Fintech
Mojo: an automated invoicing system app
A digital invoicing system for creative freelancers that want to automate their invoices and payment reminders
Role
UX Research, UX and UI Design
Research Methods
Desk Research, User Interviews, Usability Testing, Design Prioritisation Matrix
Tools
Figma, FigJam, Zoom, Otta, Excel
Timeframe
10 weeks
Objective
to create a digital solution to reduce difficulties freelancers face in their work-life.
Problem Space
The UK’s creative freelance workforce is now at an all time low; after growing 25.5% faster than all other workforces for the past 3 years
Key Goals
Understand frustrations and attractors of freelancing and the business management side of self-employment.
Identify opportunities for intervention and define the most valuable functions of the solution/app.
The Inspiration
After doing an undergrad in business and specialising in entrepreneurship, I spent the majority of my professional life as a self-employed freelancer in the creative industry. While I had an academic background in building and managing a business, I experienced a number of the challenges that people struggle with when starting in self-employment.
With limited contextual information relating to self-employment and a small network of other self-employed people in my industry, it was hard to understand what was best-practice and problem solve solo.
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This is what inspired me to explore the freelancing sphere for a UX design case study.
The Process
Using a Double Diamond framework
In the interest of strategizing and structuring this project, I used the Double Design model to shape my design process.
Discover
Define
Design
Deliver
Problem Space
Research
User Interviews
Key Insights
How Might We?
User Persona
User Journey
Task Selection & Flow
Sketches
Lo-fi to Mid-fi Wireframes
Usability Testing
Design Iterations
Brand Development
High Fidelity Prototype
Marketing Website
Discover
Evaluate/Examine the current experience
​Objectives:​
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Narrow down which portion of the freelance workforce to solve for
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Understand what appeals to individuals about freelancing and what are their frustrations
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Identify which aspects we can intervene in and offer a digital solution
Desk Research: The Creative Industry & Freelance Workforce
Narrow down which portion of the freelance workforce to solve for
The UK’s freelance workforce is made up of 1.89million people and plays an important role in the UK’s economy; contributing a total of £139B in 2022.
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After growing 25.5% faster than all other workforces for the past 3 years, UK’s creative freelance workforce is now at an all time low. With the number of freelancers matching the numbers in the deepest point of the UK's recession, 14 years ago
Freelancers most commonly work within the artistic, literary and media sectors, making up 32% of the creative industry’s workforce.
Desk Research: Drivers and Areas of Difficulty
Understand what appeals to individuals about freelancing and what are their frustrations
To further understand the problem space, I conducted additional desk research targeted towards understanding what draws creatives to freelancing and discovering if any existing research was available that could help me understand what gaps may exist in my understanding of the self-employment sphere.
Drivers for Freelancing
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Project Diversity
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Remote Work
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Independence
Research shows that despite the systemic difficulties, freelancers enjoy a variety of benefits from self-employment including: flexible schedules and the opportunity to earn higher rates with no external blocks for the income or number of jobs they can take on.
Areas of Difficulty
1 out of 2 say late payment from clients is a recurring issue
3 out of 5 say they are offered rates below their experience level
4 out of 5 are seeking and asking for professional training
3 out of 5 value access to a mentor with a similar lived experience
Primary Research: User Interviews
Identify which aspects we can intervene in and offer a digital solution
To gain a deeper understanding, I spoke to six adults between the ages of 21 and 35. My aim was to identify which areas of self-employment are freelancers most struggling and where they need help.
Meet the Participants
S - Videographer
34 years old
5 years freelancing experience
No longer freelancing
34 years old
I - Photographer
31 years old
7 years freelancing experience
Currently freelancing
V - Graphic Designer
29 years old
3 years freelancing experience
Currently freelancing
D - Producer
28 years old
4 years freelancing experience
No longer freelancing
M - Motion Designer
33 years old
6 years freelancing experience
No longer freelancing
A - Illustrator
29 years old
5 years freelancing experience
No longer freelancing
User Interview Insights:
Understand what appeals to interviewees about freelancing and what are their frustrations
Struggling with Financial Tasks
A lack of knowledge specifically with accounting and invoicing seemed to be a challenge for many interviewees. All interviewees used a combination of internet resources and support from knowledgeable friends or family to fill in basic gaps and feel more confident. Many are still confused when delving into the more detailed side of financial options and requirements.
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All interviewees spoke about struggling with managing their time and tasks with their businesses. Every participant stated that doing tasks in a timely manner or automating recurring tasks to have a positive impact on their business. However all of them referenced it being hard to maintain or track their tasks alongside their irregular schedule and/or energy levels.
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Many interviewees spoke about the difficulty of understanding what actions or types of projects were having a positive impact on their work over long periods of time. They were unsure of how to find these answers, what to track or who to ask.
Time Management
Future Proofing
How Might We help newer freelancers streamline their invoicing so that they reduce the risk of financial hardship while they develop their proficiency in business?
Define
User Persona & Defining Opportunities
I summarised the motivations, behaviours, and pain points gathered from interviews with creative freelancers into a single persona, Shae, who would use Mojo to help her keep on top of invoicing admin and advise her on what she is legally entitled to include on an invoice.
