DATE
April – July 2020
Role spec
Product design lead
Component system & flows
Prototyping
Internal microsite (Design & build)
I sub-contracted at Jigsaw XYZ, a Shoreditch-based Open Banking fin-tech, to lead the UI for a range of new features in the Nectar mobile app.
In its original state, the Nectar app was simply a way to view your points and browse Sainsbury’s specific offers. We wanted to take this further, and over the course of 8 months, our team evolved the app into a feature-rich health and financial wellbeing ecosystem which supports its users at every key moment of their lives. New features range from an AI financial support chatbot, to an automated nutrition tracker linked directly to the user’s grocery spend. All work below is my own.
AI-powered financial support chatbot
Problem
According to data, a substantial portion of the UK population are left on their own to organise their finances, many with little to no knowledge on how to do so.*
Solution
We designed a friendly and informative financial companion who can provide critical support at key moments in the user's life (e.g. new baby, moving house, losing their job), while doubling as a more efficient and intuitive way to onboard new users and navigate the app.
Nectar Pots
Problem
National savings are lower in the UK than any other OECD country* – and almost one in five of those aged 55 or over (in or approaching retirement age) have £1,000 or less in savings.** In the wake of COVID, the nation's savings crisis is likely to grow even worse.
Solution
We designed Nectar Pots, where users can set savings goals and bank their spare cash. They can do this manually, or automatically via a monthly auto-skim.
Nectar Pots
Problem
National savings are lower in the UK than any other OECD country* – and almost one in five of those aged 55 or over (in or approaching retirement age) have £1,000 or less in savings.** In the wake of COVID, the nation's savings crisis is likely to grow even worse.
Solution
We designed Nectar Pots, where users can set savings goals and bank their spare cash. They can do this manually, or automatically via a monthly auto-skim.
Nectar Borrow
Problem
There are currently more than 8m UK citizens struggling with some degree of problem debt. With the high APR fees offered by current providers (some exceeding 1,200%*) and glass ceilings for those who have hit their credit limit or can't qualify for a loan, we are facing a national debt crisis fuelled by the inadequecies of the traditional credit model.
Solution
Nectar Borrow: Transparent, attainable and immediate interest-free credit on demand, helping customers access the things they need, when they need it.
Nectar Borrow
Problem
There are currently more than 8m UK citizens struggling with some degree of problem debt. With the high APR fees offered by current providers (some exceeding 1,200%*) and glass ceilings for those who have hit their credit limit or can't qualify for a loan, we are facing a national debt crisis fuelled by the inadequecies of the traditional credit model.
Solution
Nectar Borrow: Transparent, attainable and immediate interest-free credit on demand, helping customers access the things they need, when they need it.
Nectar Pots
The problem
National savings are lower in the UK than any other OECD country* – and almost one in five of those aged 55 or over (in or approaching retirement age) have £1,000 or less in savings.** In the wake of COVID, the nation's savings crisis is likely to grow even worse.
Our solution
We designed Nectar Pots, where users can set savings goals and bank their spare cash. They can do this manually, or automatically via a monthly auto-skim.
Nectar Pots
Problem
National savings are lower in the UK than any other OECD country* – and almost one in five of those aged 55 or over (in or approaching retirement age) have £1,000 or less in savings.** In the wake of COVID, the nation's savings crisis is likely to grow even worse.
Solution
We designed Nectar Pots, where users can set savings goals and bank their spare cash. They can do this manually, or automatically via a monthly auto-skim.
Financial support chatbot
The problem
According to data, a substantial portion of the UK population are left on their own to organise their finances, many with little to no knowledge on how to do so.*
Our solution
We designed a friendly and informative financial companion who can provide critical support at key moments in the user's life (e.g. new baby, moving house, losing their job), while doubling as a more efficient and intuitive way to onboard new users and navigate the app.
Nectar Borrow
The problem
There are currently more than 8m UK citizens struggling with some degree of problem debt. With the high APR fees offered by current providers (some exceeding 1,200%*) and glass ceilings for those who have hit their credit limit or can't qualify for a loan, we are facing a national debt crisis fuelled by the inadequecies of the traditional credit model.
Our solution
Nectar Borrow: Transparent, attainable and immediate interest-free credit on demand, helping customers access the things they need, when they need it.
Nectar Borrow
Problem
There are currently more than 8m UK citizens struggling with some degree of problem debt. With the high APR fees offered by current providers (some exceeding 1,200%*) and glass ceilings for those who have hit their credit limit or can't qualify for a loan, we are facing a national debt crisis fuelled by the inadequecies of the traditional credit model.
Solution
Nectar Borrow: Transparent, attainable and immediate interest-free credit on demand, helping customers access the things they need, when they need it.
Partner store directory
Outside of designing the Nectar app, I explored a microsite option giving users the option to browse partnered point-of-sale merchants.
How Nectar Borrow works
We explored several options for the web financing user journey – before finally settling on this route:
- At any Nectar partner checkout, the user is offered the option to pay through Nectar financing. The user is prompted to enter their contact number to run a soft, real-time credit check to see if they qualify for financing.
- If successful, the user is then prompted to select from a tiered range of financing options – from shorter-term offerings with lower interest rates to longer schedules with higher rates. In all cases, user will be expected to pay in future staggered instalments (the first of which is taken at the time of purchase).
- If they qualify, the user will then pay for their purchase over their selected timespan. They also have the option to pay more or less at any time, or pay off the remaining debt in its entirety – both of which will affect the overall amount of interest they pay.
How Nectar Borrow works
We explored several options for the web financing user journey – before finally settling on this route:
At any Nectar partner checkout, the user is offered the option to pay through Nectar financing. The user is prompted to enter their contact number to run a soft, real-time credit check to see if they qualify for financing.
If successful, the user can then select from a tiered range of financing options – from shorter-term offerings with lower interest rates to longer schedules with higher rates.
If they qualify, the user will then pay for their purchase in automatic future instalments (the first of which is taken at the time of purchase). They also have the option to pay more or less at any time, or pay off the remaining debt in its entirety – both of which will affect the overall amount of interest they pay.
Nectar wishlists
Connecting the merchant directly with their consumers – to push products and services at the prices they're willing to pay.
1. Customers add items to their Nectar wishlist
2. Merchants who sell these items will be notified that a customer wants it, and how much they're happy to pay
3. Merchants can push offers to these customers to secure sales
4. Customers get the items they want at the best price
Ty Fairclough, Head of Product at Jigsaw XYZ
“Ben is a true UI superstar. Everything he touches is best in class, and he consistently smashes out quality work well above expectations. We really loved having him around in the office, out for lunch – and in the days of lockdown, over Zoom.”
Ty Fairclough, Head of Product at Jigsaw XYZ
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