banking on users

8/7/2019 Banking on Users

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HSBC Technology Services USA

Banking on UsersQualitative Research and Online Banking

Harsh Jawharkar, Consultant, User Centered Design, HSBC

JoEllen Kames Consultant, User Centered Design, HSBC


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2HSBC Technology Services USA

HSBC UCD Team

HSBCHeadquartered in London, HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services

organizations in the world. HSBC's international network comprises over 9,800 offices in

77 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East

and Africa.

The HSBC UCD team4 28 members

4 3 locations: Chicago, Vancouver and Buffalo

4 User Research

4 Information Architecture4 Interface Design

4 Concept Testing & Validation

DISCIPLINES

SKILLS & EXPERTISE

4 Ethnographic Research

4 Usability

4 CSS Strategy & Implementation

4 Visual Design4 Accessibility

4 Online Branding

4 Globalization

4 Search Engine Optimization


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User Centered Design Process

ResearchBenchmarksIdentify Audience(s)Validate ObjectivesCompetitive AuditsStakeholder InterviewsUser Observations

BrainstormingPrioritization

RankingValue PropositionFeature setConcept ModelConcept testingUse Cases - Initial

IA: Flows, Sitemaps, WireframesDesign ThemesUse Cases - FinalCode DesignInfrastructure BlueprintsPrototype Testing

Image productionBack-end integrationPrototype TestingHTMLJSP

LaunchMeasureCompare


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Many Kinds of Research to Understand Users

evaluative generative

in person

removed/remote

contextual interviews

focus groups (online)

focus groups

ethnographic observation

self reporting, journaling, etc

product usagemeasurements + reporting

shopper intercepts

surveying (online)

disposable camera studies

participatory design

usability testing (online)

usability testing

prototype testing (online)

prototype testing

telephone interviews


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Many Kinds of Research to Understand Users: Putting it Together

Different design problems present different types of questions about customers.

Different research methods yield different types of data about customers.

The key to successful research efforts is carefully designing the particular research protocol to

ensure that the methods you choose deliver the answers you need.

In design research, it is common to adapt and combine approaches and methods in order toget the end user input necessary to inform the project team.

Factors that drive the need to combine different types of research:

4 Time

4 Money

4 Access to participants


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Generative User Research: What It Is

Generative research methods are used to capture human behavior in the context of the

person's natural environment in order to gain insights into users ways of behaving and thinking

based upon real world interactions.

These methods are extremely useful for uncovering and identifying emerging and unmet

customer needs with the goal of defining product opportunities.

Methods are typically more ethnographic in nature, including components of behavioral

observation.


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Generative User Research: What It Is

Generative research can be used to determine users requirements or criteria for product

development or design.

Areas of focus include artifacts, activities, tools, lists, stages of a process, physical responses.

In-person methods include:

4 Observation in users environment with video or field note capture

4 Contextual interviews in users environment, in the context of use



Generative User Research: Business Triggers

The types of business questions answered by generative user research include:

4 What new products will address latent + unmet customer needs + desires?

4 What factors cause our customers to purchase our products?

4 What features do our customers consider most useful? Most important?

4 What new product concepts will be of interest to our customers?

4What opportunities are there to better support customer behaviors?

4 How do customers think about their finances?

4 How do customers think about banking? Credit cards? Loans?

4 How do our customers perceive our brand?

4 What do our customers need from our products?

4

What segments exist in our customer base?



Generative User Research: Examples of Results

Observations + insights

Interaction or experience

models

Criteria for solutions

End user requirements

Modes of use

Personas

Scenarios of Use



Evaluative User Research: What It Is

Evaluative research methods are used to test or validate concepts, prototypes or actual web

sites with end users in order to gain insights into user understanding and behaviors

based upon structured interactions.

These methods are typically task based, providing direct observation of users interactions with

an interface and revealing the extent to which an interface supports users goals.

Evaluative prototyping is often iterative through a project lifecycle. Early conceptual prototypetesting informs design decisions that are validated through additional testing.


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Evaluative User Research: What It Is

Evaluative user research is typically much more focused than generative testing. The scope

of research questions are limited to the interface and the tasks tested.

The results from evaluative testing are typically used used to provide specific guidance for

improving information architecture and design.

In-person methods include:

4 Concept validation

4 Paper prototype testing

4 Clickable prototype testing

4 Usability testing


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Evaluative User Research: Business Triggers

The types of business questions answered by evaluative user research include:

4 How do customers actually use our products?

4 How do people actually perform a particular task?

4 What background and mindsets do users bring to their interactions with our products?

4 How can we make it easier for customers to use our products?

4

Does this process make sense to our customers?4 What features do our customers consider most useful? Most important?

4 Can customers and prospects find the information they need?

4 Do customers understand the way we are communicating with them?

4 What do our customers need from our product?

4

How do customers perceive our brand?4 What segments exist in our customer base?


