TL;DR
Problem:
Design proposed solution(s) based in data and research that present opportunities for Fifth Third Bank to lead the next wave of Generation Z and Generation Alpha users in secure Zelle payment technology."
Solution:
Design a peer-to-peer (p2p) platform within Zelle specifically for teenagers. Creating a vibrant and educational space for teens while involving parents/guardians in each step of the process.
Impact:
Building the Teen Zelle Platform attracts younger users to the Zelle platform which broadens Fifth Third's user base and reaches new demographics. This expansion can lead to increased platform adoption and usage, potentially driving growth and revenue. Their participation may lead to the formation of vibrant online communities, facilitating peer-to-peer interactions and knowledge sharing.
THE CLIENT
Fifth Third Bank, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been the center of sound banking principles and superior service since 1858. Founded by William W. Scarborough and eleven other entrepreneurs they set out to help improve the lives of their customers and communities through banking. In present day, the purpose and promise remain the same, "to make banking a 'Fifth Third Better'".
THE CHALLENGE
Peer to peer (p2p) payment platforms continue to gain momentum in 2023, but issues and obstacles to adoption and usage remain. I was tasked to "design proposed solution(s) based in data and research that present opportunities for us to lead the next wave of p2p users in secure p2p payment technology."
Key Challenge for Zelle: Unlike other popular peer-to-peer payment apps, Zelle currently lacks a dedicated account option for teens, as its use is restricted to individuals 18 years or older. My challenge was to ideate and design a solution that would integrate Generation Z and Generation Alpha into Fifth Third's (5/3) Zelle platform, thereby fostering the growth and longevity of new 5/3 customers. Given that the target audience includes minors, it was crucial to incorporate parents' perspectives and needs into the design and research process.
"How might we create an engaging experience for the younger generations while also including parents into the fold?"
RESEARCH & PLANNING
I began by conducting comprehensive secondary research to analyze data trends related to younger generations and peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps. The findings revealed that Generation Z is rapidly adopting mobile P2P platforms as they reach adulthood, with projections indicating that 80.4% of new users from 2023 to 2027 will come from this generation. Both CashApp and Venmo already offer teen accounts, providing limited access to teens while granting full control to guardians. This data suggests a strong opportunity for Zelle to increase usage and adoption by targeting Generation Z and Generation Alpha through their guardians, then seamlessly onboarding younger users within the 5/3 database.
📈 Where does Zelle stack up?
Venmo = 77.7 million users
Zelle = 61.6 million users
Cash App = 51 million users
📈 What is the ranking of p2p apps amongst Generation Z?
Cash App = 68%
Venmo = 42%
Zelle = 36%
Straw Poll
I started by conducting a brief straw poll to gather insights from around 15 individuals about their perceptions of Zelle. My goal was to quickly gauge overall sentiment toward the app. The feedback was more negative than anticipated, with many participants highlighting difficulties in navigating the app and accessing key features. Additionally, several respondents expressed hesitancy to use Zelle due to concerns over scams others had experienced.
These findings expanded the project's scope to include not only ease of accessibility to Zelle within the 5/3 app but also concerns around security. As the project grew in complexity, it became essential to meet with stakeholders to review the insights and determine the next steps. While it was acknowledged that these issues were important to the overall project, after discussions with stakeholders, the focus remained on driving Zelle adoption and usage among Generation Z and Generation Alpha—specifically through the teen onboarding process.
Comparative Analysis
My first step was to conduct a comparative analysis to understand how other platforms implement parental controls. I reviewed apps like Peacock, Paramount, and Disney+ to gain insights into both the guardian’s perspective and the child’s experience. It was crucial to explore and understand both sides of this dynamic.
This analysis helped clarify the expectations and mental models of all users when it comes to parental controls. Designing for the guardian's control will be a key consideration, as it directly impacts not only their experience but also the teen's, who may have questions or expectations about what they can and cannot manage.
Disney+ provides a kid proof exit for kids that can and cannot read. It also has a pin that one must enter each time to access the adult's page. No pin is required to enter child's account.
Peacock does not require the user to create a pin after creating a kid profile. Users will need to add a pin to the adult profile on own time in "edit profile" and enter it in every time when visiting adult's page (not ideal).
Paramount after creating a kid's profile requires the user to create a PIN to use when switching from "kid" to "non kid" profiles.
Disney+
Peacock
Paramount
Competitive
Analysis
My next step was to conduct a competitive analysis of other peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps to explore the teen experience and how it functions. I focused on Venmo and Cash App, as they are the only platforms offering teen-specific features. Venmo provided more valuable insights, while Cash App restricts account creation to users over the age of 17—a strong security measure worth considering for future development.
