Citi World Privileges

Citibank's app had a wealth of offers and discounts for its credit cardholders. However, the app faced challenges in helping users discover relevant deals efficiently, and users often reported frustration with the navigation and personalization of offers. Our primary objective was to elevate the user experience, making it easier for cardholders to find, access, and redeem deals.

1. User Surveys
‍We conducted surveys to understand user preferences, pain points, and expectations regarding mobile apps for credit card deals. This helped us identify key areas for improvement.‍

2. Competitive Analysis
We analyzed competitor/similar apps to identify industry best practices and find potential gaps in Citibank's app.

3. User Interviews
‍We conducted interviews with a group of Citibank credit cardholders to gain deeper insights into their behaviors, preferences, and challenges when using the app.

1. Complex Navigation
Users found it difficult to navigate the app and discover relevant deals, leading to frustration and decreased engagement.

2. Lack of Personalisation
‍The app lacked personalisation, making it challenging for users to find deals tailored to their current location and interests.‍

3. Discoverability Issues
‍Many users were unaware of the full range of deals available, especially those based on their geo-location.

In the Prototyping & User Testing phase, we developed prototypes for three distinct user journeys: Deals Focused, Search Focused, and Editorial Based. Through user testing with a diverse group of Citibank credit cardholders, we observed and recorded their interactions with each prototype. Feedback overwhelmingly favored the Deals Focused User Journey, with users appreciating its simplicity and direct access to exclusive deals. This preference guided iterative refinements to optimize and enhance the chosen user journey, ensuring it aligned seamlessly with users' expectations and preferences. The insights gathered during this process played a crucial role in shaping the final design of the Citibank app, creating a user-centric solution tailored to credit cardholders seeking the latest dining, shopping, and travel deals.

Modular Design System
Recognising the importance of consistency and scalability, we developed a modular design system based on Citi's digital design language. This system provided a unified visual identity, ensuring a cohesive and branded experience throughout the app.

Key Elements of the Modular Design System:

• ‍Color Palette
  ‍Aligned with Citi's branding, the color palette was chosen to convey trust, professionalism, and a sense of reliability.‍
• Typography
  ‍Adopted a clear and readable typeface, maintaining consistency across the app to enhance legibility and user comprehension.‍
• Iconography
  ‍Designed a set of custom icons that reflected Citi's visual language, aiding users in quickly understanding actions and features.‍
• Components
  ‍Developed reusable UI components for consistency and ease of maintenance, facilitating a more efficient design and development process.

Scalability and Seamless Integration
‍The modular design system not only provided a consistent visual language but also allowed for seamless integration with existing and future features. This approach ensured scalability, making it easier to expand the app's functionalities without compromising the overall user experience.‍

Iterative Design Process:
The visual design went through an iterative process, incorporating feedback from user testing sessions and stakeholder reviews.

• ‍User-Centric Adjustments
  Visual elements were refined based on user preferences and behaviors identified during testing. This included optimizing the visibility of deal details, refining the presentation of geo-location features, and enhancing the clarity of the deal redemption process.‍
• Design Consistency Across User Journeys
  Ensured a consistent visual language across all user journeys, maintaining a harmonious and recognizable aesthetic whether users were exploring deals, searching for specific offers, or engaging with editorial content.‍
• Finalisation and Handover
  ‍The finalised visual design, anchored in the modular design system, was handed over to the development team. This seamless handover process facilitated the implementation of the design while maintaining fidelity to the approved visual elements.

This meticulous approach to visual design, anchored in a modular system, not only adhered to Citi's digital design language but also ensured scalability, consistency, and a user-centric visual experience. The integration of this system into the Citibank app laid the foundation for a visually appealing and cohesive platform for credit cardholders to discover the latest dining, shopping, and travel deals.

The enhancements made to the Citibank app yielded significant improvements:

Increased Engagement
‍Over 1M monthly users, with users spending more time exploring deals and redeeming offers.

Enhanced Personalisation
‍Users reported higher satisfaction with personalised deals, and the app's recommendation engine significantly improved user retention.

User Satisfaction
‍User satisfaction scores improved, with positive feedback on the app's ease of use and relevance of deals.

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By revamping the user experience of the Citibank app to focus on simplified navigation, geo-location-based personalisation, a user-friendly interface, and multi-language support, we achieved higher user engagement, increased satisfaction among credit cardholders, and improved overall app performance. Users also appreciated the ability to favorite deals for easy access. The success of this project demonstrates the value of user-centered design and continuous iteration in creating a user-friendly platform for discovering dining, shopping, and travel deals. Future plans involve expanding the app's features to provide even more value to Citibank's credit cardholders.

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