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Evaluative User Research: Examples of Results

Observations + insights

Specific issues seen

Ranked recommendations

for changes

Insights into customer

behavior + understandingInteraction models


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Commercial Banking | eBusiness Ethnography

Business Case

4 Define a strategy to increase revenue streams from the Online

Channel

4 Grow the number of customers banking online

4 Understand cross-channel experience impacts on the

eBusiness (Online Channel)

Goals

4 Understand customer needs within the context of Commercial eBanking.

4 Describe the decision-making processes and behavioral model for business owners and

financial decision-makers.

4 Evaluate customers' current experiences against ideal states; determine areas for

improvement.


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Key Issues

4 Who are the customers today? Who should they be tomorrow?4 What are the key strategic experience modules and providers?

4 Are customers loyal?

4 What are the attributes of loyalty w.r.t. an online experience?

4 How should you segment your customer based?

4 What are the behavioral issues associated with the customers?

4 How should the product portfolio be segmented in the online channel?

4 What is the interaction model for online customers?

4 How do you optimize the limited online real-estate of Business Services?


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Methodology

Research Protocols:

4 The research effort was primarily

ethnographic. It focused on describing,

evaluating participants' behaviors using

qualitative methods.

The researcher conducted:

4 Contextual & Laddering interviews to

examine the lifecycle of the business

needs and their relationship with

financial product purchasing behavior.

4 Card-sort exercises that help the

participant define cognitive groups of

products/offerings based on their

specific needs and background.

4 Controlled observations with

participants based on pre-established

scenarios and personas.

Field Research Participants

Association Analysis


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Key Behavioral Aspects

4 Establishing a benchmark for entrepreneurial behavior4 Identifying catalysts and external influences

4 Understanding inherited behaviors

4 Compensatory & Non-compensatory Decision-making

4 Framing behavior in terms of behavioral attributes

o Time to make decision

o Need to validate decision

o Need to protect privacy

o Level of complexity and paperwork

4 Finding a proxy for human validation


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DepositChecks

ReviewStatements

Pay BillsTransfer

Funds

Shop forDeposit

Products

Shop forCredit Cards

Shop forLoans and

LoC's

Apply forDeposit

Products

Apply forCredit Cards

Apply forLoans and

LoC's

Shop forService

products

Apply forService

products

HIGH

DepositChecks

ReviewStatements

Pay BillsTransfer

Funds

Shop forDeposit

Products

Shop forCredit Cards

Shop forLoans and

LoC's

Apply forDeposit

Products

Apply forCredit Cards

Apply forLoans and

LoC's

Shop forService

products

Apply forService

products

Interaction

Key Issues

Strategies Don't lose the prospect. Transition to an offline channel.

Help customers determine their needs. Provide checklists (no. of

transactions, etc.)

Provide a holistic view of the offline channels and the associatedrepresentative (i.e. branch and SBRM)

Make it easy to shop. Design a usable shopping experience that willcatalyze sales regardless of the channel

Provide validation or help for the customer's decision-making process(Comparison, Tips, etc.)

Clarify benefits and simplify the process

Provide validation or help for the customer's decision-makingprocess.

Clarify benefits and simplify the process

Redevelop the brand and security proposition

Deposit accounts are influenced by a host of offline factors(demographic, geographic, convenience, customer service, etc.)

Credit cards are portable products. Switching costs are muchlower when compared to deposit products (i.e. you can cancel

any time and not have to deal with transitioning funds, etc.)

There exists an inherent lack of awareness and security

concerns even for conducting low touch activities online

Confusing fine print and banking jargon frequently drivescustomers offline.

Customers are highly likely to apply for Loans/LoC from theircurrent bank because they feels that they already have an

established credit history

Although customers prefer to have their personal and

business deposit accounts at the same bank initially, this

does not mean they want to co-manage them. It also does notindicate a future preference.

BIB does not integrate well with accounting software such as

QuickBooks, etc.

PERSONAL

Target Zone

Entrepreneurs are credit hungryand this is the point of reference

they seek in terms of businesslegitimacy and sustainability.

Sometimes Online & Often Offline Mostly Offline Almost Always Offline

Most customers are genuinely interested in some form ofhuman contact - to either validate decisions, to hold

accountable for problems, and to assist in resolvingissues . Many customers are unaware of the SBRMprogram.

Credit and loans are the backbone of a small business.These products can be used as incentives to draw themonline and cross-sell other products.

A hybrid origination and fulfillment approach will be adifferentiating factor and will align all channels seamlessly.

Need to transform intoonline conducive activities

BUSINESS

Catalysts

Amazon

eBayYahoo!