🧩 Was the service easily accessible?
🧩 How did they involve parents/guardians?
🧩 How did they make it engaging for the teen?
🧩 Was the experience fulfilling for the teen and guardian?
🧩 How could I make it better?
Above were some of the key questions that needed to be addressed or clarified in order to develop a high-quality MVP.
Venmo
Competitive Analysis
Here are screenshots inside the Venmo teen app. They include photos of the "Home", "Card", "Scan", and "Me" tabs.
Below showcases my categorization of positives, negatives, and opportunities within the Venmo app for teens.
The opportunities I identified needed validation through user interviews. While I had hoped to secure consent from guardians and involve teen participants, the sprint's timeline didn’t allow for this.
However, I was able to conduct in-depth interviews with adults who had children in both Generation Z and Generation Alpha. Given the app's strong reliance on guardian involvement, it was essential to understand their needs, pain points, and insights. These interviews provided valuable input for my research and design process.
In Depth Interviews
Next, I conducted in-depth interviews with participants who had children in Generation Z and Generation Alpha. I strategically aligned business and research objectives to craft questions that seamlessly addressed both, ensuring a well-rounded and insightful discussion.
A Few Topics That Needed To Be Addressed:
🎯Understand the baseline perceptions of security in p2p apps
🎯Gauge amount of control user desires when using p2p apps
🎯Identify level of control guardian desires for themselves and teen
🎯Understand desire, if any, for moments of education for teen within app
🎯Gauge expectations (mental model) of teen app
🎯Identify their Burger King ("Have It Your Way) feature of app
Findings:
📊Most used other p2p apps such as Venmo, Paypal, or CashApp.
📊The original selling point of Zelle being safer than other p2p apps was not that appealing to participants.
📊The instant transfer without a fee was a selling point when discussed.
📊Participants noted that when it came to safety measures they expected the bank to be doing their due diligence in keeping them safe while users still had control over things such as notifications, tracking, etc.
📊Although they seek agency over the security measures, respondents hold their bank accountable for any security issues.
📊They want confidence that a bank will always be on their side and make them whole.
📊All expressed interest in an account specifically for their teen.
📊Noted that they do not want "another thing to find" and what the teen account to be located directly under their own accounts.
📊Most participants cited that they would like the option for their child to have a digital debit card connected to said account. One stated their child "loses everything and I don't need there to be something else."
📊All took great interest in teen gaining financial literacy, practice, and education while using the app as long as the guardian still had total control.
Personas
The data collected allowed me to create 3 main personas embodying our target users.
Daniel King was my primary persona, and it was crucial to design a meaningful experience for his daughter, who has fewer financial freedoms compared to the children of personas like Reggie and Yuki. If I could create an engaging and beneficial experience for both Daniel and his daughter, it could significantly contribute to her financial growth and set the foundation for raising the bar on financial literacy and responsibility within their family.
That said, elevating financial responsibility is essential for everyone, regardless of their starting point. By designing for Daniel's daughter, I aim to kickstart her journey while also enhancing the financial experiences of Reggie’s and Yuki’s children.
Due to limited time and access to members of my target user group, aggregate research in the form of an article published by Nielsen Norman Group, "What To Consider When Designing For Teenagers", aided in guidance to design an engaging experience for teens.
DESIGNING THE SOLUTION
To meet Daniel's key goals and needs, I designed a Zelle teen account (for ages 12-17) that provides guardians with full access and control while offering teens an engaging, educational experience.
As discussed with stakeholders, the scope of this project orbits around the teen onboarding experience and so I quickly got to work creating user flows, lo-fi wireframes, hi-fi wireframes, and prototypes.
Teen Onboarding User Flow
I developed a site map to illustrate the onboarding process for teens and the various features they could explore once successfully registered.
Upon logging in, users will have the option to "take a tour of their new space," though they can also choose to explore independently. Each prompt will not only guide users on what they can do but will also be interactive, allowing them to practice new actions. After completing an action, a new prompt will appear, encouraging users with the question, "What else can I do?" This prompt will offer options to try something new or exit the exploration. This process will continue until the user decides to exit or has explored all areas of the app.
Teen Onboarding User Flow
Teen Onboarding Sketches
This is where teens can exercise a degree of autonomy over the look and feel of their app. They will have the opportunity to choose the design of their card (with the decision between physical or digital options left to the guardian) as well as the overall style of the app’s presentation.
Teen Homepage including pay/request buttons, amount in accounts, and other possible actions.
More ideations of teen Homepage including pay/request buttons, amount in accounts, and other possible actions.
