eCloudInvoice Theme

My Role

I led the design and planning of the in-app store purchase feature of eCloudInvoice across iOS, Android, and Web during the second quarter of 2023.

Consumer Research and Ideation

• I collaborated closely with the Marketing team and fellow designers to conduct in-depth research, uncovering user needs and exploring competitive app concepts.

Planning and Defining Scope

• I took the role of Product Manager, coordinating with the Marketing team and the rest of the Design team to strategize the scope and idea execution.

Design Execution and Validation

• I used Sketch to create low-fidelity wireframes, effectively communicating conceptual ideas to the team. Wireframes were then transformed into high-fidelity mockups and prototypes, complete with detailed design specs for handoff to iOS and Android developers.

Leadership

• I led the team through the planning phase of a new feature's development, overseeing design execution, and presenting our work and strategy to senior executives and fellow development teams.

Understanding the Problem

Our application had been decreasing in user usage during 2023. The application mainly focused on being a tool for scanning barcodes for invoices during purchases. With the design of the widget feature, the probability of users opening the application decreases.

Challenges and Goals

Our user base spans diverse genders and age groups, presenting a challenge in understanding their needs and behaviours. Focusing on a specific demographic proved challenging as our user groups are widely spread apart. Our objective is to enhance app engagement without monetizing the product directly. We employed various strategic design approaches to analyze user behavior and needs, while also generating our initial application revenue.

Approach

We went for a psychological approach in the gamification method without broadening our scope. We wanted to create an emotional bond between the application and the users, granting them greater freedom. This transformation aims to elevate the app from merely a tool to a personalized experience, ultimately increasing user engagement. Therefore, we planned to implement a colour theme feature that enables users to customize their application's primary colours according to their preferences.

User Flow

The first user flow is the process through notifications. Users will seamlessly enter the app through notifications, guiding them through the introduction of new features. This process ensures they can easily explore and engage with the latest updates immediately.

The second user flow focuses on how users engage with the new feature directly within the app. By navigating through the forum tab, users experience the new feature in various stages. This flow highlights the key interactions and touchpoints, ensuring a smooth and intuitive experience throughout their journey with the feature.

Wireframes

Based on the problem identified, there are a few potential requirements:

• An in-app purchase store and storage for already purchased items with a clear outline of the structure and user interactions
• The theme colours should be appealing and fit the rest of the application design guidelines, including light and dark modes.

Usability Testing

I conducted usability testing sessions with fellow designers and developers to validate the functionality and workflow of the store features. The observations during these sessions primarily centred around evaluating the clarity of the purchasing process steps and the visibility and hierarchy of the information.

Design and Launch

The high-fidelity mockups were created using Sketch and then integrated into Zeplin for developers to review, allowing them to export icons and images as needed. The design team collaborated closely with the iOS and Android teams to review any missing interactions or design specifications before commencing development.

Results and Takeaways

eCloudInvoice was awarded Apple's prestigious 'Application of the Week' in August 2023, particularly for its innovative colour themes feature. Comparing app usage statistics from June 18, 2023, to July 17, 2023, with July 18, 2023 (after the colour theme update) to August 18, 2023, we observed a significant 16.1% increase in application usage.

Key takeaways from this project are:

• With a diverse user group, conducting research and analysis can be challenging. One alternative approach is to design a smaller project scope as a test to evaluate and analyze user reactions and behaviours effectively.
• Leadership outside of design. Having the chance to lead the entire development cycle—from planning and design to development and quality assurance—was a tremendous learning experience. Engaging in early-stage communication to refine new ideas, gain executive approval, and share passions with the development team was incredibly inspiring. Witnessing other teams working toward the same goal was truly motivating.