UI/UX Design | Usability Test | Research & Analysis
SubsTrackr
Subscription Dashboard
Value Proposition
The value proposition of a subscription management tool is to streamline and simplify subscription management with our tool. Track all subscriptions in one place, receive payment reminders, and effortlessly cancel or renew services. Take control of your finances and never miss a subscription payment again. This subscription management tool highlights its ability to provide users convenience, organization, and financial control, making it an attractive solution for those looking to manage their various subscriptions effectively.
Quick Overview The Product
Subscription tracking
Track all subscriptions in one place, users can get a comprehensive view of spending on subscriptions.
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Unsubscribe from subscriptions so that users can reduce needless spending.
Seamless cancelation
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Reminder notifications
Keep users informed about their subscriptions, ensure a smooth user experience, and address any account-related concerns.
Process Outline
Click to navigate to specific sections
Research
Secondary Research
I conducted desk research to gather information on previous studies related to subscription management. While there is a wealth of research available on managing finances, I felt it was important to start by exploring the existing information to guide the rest of my research.
Key takeaways
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User Pain Points: Users commonly experience frustration with managing multiple subscriptions across various platforms. They seek tools that streamline this process and provide a centralized view of all subscriptions.
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Competitive Landscape: Competitive analysis reveals several subscription management tools in the market, such as Rocket Money, NerdWallet, Trim, and Mint. Each offers different features and pricing models.
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User Reviews and Feedback: User reviews indicate that a significant pain point is forgotten or unused subscriptions. Users appreciate features that provide subscription cost tracking and automatic renewal reminders.
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Feature Prioritization: Users prioritize features like subscription cost tracking, cancellation assistance, and automatic renewal reminders.
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Data Security: Users express concerns about the security of their financial and subscription data.
Competitor Analysis
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Offers a wide range of financial tools
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Alerts for bill due dates and unusual spending patterns.
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Automatically categorize transactions.
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Intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
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Users can set financial goals and track their progress.
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Offers robust budgeting tools.
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Provides detailed expense tracking.
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Provide bill negotiation feature.
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Subscription tracking and cancellation assistance.
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Trim can track and categorize expenses.
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Security concerns.
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Display ads and recommend financial products.
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Limited feature set.
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Lack of investment tracking features.
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Limited budgeting features.
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Limit its broader financial capabilities.
Primary Research
Exploring the problem space through a survey and user interviews. To supplement this information, I sent out a survey and conducted 5 one-on-one interviews to dive deeper into users’ current behaviors and expectations with subscription management.
The survey provided me with information about the most important elements of a subscription app. The interviews helped me understand the reasoning behind this data and empathize with user problems.
Insight #1 Difficulty in Tracking Subscriptions
Users often struggle to keep track of all the subscriptions they have signed up for, especially as the number of subscriptions grows. This can lead to overspending and missed payments.
Insight #2 Hidden Costs and Auto-Renewals
Some subscriptions may have hidden costs, and auto-renewal features can catch users off guard. Users may not realize they are being charged until they see the transaction in their bank statements.
Insight #3 Cancellation Complications
Canceling subscriptions can be challenging, with some services requiring users to navigate through complex cancellation processes or contact customer support. Delays in cancellation can result in additional charges.
Insight #4 Multiple Billing Methods
Different subscriptions may use different billing methods and cycles, making it difficult to manage payments effectively. This can lead to missed payments or overdrafts.
Synthesizing Data
Finding insights and themes through affinity mapping. I compiled all the information from the survey and the interviews into an affinity map in order to understand the major problems affecting users and to provide direction for the design of the app.
Categories
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"Having separate categories for personal and business subscriptions is essential for me."
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"I divide my subscriptions into 'Entertainment' and 'Productivity' categories."
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"I have a 'Health and Wellness' category for my gym memberships."
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"A 'Streaming' category helps me quickly identify my entertainment expenses."
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"This way, I can focus on managing my essential monthly bills efficiently."
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"I use a 'News and Information' category for news subscriptions."
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"The category allows me to evaluate my travel expenses."
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Data Analysis
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"An expense breakdown by category helps me budget more effectively."
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"Seeing the division between monthly and annual expenses is helpful for my planning."
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"Upcoming renewals are my priority."
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"I like to keep an eye on which payment methods I've linked."
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"Knowing which subscriptions I'm not actively using helps me save money."
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"A notification history report is crucial for staying organized."
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Features
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"Custom categories and tags allow me to tailor the tool to my unique subscription."
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"Budget tracking is crucial for maintaining control over my subscription expenses."
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"Having subscriptions automatically sorted into categories reduces manual work."
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"Upcoming renewal notifications save me from unwanted charges."
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"Payment history is helpful for keeping a record of my transactions."
