Week 2 - Shaping the Consumer Credit Experience

Week 2 of my UX design journey took an interesting turn. The challenge was clear and formidable: improve the consumer credit feature in the Wüstenrot app. The project demanded a lot from us, but as the adage goes - pressure makes diamonds, and the two weeks we spent on it not only refined our design skills but also sharpened our team's collaboration.

Organizing the Unorganized

As with any new undertaking, we encountered a few bumps at the start. It wasn't a slow pace, but rather, we grappled with some disorganization. However, the beauty of learning is in adaptation and synergy, and these were the keys to our transformation. We rapidly grew from a group of individuals into an incredibly efficient working team, learning to excel in task distribution and achieving all of our objectives with admirable fluidity. It's amazing what a little patience, perseverance, and teamwork can accomplish!

Understanding the User

Our journey was centred around understanding our users. We revisited personas, empathy maps, and low-fidelity screens from previous work, trying to walk in our users' shoes. By defining their pains and needs, we formulated a strategy to enhance the consumer credit feature. Every step of the way, empathy was our guiding light, reminding us that our designs are for the users, not ourselves.

From Low-Fidelity to High

We then took on the challenge of transforming low-fidelity user interface designs into high-fidelity ones. With every iteration, our design evolved, refined by feedback, discussions, and our growing understanding of the user's needs. We carefully constructed a user flow, ensuring each stage of the interaction was considered. Despite the complexity, it was fascinating to see the transformation of our designs.

My Contributions

In this project, I had the opportunity to wear many hats. From ideating for the personas, conducting user research, to designing both low and high-fidelity interfaces, I was fully immersed in the process. One of the highlights was presenting our personas, empathy maps, and our final design strategy to our classmates and mentors. It was thrilling to share our journey and the rationale behind our decisions.

Reflections and Forward

By the end of Week 2, we had created a model for Wüstenrot to shape a consumer credit product that resonates with our defined user personas. It was a testament to our meticulous approach, adaptability, and coordination as a team. As I reflect on this week, I feel a sense of accomplishment, not just for what we produced, but for the growth that I see in myself and my team.

Stay tuned as I continue to share my experiences, learnings, and insights on this exciting UX journey. Here's to embracing challenges, learning new things, and growing together! Auf Wiedersehen!