External Forces& Standards

Usable shopping experienceEstablish trust

Clarify online app benefits

Personal OnlineBanking

LOW Time to Make Decisions

Need to Validate DecisionThe Need for :

Need to Protect Privacy (Security)

Level of Complexity & Paperwork

Clear Path & Choices Simple Presentation

Usable Experience

Users perceivePersonalBanking as abenchmark fortheirexperiences)

Behavioral Model


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Product Segmentation & Portfolio Analysis

Checking

Savings

Credit Card

Line of Credit

Loan

Insurance

Retirement

Employee Benefit

Low Touch High Touch

Commodity Differentiated

Fast Decision Slow Decision

COREPRODUCTBUNDLE

GROWTH

PRODUCTBUNDLE

Price Parity Negotiable

Online App Possible Online App Difficult

Infancy Adolescence Maturity


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Customer Personas & Segments

Sophisticate(Hunters)

Upside: AdvocatesDownside: Mercenaries

Pragmatist(Browsers)

Upside: CustomersDownside: Mercenaries

Traditionalist(Spectators)

Upside: Customers

Downside: Hostages

PERSONAS

Target Target


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User Interaction Model

BranchLocator

BusinessSmart

Promotions(Home x 3) What's New

HomeBanner

MortgageRates

LeftNavigation

AccountAccess

Contact Us

Mortgage rates areirrelevant to theprototypical small businesscustomer. Displaying thesecreates a disorientingexperience

Most small business customersare not interested in corporatenews and press releases. Theywould be interested inpersonalized items that arespecific to their product set andlocation

The BusinessSmart concept washighly incomprehensible to mostcustomers. Many interpreted thisas a knowledge base oreducational tool. Most felt thatthis term is misleading andcompletely ineffective

The 3 promotional items (including the

images) did not translate well and failed atcommunicating the message. Most

customers failed to identify the imagesand quickly ignored these promotions,

rendering them virtually ineffective.

The primary image banner presented to theusers on the Business Services Home page

does not make an impression on customers.Many were confused or annoyed with the

potted plant metaphor. Most did not realize thatthe banner was clickable. Furthermore, a

similar banner appears on other pages andconsumes valuable real-estate . Overall, thesebanners are ineffective and should be replaced

with a more meaningful and conventionalmetaphor.

The Left Navigation is heavily relied on toprovide customers with the initial (andimportant) overview of the site and its

offerings. The current scheme is visuallymonotonous and does not aid

customers in quickly identifying targets.

Displaying HSBC's phone number at all timeswithin the site made a very positive impression

on all customers. It was perceived as a goodpractice to keep channels of communicationopen at all times. Most customers were notinclined to use Email to contact Customer

Service. This was primarily due to the feelingthat there was no one either checking or

answering those emails.

The Account Access component is the mostfrequently used and relevant aspect of the site.

However, its information architecture andsurrounding action elements are flawed andneed to be redesigned.

The Branch Locator and SBS finder are bothuseful tools. However, the customer'smagnitude of need of these drops sharply once afirm relationship with the bank is established.Furthermore, the branch locator is incapable ofshowing the nearest alternative locations,which is a major flaw.


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Personal Banking | One-Time Password (Security Device) Study

Business Case

4 Protect consumers from identity theft and online fraud

4 Mitigate liabilities and losses from a financial perspective

4 Preserve trust in the HSBC brand

Goals

4 Evaluate the usability of the OTP Security Token within the

context of personal internet banking.

4 Identify issues related to usage, storage, and handling of the token

by online banking customers.

4 Define a concept model for customers' behaviors and recommend usage scenarios


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Key Issues

SECURITY CONCERNS SECURITY MECHANISMS USABILITYOTP TOKEN

GOALS

Understand

Evaluate

Assess

METHODS &DURATION

Packaging & vocabularyused to describe device

Perceptions regarding value(price points, replacementcost)

Handling and storagebehaviors

Perceived advantages anddisadvantages

Anticipation of loss, theft,low battery, or replacement

Exposure to ID&Vmechanisms - Username/Password, PIN, VK,Tokens, etc.

Managing accounts andcorresponding mechanisms

Using mechanisms andassociated mnemonics

Perceived advantages and

disadvantages of each

Risk profile - categorizeonline transactions(eCommerce, Finance, etc.)

Perceptions of securitythreats in general related tobanking (cross-channel)

Evaluation of onlinebanking behavior

Management of personal

information, credentials,cards, and privacy

Mechanism 1 -Username/Password1. Registration2. Login3. Reset Password

Mechanism 2-OTP Token1. Registration2. Login3. Reset Password4. Replace Token

a. Low Batteryb. Lost/Stolen

Contextual Interviews

Laddering exercise

Contextual Interviews Contextual Interviews

Unstructured simulatedobservations

Structured task-basedobservations

10 minutes 10 minutes 10 minutes 30 minutes

EVALUATION

Cost

Ease of Use

Portability

Strength


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Methodology

4 Contextual interviews to examine customers'

approaches and expectations surrounding

this topic.