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"Integration with financial apps makes my life easier."
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"I like having access to a detailed payment history for each subscription."
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Notifications
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"Remind me a week before the renewal date, so I have time to evaluate whether I still need the service."
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"I prefer to get a payment confirmation immediately after a subscription payment."
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"I'd like to know about price increases at least a month ahead."
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"Let me know when a free trial is about to end."
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"I want to know immediately if there's a suspicious transaction."
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"Expiry notifications are handy for planning."
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"For annual subscriptions, I'd like to receive a reminder a month in advance."
How Might We’s (HMW)...
Based on the gathered data I rephrased the main problems into "How Might We..." questions in order to inspire creative thinking.
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How might we help users to get a comprehensive view of spending on subscriptions?
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How might we help users to unsubscribe easily?
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How might we help users to have a transparent payment?
Ideate
Mapping Out Solutions
To generate ideas, I use sketches to map out solutions to help me quickly visualize and explore different design concepts and ideas.
HMW help users to get a comprehensive view of spending on subscriptions?
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Users should be able to view their subscriptions organized by categories.
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Users should be able to access their payment records, including both upcoming and past payments.
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A visual representation should be provided to help users better understand their subscriptions.
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All subscription details should be listed for easy reference.
HMW help users to unsubscribe easily?
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The cancel feature should be easily noticeable.
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Provide multiple options for users to cancel their subscriptions.
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Users should be able to access their canceled record in order to resubscribe at any time.
HMW help users to have a transparent payment?
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Provide reminder notification.
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Provide visual illustrations to help users understand all their subscriptions.
Building Foundation / User Flow
After outlining the most important features, I drew out the user flow to help visualize how a user can accomplish their goal. The key point is to define and visualize the path that a user follows to achieve a particular goal within our product.
Jean is an existing user of the subscription dashboard app. He recently canceled his Amazon subscription and switched to Netflix instead. He wants to use the app to update his subscription list.
Design & Testing
Design & Test
Low-fi Wireframe
Creating a wireframe based on the sketch and user flow to provide a visual representation of the app's layout and structure, in this phase I focus on defining the user interface and user experience.
First Round of Usability Tests
Conducted the first round of usability testing to identify potential usability issues, gather user feedback, and make necessary improvements to enhance the user experience. From the survey questionnaire, I selected 5 participants who have experience using subscription management tools.
Insight #1 Analytics and Insights
3 out of 5 users stated that access to analytics and insights related to their subscriptions, helping them understand their spending patterns and make informed decisions.
Insight #2 Reminder notifications
4 of 5 users mentioned that receiving notifications or reminders about upcoming subscription renewals or payments to avoid unexpected charges.
Insight #3 Billing history
3 out of 5 users said that they would like to see their billing history, which shows a record of past payments, including dates, amounts, and transaction details.
Visual Design
Creating a visual identity through a style guide. I created a style guide to ensure consistency in the design and a strong brand identity basing my decisions on SubsTrackr’s brand attributes - trustworthy, caring, and friendly.
Colours & Typography
Aa Bb Cc
# 18C0C1
Font family
Roboto
Bold SemiBold Regular
Characters
ABCDEFGHIGKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890%&!@+_?$:=
# F2F5FA
# D4DDEC
# A5B5CC
# 456078
# FFFFFF
# E5E5E5
# C7C7C7
# 000000
Call-To-Action (CTA) Buttons
Second Round of Usability Tests
I conducted a usability test after creating a high-fidelity wireframe. The aim was to ensure that users could interact with the interface effectively and gain insights into their overall user experience. The remote test was conducted using a methodical approach with 5 participants, and each test lasted for 30 minutes. The testing revealed 4 main usability issues that needed to be addressed.
Insight #1 4 out of 5 users stated that they would prefer to see the subscription list presented in a different way.
Insight #2 3 out of 5 users mentioned the desire to view their spending breakdown by category and access subscription history.
Insight #3 2 out of 5 users were confused regarding the meaning of different color dots on the calendar.
Insight #4 3 out of 5 users found the current subscription management page to be confusing and would prefer a more straightforward approach.
Final Product
What I Learned...
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Users value the ability to categorize subscriptions and tailor the app to their individual needs. This flexibility contributes to a more personalized and tailored subscription management experience.
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Users consistently praised the tool for its intuitive and user-friendly interface. The clean design and straightforward navigation make it easy for both tech-savvy and less experienced users to manage their subscriptions effectively.
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Users highlighted the effectiveness of the expense tracking and reporting features. The tool's ability to generate detailed reports and insights into spending habits has empowered users to make informed decisions about their subscriptions, leading to potential cost savings.
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Regular updates addressing user feedback and introducing new features demonstrated a commitment to enhancing the tool's functionality and addressing evolving user needs.
