Redesigning the ATM Experience
UX Maturity:
Level 3 (Emergent)
Timeline:
1 week in January 2022
Role:
UX Designer
Problem
This was a side project assigned as part of a hiring process while I was living in Stockholm. I was given a prompt, with only 24 hours to "Redesign the Current ATM Experience". The existing cash withdrawal process was inefficient, plagued by long transaction times, frequent timeouts, and language barriers. The goal was to create a more streamlined and intuitive experience by reducing steps and integrating mobile app functionalities to make withdrawals faster and more user-friendly.
Initial Approach Planning and Goals
Design Process
Design Process Followed
Pain Point Identification: Visited a local ATM and recorded the experience, recreated the steps in a storyboard of the current ATM experience to highlight key usability issues and eliminate redundant steps.
First Time Using an ATM in Stockholm
Storyboarding Existing Experience
Heuristic Evaluation and Brainstorming: Conducted a heuristic evaluation and explored mobile banking solutions, concluding QR codes could improve the ATM process by reducing physical interactions.
Heuristic Evaluation
Brainstorming
Prototyping: Developed paper prototypes of a QR code-enabled ATM system, integrating app-based authentication for a seamless experience.
Domain Expert Consultation: Reviewed the concept with a banking infrastructure expert to ensure the proposed solution’s feasibility and security standards.
Solution
QR Code-Based Withdrawal: Designed a mobile-enabled QR code system to allow card-free cash withdrawals, enhancing both security and convenience.
Streamlined Process: Reduced the ATM withdrawal process to 2-3 core steps, leveraging mobile app integration to minimize transaction time.
User Delegation Feature: Included an option for users to authorize cash withdrawals on their behalf, adding flexibility for various user needs.
Proposed Paper Prototypes
Outcome
Streamlined Experience: Significantly reduced transaction time and steps with a QR code-based system, enhancing user accessibility by eliminating the need for physical ATM cards and enabling secure third-party withdrawals.
Feasibility and Cost Efficiency: Validated the solution's viability, balancing the integration of QR scanners in ATMs with cost considerations to ensure a practical, scalable redesign.
User-Centric and Innovative Approach: Gained insights into how user mental models and mobile behaviors inform physical interface design, emphasizing the importance of simplifying processes for an improved user experience.
Real-World Application: Strengthened experience in integrating digital innovations within established banking systems, enriched by collaboration with domain experts.