SUBzilla
A SUBSCRIPTION TRACKING APP
Project
Assist company with their subscription tracking app. The company’s app tracks of all of your subscription fees on websites, apps, services, etc. over the years.
Challenge
Create a mobile-friendly version of this company’s product to increase their market reach in users and business.
Solution
Research competitive subscription tracking services and create mobile product that allows users to conveniently track their subscriptions.
Tools
Tasks: Lightning Demo, Secondary Research, Style Guide, Logo Design, User Flow, Wireframes, Usability Test, Prototyping
Resources: Sketch, Marvel Paper Prototyping, Miro, Invision, Procreate
My Role
UX Researcher, UX Designer, UI Designer
Background
It’s hard to keep track of all the products and services that we subscribe to each month. All we see is money deducted from our accounts for services that we might not even need or want anymore. For 2 months, I had the opportunity to independently assist a company with building an app for their subscription tracking service.
Research
Audience
In this company, it is reported that there is an equal split between men and women, mostly over 30 years old. While the product is currently used in the US, the company plans to expand to the German market.
Persona
Background
Nick is a 36 year old male who works full time at his corporate job. In his down time, he loves to binge watch shows and movies with his girlfriend. He has many different streaming subscription services like Netflix, Disney, Hulu, and HBO. While Nick mostly uses his Hulu subscription, he may use his other subscription services more often if new movies or shows are updated.
Frustrations
While he is very responsible and organized, he finds it difficult to manage his streaming services payments alongside his full time job. He mostly checks his bank account statements to track his subscription spending at the end of the month, but has trouble tracking any increases or decreases in his services. Nick does not want to spend on subscription services that have fluctuating costs or he does not use often.
Goals
Nick is looking for an easy way to track his subscription spending from month to month and remove any services that no longer satisfy him. He wants to easily track his subscription payments and better manage or remove any services that he doesn’t use for long periods of time.
Lightning Demo
In the beginning stages of research, examples from the industry were analyzed. The main resources analyzed were TrackMySubs, Trim, and TrueBill. In each analysis listed to the right, the main likes, dislikes, and action items are listed.
Secondary Research
Secondary research was done to seek information that could further benefit the app. The research focused on the following questions:
What is considered “needless spending” for users within their subscriptions?
What tactics do brands use to encourage users to keep their subscription?
Do brands notify users when there is inactivity from users? Regardless if subscribed or not?
What types of companies have subscription services?
Once information was gathered from these questions, the information was written out on notes and organized using an Affinity Map
Key Takeaways:
Users have 3-4 subscription services on average
Platforms maintain subscribers by providing satisfying user experience and deals
Navigating multiple subscription platforms is difficult
Subscribers have limited resources that track subscription renewal and payments
Business Goals
The goal of the business is to create an iOS or Android mobile app to expand their platforms beyond their existing website. The core Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that the company wants to accomplish for users are listed below:
As a current user, I want to see all of my subscriptions in one place so that I can get a comprehensive view of my spending on subscriptions.
As a returning user, I want to unsubscribe from a subscription so that I can reduce needless spending.
As a consumer, I want to be notified if any of my subscriptions are about to be auto-renewed so that I can make a decision about whether I want to renew the subscription and continue spending money.
The Design Journey
Style Guide
A Style Guide was created to maintain consistent brand goals and aesthetics:
Mission: Our product will provide more knowledge about thrift stores and the ability to explore new thrift stores to new and continuing secondhand shoppers.
Brand Personality: A trusted friend who is helping you save money.
Brand Attributes: Trustworthy, Caring, Friendly, Casual
SUBZILLA LOGO
User Flows
User flows were created to demonstrate the main methods and navigation of Subzilla. The user flows created show the flow of user accessing account and navigation through the account.
Key Features of Subzilla’s User Flow:
Subscriptions Page allow users to view all their subscription in a single portal.
Ratings Page allow users to rate their services in hopes to long term detect which services are not serving them satisfaction.
Alerts Page will also be added for users to easily be notified when their subscriptions will be charged
Wireframes
In the first low fidelity design of Subzilla, the following pages were created. These are the main pages that would address the business goals and match the user flows previously created. In the images shown below, there are screens related to the account log in page, the main portal, alerts, and ratings page.
Usability Test and FindinG
A usability test was completed amongst 5 users through Invision to seek the success rate of usability of the app for a first time user and to receive any feedback and suggestions. Users were given 7 tasks to complete to fulfill basic functions of the app. While all users were able to complete the tasks, there were hesitations in their actions and lots of feedback that could improve their usability. The main issues were highlighted and organized below by priority:
High Priority Issue
Sign Up Page needs text
User unable to input subscription Info
Payments section in Activity Page is visually overwhelming
Mid Priority Issue
Ratings section in the Homepage is vague
Users want to personalize which alerts per subscription
Low Priority Issue
Frequency to provide subscription rating too often and too much work
Allow users to cancel subscriptions through the app
Users want to view subscriptions in different order
Allow shared subscription accounts for users who share payments with family or friends
Prototype
With the visualizations of the wireframes, moodboard, and style guide, the first high fidelity prototype was created.
Sign In/Sign Up
Homepage
Manage Subscriptions
Alerts
Activity
Usability Test
In the second prototype of Subzilla, the goal was to continue to seek the success rate of usability of the app for a first time user as well as seek any improvements on the key issues from the first usability test. The takeaways below includes issues/recommendations from the first usability test and most previous usability test. Any updated issues from the second usability test are listed in bold and any previous issues that were resolved are crossed out.
High Priority Issue
Sign Up Page needs text
User unable to input subscription info
Payments section in Activity Page is visually overwhelming
Mid Priority Issue
Ratings section in the Homepage is vague
Users want to personalize which alerts per subscription
Recommended subscriptions to new users are not interactive
Low Priority Issue
Frequency to provide subscription rating too often and too much work
Allow users to cancel subscriptions through the app
Users want to view subscriptions in different order
Allow shared subscription accounts for users who share payments with family or friends
The term “Alerts” is unclear unlike “Notification” or “Reminder”
Reiterate Prototype
Recap
While there were great successes in the usability tests for the prototypes of Subzilla, there were many productive feedbacks made that can further improve the app. In the future, additional research can be done to partner with developers or third parties to track usage frequencies for user’s apps or linking bank accounts for direct cancellation through the app. The experience of creating the Subzilla app was very positive and can grow when collaborating deeper with the company and having more time.