brief
Subscription services are great. From streaming to food delivery, we can all admit that these services are super convenient to have.
This is especially true for Gen Zs (born between 1995-2012) who are digitally native and desire to curate customized experiences in their everyday lives.
However, it's just as easy to overspend on your subscriptions as it is to sign up for a new and exciting service. Many of us have probably forgotten to cancel a subscription and ended overpaying.
Here is how I used the Design Thinking process to create a digital solution for this problem space:
That wasn't the only interesting statistic I found during secondary research:
consumers underestimate their subscription spending by at least $100.
of people forget that they're paying for unused subscriptions.
of Gen Zs are paying for 4/5 types of subscriptions - the most of all age groups.*
Millennials reported having 2/5 types. Gen X & Boomers reported having 1/5 type.
I wanted a holistic understanding of the problem space. What were the user's behaviours like and what motivated their actions? What is it about the experience that frustrates them?
I decided to conduct in-depth user interviews with three Gen Zs who were paying for multiple subscriptions to understand the problem through the lens of human-centered design.
Time to organize my notes into motivations, behaviours, and pain points. By understanding the user, I can then think of design opportunities.
I took key data points from the interviews and categorized them as motivations, behaviours, or pain points through Affinity Mapping.
I want to make good use of my subscription services each month so that I can get my money’s worth.
FOMO prevents me from cancelling subscriptions as I’m afraid I’ll miss out on perks I might need later on.
I want to know when each subscription will renew so I know when I can expect a charge and when to cancel.
I convince myself that I’ll use my subscription services in the following months so I keep paying for them.
I only check my subscription transactions when my credit card statement was particularly high that month.
It was already too late before I realized that I was paying for a subscription service that I wasn’t using.
Finding all the subscription renewal dates and adding up each cost is tedious so I don't even bother.
Automatic charges slip my mind as money is being spent without me actively making the purchase.
Transparency
Gen Zs want billing information about their subscription services to be readily available to make informed decisions.
Forgetful & Passive Spending
Gen Zs tend to forget about their subscriptions when transactions are billed passively.
High Expectations
Gen Zs feel hopeful and convince themselves that they'll be able to compensate for subscription usage instead of canceling.
Budgeting & Mindful Spending
They are open to finding ways to be mindful and optimize their money but have a hard time doing so.
Tedious Processes
From budgeting and manually tracking to canceling and switching to alternatives, subscription management can be tedious.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
Gen Zs don't want to miss out on convenient features/exclusive content and they want to use what their friends use.
Buyer's Remorse
They feel regretful because they already paid for unused subscriptions and can't do much to make up for it.
Chosen theme!
TRANSPARENCY: As it can help promote mindful spending and prevent forgetful spending by offering Gen Zs awareness and control over their spending decisions.
hmw statement
A persona and user experience map was created based on the patterns found in primary research to represent the target user who will be considered throughout my design process.
user stories
I decided to expand on Subscription Management for my primary task flow and delved a bit into Reminders for my secondary task flow. I wanted to make subscription management a transparent and mindful experience for the user.
How can I improve the subscription spending experience so that Gen Zs can avoid overspending and feel more in control of their finances?
The user stories were formed into tasks that ultimately became my user task flow.
value proposition
You might be thinking. If Gen Zs are discouraged by tedious processes, why are there multiple steps to adding a subscription service in the task flow?
I initially thought about having the user link their bank accounts to the app and be able to see the details based on transaction date and amount. However, the task flow felt disconnected from my value proposition. If anything, I feel that this initial task flow would still encourage passive spending.
In this task flow, the user will enter details about their subscriptions (most of the steps are semi-automated) but they will also be mindfully adding another subscription service.
Having the user enter details may take some time but the app will serve as a tool that will guide users through the entire process. This way, the user will also be more aware of their spending.
Let’s get sketching and designing. Before we move on, I need to test and revise the design so I know it’s user-friendly and that it all makes sense!
It was time to do some pen and paper sketches or in my case, iPad and Apple Pencil sketches (no smudging: a left-hander's dream). I started off by creating exploratory sketches on Mockup for my task flow to try out three different layouts per screen.
While crafting the sketches, I referenced a UI Inspiration board consisting of some design inspiration that I gathered. I then selected solution sketches to use as a reference for my wireframes.
Subscription Overview & Add New Subscription Search
Suggestions & Reminders Setup
Trial-End Reminder Confirmation & New Subscription Confirmation
After I connected my mid-fidelity wireframes, I conducted ten test sessions in two rounds of user testing. This was done on an interactive mobile prototype and the method proved to be very helpful as I gained insight on how accessible buttons were on a mobile screen.
As users were asked to complete tasks, they also gave constructive feedback on the app's logic, functionality, and usability.