Teen "Goals" Sketches
The goals section is designed for teens to set and pursue personal objectives, such as saving for a Nintendo Switch or an item they've spotted on TikTok Shop. They can create multiple goals, assign images to each, and track their progress using a progress indicator.
I ensured that the goals section remained simple and user-friendly to accommodate the fast-paced thinking and shorter attention spans characteristic of Generation Z and Generation Alpha.
Quick ideation of "goals" page and the possible steps that accompany it to create a goal
Teen "Savings" Sketches
I aimed to create a section that highlighted the total amount saved and featured potential rewards linked to their savings. Additionally, I considered including a display of how much money had been saved or spent over the week, which I sketched out in several concepts. The goal was to ensure this section remained intuitive and engaging for users.
Saving screen ideations
Lo-fi Wireframes
I iterated upon my sketches and after each round of peer reviews I was confident that I had arrived at a comprehensive set of features for my primary persona and user scenario. Next step was to create lo-fi and hi-fi wireframes to present to stakeholders
Lo-fi wireframes of different ideations of teen "Welcome" or "About" page.
Lo-fi wireframes of steps teen will take to onboard and get to home screen.
Lo-fi wireframes depicting when teen is fully onboarded and being taken through possible actions they can do within the different screens. Meant to be interactive and engaging.
HI-FI WIREFRAMES
Hi-Fi wireframes showing the welcome screen, home screen, savings screen, and goals screen.
Ideation of hi-fi wireframes showing the welcome screen, home screen, savings screen, and goals screen using different colors
Incorporating vibrant colors on the welcome and home screens was essential to dispel the notion that banking is dull and uninspiring. As the first screens users encounter, they play a crucial role in shaping our desired perception.
Additionally, allowing users to add an image to their goals—activated by a prompt on the next screen when they click the right-facing caret—was important, as some individuals are motivated by visuals while others find inspiration in words.
The reward indication bars integrated into both the savings and goals pages are designed to stimulate dopamine release, fostering feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. These emotions are vital for cultivating healthy financial goals and habits.
CONCLUSION
I presented my findings, results, designs, and recommendations to stakeholders, and they were met with enthusiastic approval. Several comments highlighted the urgency of incorporating my insights into the 5/3 app. Although the project only tackled a portion of the larger challenge within the timeframe, my contributions were recognized as highly valuable in advancing the company’s overall objectives.
The primary goal of this project was to enhance long-term customer retention within the 5/3 ecosystem. I believe that, with further testing and iteration, this app feature will attract new, younger customers aged 12-17, who can seamlessly transition into full account holders at 18, becoming integral to the 5/3 system.
Moreover, the app addresses significant pain points for parents by eliminating the need to provide physical cash for their children, enabling effortless transfers to their teen's account. Simultaneously, it offers financial education for teens through optional notifications that encourage, guide, and alert them about their financial behavior, fostering the development of healthy financial habits.
If I Had More Time...
📍I would have liked the opportunity to interview teens to better understand their desires and pain points for incorporation into the designs.
📍Due to time constraints, I wasn’t able to fully develop the notifications related to education, alerts, and encouragement as much as I would have liked. The concept is that teens would receive notifications about their savings balance, progress toward their goals, daily or weekly spending, and alerts for unnecessary expenditures. All of these notifications would aim to guide them toward making sound financial choices.
📍Conduct testing on the designs to gather insights that will inform the next steps for iterations.
Final Pain Points & Recommendations (Out of Scope)
My interviews illuminated several pain points that customers experience with the Zelle app; however, addressing these issues was not within the scope of the project. Stakeholders clearly outlined the expectations for this initial cycle. Below are out of scope pain points and subsequent recommendations.
Pain Points:
🚨Most participants did not believe, understand, or know why Zelle was more secure as it claims.
🚨Many distrust banks specifically to both keep data safe and use in responsible ways.
🚨People complained that once in the 5/3 app it took "too long" to figure out how to access Zelle.
I recommend:
🔋Adding a section for users to click and read dedicated to explaining the security of 5/3 and thus Zelle. Seeing this area and associating it with security indirectly communicates to customers that Fifth Third cares about keeping customer's bank accounts secure.
🔋Sharing some detail or proof of the bank's role in making accounts secure may help put customers at ease, even if they do not read through all the information. Respondents may not actively seek out the details of the bank's internal controls, however they want reassurance there is something in place to mitigate risk.
🔋Reduce amount of clicks to access Zelle by possibly adding Zelle to the 5/3 homepage or creating a widget for 5/3 customers to access.
Continual Learning and Continual Fun
That said, this was a significant project with many facets to address. I enjoyed generating new ideas for the upcoming generation while also uncovering the concerns of current users. It’s always rewarding to advocate for both new and existing users.