
    by banks that lets them
    talk to each other.
    But while
    we’re here…

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  18. For a good overview,
    check out Chapter 4 in
    Payments Systems in
    the US by Carol Coye
    Benson.
    They are the rails
    behind US
    FinTech services
    PayPal and
    Venmo.
    ACH is slow
    (several days)
    aiming for same-
    day settlement,
    but aren’t quite
    there yet.
    ACH enables
    push and pull
    transactions
    between
    accounts.
    ACH is a system owned
    by banks that lets them
    talk to each other.
    But while
    we’re here…

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  19. But let’s keep
    this party
    rollin’….
    And look, we’re
    blue!

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  20. Where’s Digit? I
    kinda miss that
    cutie…

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  21. Large,
    familiar
    icons, easily
    clickable…
    OK—I’m beginning to feel
    like Digit knows what it’s
    doing and is connected
    with legit banks.

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  22. Maybe pull this step
    up in the flow to give
    newbies a familiar
    context, instead of
    generic
    Gloomy Bank…
    Large,
    familiar
    icons, easily
    clickable…
    OK—I’m beginning to feel
    like Digit knows what it’s
    doing and is connected
    with legit banks.

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  23. But now Dark Gray Time.
    Dark Gray Time is serious
    time…
    Wish I knew what to
    expect down here so I
    don’t feel so freaked
    out about giving you
    my info.

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  24. O.M.G.

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  25. Secure
    connections….
    O.M.G.

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  26. Secure
    connections….
    are so
    hard….
    O.M.G.

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  27. Secure
    connections….
    are so
    hard….
    let us give you this
    freaky spinning
    maze to show you
    how much…
    O.M.G.

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  28. PHEW!

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  29. PHEW!
    “I’ve started..”
    Who is speaking to
    me? Is it the
    omniscient Digit?
    Rut-roh.

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  30. PHEW!
    “I’ve started..”
    Who is speaking to
    me? Is it the
    omniscient Digit?
    Rut-roh.
    Thanks, but I’m
    going to want to
    use your product
    and understand
    its value before I
    tell my pals.
    No hard feelings?

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  31. PHEW!
    “I’ve started..”
    Who is speaking to
    me? Is it the
    omniscient Digit?
    Rut-roh.
    Thanks, but I’m
    going to want to
    use your product
    and understand
    its value before I
    tell my pals.
    No hard feelings?
    Thought I was “all
    set” but let’s see
    where “DONE” gets
    us…

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  32. AHHHHHH!
    WUT.
    IS.
    THIS??????
    All this blank
    space!!! What
    is supposed
    to be here?

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  33. AHHHHHH!
    WUT.
    IS.
    THIS??????
    Do you want
    me to send
    these
    commands
    INTO THE
    VOID!?!?
    All this blank
    space!!! What
    is supposed
    to be here?

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  34. Ohhh, is this
    like an IFFFT to
    make formulas
    or recipes
    between Digit
    and my bank
    accounts?
    A little ghosted
    demo of what
    WILL be here
    when my
    account is
    connected
    WOULD BE
    GREAT.

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  35. OK let’s play
    around a little
    bit…
    I COMMAND
    my savings to
    save $2.00

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  38. Makes sense
    and is actually
    a pretty neat
    experience.
    Needs some
    modeling
    though so
    users don’t
    send
    commands
    INTO THE
    VOID!

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  39. Hmmm, what
    does FUN do?
    Let’s try
    “Liftoff”
    Makes sense
    and is actually
    a pretty neat
    experience.
    Needs some
    modeling
    though so
    users don’t
    send
    commands
    INTO THE
    VOID!

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  41. WTF?

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  42. OK, let’s
    try
    “Dope”
    WTF?

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  43. Huh.

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  44. Things Digit could have
    done to increase
    comprehension and
    recall:

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  45. Things Digit could have
    done to increase
    comprehension and
    recall:
    First 10 days: What
    people with similar
    savings patterns have
    saved.

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  46. Things Digit could have
    done to increase
    comprehension and
    recall:
    First 10 days: What
    people with similar
    savings patterns have
    saved.
    Coveted things: what
    people spend their digit
    savings on.

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  47. Things Digit could have
    done to increase
    comprehension and
    recall:
    First 10 days: What
    people with similar
    savings patterns have
    saved.
    Coveted things: what
    people spend their digit
    savings on.
    Assess what kind of saver I
    think I am vs. what I
    actually am—you have all
    my bank data, after all.

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  48. Instead, zebra
    costume.
    Huh.

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  49. It’s cute, but now it’s making
    me suspicious of the whole
    enterprise. I should feel
    secure, confident, and any
    sense of trust should be built
    with features over time.
    Now I’m like “WTF is this
    Zebra doing with my money?”
    Instead, zebra
    costume.
    Huh.

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  50. And the
    drip
    email
    campaign
    starts.

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  51. Relatively
    straightforward.
    Wish this was
    properly explained
    in the email, but I
    understand
    wanting to
    maintain current
    docs on the site.

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  52. But meanwhile
    in my text
    messages…

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  53. Digit, you’re
    back!
    To remind me
    of my balance,
    thanks!
    But meanwhile
    in my text
    messages…

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  54. …and you have Disney
    gifs and Chinese
    philosophy?
    Digit, you’re
    back!
    To remind me
    of my balance,
    thanks!
    But meanwhile
    in my text
    messages…

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  55. Awww, semi-forced
    attempts at
    multiculturalism!

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  56. While I really
    like the
    reminders….
    they expose
    users to
    seeing their
    balance
    regularly…

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  57. There’s too much
    magic here, not
    enough relevance or
    motivation.
    What does someone
    who saves $50 a
    month eventually
    become?
    Put another
    way, why I am I
    doing this?
    While I really
    like the
    reminders….
    they expose
    users to
    seeing their
    balance
    regularly…

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  58. If Mint will teach
    me how to be in
    charge of my
    future…

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  59. And Acorns will
    teach me how to
    grow wealth…
    If Mint will teach
    me how to be in
    charge of my
    future…

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  60. What does Digit
    help me do in the
    future?
    And Acorns will
    teach me how to
    grow wealth…
    If Mint will teach
    me how to be in
    charge of my
    future…

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  61. I would recommend
    bringing out the silly
    only when your
    customer experiences
    a success or reaches
    the next win.
    Otherwise it’s
    disorienting and I’m
    learning that
    everything around
    money is a “dope”
    joke.
    And saving
    money is hard, it
    takes some
    effort.

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  62. At least as much as 15-20
    seconds of
    “Authentication-maze-
    Dark Gray Serious-Time.”
    And saving
    money is hard, it
    takes some
    effort.

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  63. THANKS DIGIT!
    Vanessa Gennarelli
    Instructional Designer
    @mozzadrella
    mozzadrella.me

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