Initially, users found that the reminders setup process was confusing and hard to navigate. Renewal reminders were unnecessary, making the overall task flow feel tedious. I needed to change the initial task flow so that adding a subscription to the app would feel more intuitive.
A session output document was created after each round of user tests. I created a Design Prioritization Matrix to rank solutions and it was able to help me with my approach to implementing changes to address usability issues. Overall, users wanted better context within task screens.
Time to tie it all together! How do I want my app to be conveyed through brand identity and UI? I decided to ask Gen Zs for feedback on branding.
Admittedly, as someone with a marketing background, this part was very exciting! It was fun creating the app's identity and putting meaning into each branding decision.
Throughout the brand ideation process, I asked my fellow Gen Z friends for their feedback because user input is valuable in every step of the process.
Fleet was able to capture the "all-in-one" and transparency aspect of my app's main feature as Gen Z users expressed that they wanted to easily manage all their subscriptions in one place.
While using the app, the users are essentially tracking and managing their own fleet of subscriptions that are all moving at once, since they are ongoing transactions.
Gen Z users desire a quick and convenient subscription management process to prevent mindless spending. The word fleet is also able to describe the efficient experience that my app can offer as a solution. Even the word is quick and easy to say!
Additionally, the word is strongly associated with fleeting interests and trends that are common with Gen Zs and can cause mindless spending. This idea ties to the issue that Gen Zs face when they forget about their impulsive / FOMO-induced behaviour when it comes to subscription spending.
With the brand name and key terms in mind, I found different pieces of inspiration and created a mood board to represent the aspirations and values of Fleet. Overall, I gravitated toward images that gave off a feeling of spontaneity through texture and unpredictable silhouettes. I wanted my app to be more dynamic than stagnant, yet consistent.
I wanted to incorporate the dusk 'til dawn tones into my brand as it can capture the fast-paced and always-on nature of Gen Z culture. However, being a fintech app, I also wanted to be mindful and not come off as too playful.
Rubik was chosen as the app's typeface as it felt inviting to read but also looked minimal and neutral. I made sure the app's wordmark also shared the same sentiments with subtle changes in the "e"s to represent a cycle.
While working on brand identity, it was important to find a fine balance in everything.
The first two options ended up with the most votes among Gen Z participants. I found a study that showed that 62% of people (aged 18 - 29) preferred using dark mode on their devices.
the hi-fi prototype
Here it is! The high-fidelity prototype is the product of my research and branding process. Fleet can offer users an intuitive and informative subscription management experience so that they can spend mindfully.
Fleet helps you stay ahead of the game by keeping tabs on when your subscriptions renew and how much you’re paying each month. No more surprises!
Keep a close eye on your free trials. Fleet alerts you before your trial ends, giving you time to evaluate, decide, and avoid unwanted charges.
Fleet allows you to access comprehensive subscription details hassle-free. No need to check bank statements. Everything you need is at your fingertips.
accessibility compliance
I kept accessibility in mind when considering my layout and colour combinations for different components within the app. Currently, the app meets WCAG Level AAA standards for the main body copy and CTA buttons. By having colour contrast ratios that meet guidelines, my app will be more accessible to a larger group of people.
With Fleet, Gen Zs can now have a transparent subscription management experience.
By playing an active role in tracking their subscriptions, Gen Zs are encouraged to make mindful and informed spending decisions.
Gen Zs can easily access all the information related to their subscriptions through the app without needing to check their bank statements every time.
Reminders and visual representations of the user's subscriptions will prevent forgetful spending and allow Gen Zs to feel more in control of their spending.
next steps
In addition to making the experience more accessible and seamless, I am interested in expanding on features that will complement the subscription management experience:
Gen Zs are open to setting budgets for their subscriptions. Having a function dedicated to budgeting would make it easier to set limits and further promote mindful spending.
A progress-tracking function that will allow users to feel more motivated to return to the app and therefore, feel proud of their subscription spending progress.
As I was writing this case study, I felt so proud of how far I have come. Wow! I really did all that. The UX process can feel complicated and overwhelming but each and every step in the Design Thinking process is crucial in ensuring a solution that is human-centered.
I found myself spending a lot of time on research and backing up my decisions with meaning. I almost felt like I was bugging my Gen Z friends to give me feedback on my designs and prototypes but through this, I gained a lot of valuable insights about my app's functionality and branding.
There are so many things to consider when it comes to designing a digital solution but one of the biggest things was surveying the target users themselves. It was so cool to hear my Gen Z peers say, "Hey! This app would really help me."
At first, it was hard seeing people pick apart my work but it was much needed as there is always room for improvement. That's why some of the best apps out there will always have updates and new versions. Even though I had to make big changes, they were worth it because it was able to improve the user's experience and that's what UX design is all about.