I meticulously charted Shae's path, navigating her dual roles as a seasoned photographer and a less-experienced business owner.
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This involved a comprehensive examination of her actions, emotions, and thoughts at every stage—starting from the moment she detects an unpaid invoice to researching legal late fees for self-employed individuals, crafting a new invoice, calculating late fees and the updated total, attempting to compose a tactful yet assertive email to accompany the invoice, and ultimately sending the invoice.
Organising her journey into distinct phases enabled me to pinpoint potential areas for strategic design enhancements within the process.
Task Flow: defining the most valuable functions
To define product functionality based on the needs of my persona, I created 30 user stories, followed by a task flow that would help me visualise the tasks users would need to complete.
The user stories that would eventually make up the primary task flow of generating an updated invoice and email with a late fee to send to a client after receiving a ‘payment past due’ notification from Mojo.
Shae receives a notification of a late invoice. She wants to generate and send an updated invoice to them with an email to update the client.
Design
Developing Solutions
Does the MVP demonstrate the value of the app?
The key factors that continued to play a role during exploratory sketching were how I could make the performing the task feel simple, approachable and reduce risks associated with repetitive manual data entry.
Examples of solution sketches
V1
V2
V2 Action Sheet
Usability Testing
Vertical scrolling on forms with many inputs fields can be confusing
Addition of Action Sheets for any content heavy input sections or fields such as: Descriptions, Expenses Section, Late-Fee Breakdowns,
V1
V2
V2 'saved' modal
Usability Testing
Oversimplified pages aren't as comforting as expected
Users we worried and doubtful whether all the information entered was correct or not. This meant the addition of 'saved update' pop-ups as they changed details and including a summary of key details onto the 'Preview' screen.
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This allowed users a final check point before sharing to their email account.
V1
V2
V2
Usability Testing
Moving 'accompanying email' step in the process
Many users were surprise by the email writing step in the process. They understood the value soon after arriving to the screen and many expressed expecting to see a step like this prior to previewing an invoice.
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V1
V2
Usability Testing
There is such a thing as too much navigation
Users were unsure of what the 'About' section in the bottom navigation bar was for. They were concerned about being moved to another page if they accidentally pressed the hamburger menu or settings icons.
I removed the hamburger menu and settings in the top navigation, and opted for clearer action options for a user while in the process of generating an invoice.
Brand Development
What does Mojo represent?
To craft the visual design for my solution, establishing its brand identity was a crucial first step. I delved into a creative exploration encompassing imagery, photography, shapes, textures, user interface patterns, and typography, aiming to capture the specific moods, tones, and emotions essential to the solution.
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In the pursuit of this creative endeavour, I granted myself the freedom to experiment with various ideas, always mindful of the app's core purpose: assisting freelancers in creating and maintaining long lasting invoicing systems.
What does Mojo mean?
As a digital app catering to freelancers, the term "mojo” injects a touch of charisma in how it refers to ones’ confidence. It implies a solution that not only efficient but is also dynamic, user-friendly and encouraging.
“Mojo” presents exciting branding opportunities. Its metaphoric versatility allows for creative expression and a memorable brand identity that can resonate with creative freelancers seeking something distinctive and captivating.
Design System
Current and Sleek Interface
I chose to develop this prototype in dark mode to reflect a more current approach seen in fintech recently. I also kept in mind that the user I'm designing for is busy: often doing admin ad hoc and on the go.
Colour Palette
To create a modern and energizing feel to the colour scheme for the product I used a combination of vibrant pink/purple, a gradient made from the brand colours and dark neutrals.
Typography
I made a firm choice to use a sans-serif font. As the product is text heavy, selecting a highly legible font was a high priority; ensuring users can read content easily on their phone.
I also chose a font family that had many styles and weights. This gave me the ability to create hierarchy without needing to move away from my chosen font.
Iconography
I decided to use a minimalist and curved iconography with the aim to reduce the potential severity of harsh edges.
Accessibility & Ease
When picking a colour palette, typography and icons, I ensured that all aspects adhered to (at minimum) the WCAG AA standard, while the majority meets the AAA standard.
Deliver
High Fidelity Prototype
Notifications of updates and deadlines
Never miss a billing deadline again – receive timely alerts for overdue payments and upcoming invoices. Take control of your financial success with set reminders, ensuring you're always in the loop and on track. Let our app be your personal assistant, making invoicing stress-free and efficient.
Invoice generator with auto-fill feature
Effortlessly generate professional invoices in seconds – no more manual entries or repetitive tasks. By saving your rates, fees, typical expenses, client and project information, and other details, users are given a simple step by step form to generate invoices.
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Stay focused on your work while we take care of the billing details. Streamline your freelancing journey with hassle-free, precision-crafted invoices at your fingertips
Seamless integration
Link your email to effortlessly import client details, ensuring precision in every invoice. Say goodbye to manual data entry and hello to time-saving, error-free billing with our intuitive freelancing app.
Elevate your productivity and streamline your billing experience with the power of easy connectivity.
Marketing Website
Communicating the value and connecting to potential users
It is essential to have online visibility as the majority of consumers today rely on the internet to research and purchase products. To promote Mojo and encourage freelancers to download the mobile app, I have created a marketing website.