4 Laddering exercises to build a map of the

attributes, consequences, and values.

4 Structured observations to benchmark the

following scenarios -

o Register a new token

o Login with the new token

o Reset a password

o Replace an existing token


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Perceptions & Communication

4 Customers are aware of identity theft, onlinefraud,and phishing.

4 Visual cues are used by them to identify and

evaluate a level of security.

4 Postal communication is still a preferred method of

communication, since email is becoming devalueddue to spam.

4 Communication materials are critical for explaining

the rationale, value, and usage.

4 Customers want to be informed about important

security initiatives within a 2-3 week timeframe.


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Communication & Packaging

4 Customers could not initially understand how

the device worked or how it should be used.

4 They guessed that it may be a radio-

frequency device or like a mobile credit-card.

4 Most customers were not sure if the security

code changed and how it was generated.

4 A majority of customers preferred to use this

device only during login.

4 The rationale for this choice is based on the

argument that if they site is secure at login,

that security should pervade throughout the

other areas of the site.


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Vocabulary & Terminology

4 Customers do not interpret banking jargon

effectively.

4 The following words have different

meanings in their daily lives -

o Token

o OTP

o Credentials


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Portability

4 Most customers create an index of

usernames and passwords - stored near

the computer.

4 A majority of customers preferred to

store the device either on their computer

desk or in a drawer close to it.

4 Major Issues -

o preferred not to attach the security

device to their keychain

o fear of losing the device or breaking

it accidentally

o concerned about the durability of the

device1. Moderately protected2. Easily accessible3. Staging area for major objects

1 2 3

Simulated - this is not a test participant's desk


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Value & Pricing

4 Customers do not expect to pay for this

security device. They prefer that HSBC

offer this as a free option that involves a

voluntary signup.

4 Many customers elicited the analogy of

credit-cards to justify not paying for a

replacement. Customers who were willingto pay for a replacement security device

would entertain a replacement charge of

between $5 and $20.

4 Most customers preferred a single security

device per household. This was primarily

due to a single person in the household

being responsible for online banking and

also a fear of losing multiple devices.

4 The average expected timeframe for

replacement is between 3 to 7 days.

Laggards

Late

Majority

Early

MajorityEarly AdoptersInnovators

"The Chasm"

Technology Adoption Lifecycle

YOU ARE HERE

Incentivize early adopters

Communicate clearly

Provide a highly usable experience

No U.S. bank has introduced

this technology for retail

banking

Mostly corporate users have

been exposed to this securitydevice


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Appearance & Ergonomics

4 A majority of customers preferred not to

have the security device branded in any

way that would identify it with HSBC or

online banking.

4 Many customers were unable to discern

the proper way to orient the device. This

can be mitigated by simple, clear, yetgeneral text on the device.

4 Customers generally identified the color

'Red' with HSBC.

4 The button was not obvious to some

customers.4 The easygoing characteristics of the

shape do not lend itself to a perception of

formality, protection, and strength.

OR


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Interface :: Dynamic Error Prevention

4

When a customercommits an error, a

dynamic soft warning

can be displayed

instantaneously.

4 This will help the

customer undo their

error before submittingthe entire form.

4 Since these elements

are dynamic, they

disappear after the

customer has

corrected the error

and moved on to thenext field.

BRAND IDENTITY

FOOTER:Contains links for Contact Us, Privacy Policy, and Security

GEL BAR

Create Username and Password

jcustomerCreate Username

REGISTRATION -- STEP 2 of 2

* * * * * * *Create Password(8 - 36 characters)

|

Special Characters are not allowed

Password Reset Questions

* * * * *

|

What is your mother's maiden name?Select Question 1

NEED HELP?

NEED HELP?

!

The answer is less than 6 characters!

Confirm Password(8 - 36 characters)

Enter Answer(6 - 20 characters)

Confirm Answer(6 - 20 characters)

As users make errorswithin certain fields, wecan provide "soft

warnings" to help themcorrect their errorsbefore submitting theform

USER

FLOW


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Creating Opportunities for Qualitative Research: Our Experience

Tactics for working with the right people

4 Position UCD practitioners as Collaborators and not Oracles

4 Uncover latent business needs along with user needs

4 Create strong role definitions

4 Introduce embeds, liaisons and relationship managers

4 Understand the symbiosis between business and customers

4 Move beyond drive-by usability requests

Tactics for working on the right projects

4 Build support by delivering results on a harmless project

4 Invest in less than optimal outcomes to get better opportunities

4 Use a Try before you Buy approach for limited engagement projects

4 Align with high-profile and important business units

4 Focus on moving upstream within the project lifecycle

4 Demonstrate the benefits of qualitative research


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HSBC T h l S i USA

Thank you.

banking on users

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