Project Goals and Objectives

Purpose of the app:

• Reward members for financially responsible behavior by earning points for the financially responsible decisions they make.
• Deliver a consolidated view of the value of USAA membership in a simple, personalized, and actionable format.
• Inspire members to earn and use USAA value however they see fit
• Empower members to take action to make smart financial decisions

USAA had some financial business goals, too, that they intended for this app to help them to achieve.

Where It Began

USAA Piloted the Member Value Account app, but it needed a lot more work. Not many members were engaging with it. They needed to draw more attention and entice the members to want to join.

Ideation and Brainstorming

Each of the members on the team at Critical Mass, along with the stakeholders on this product from USAA, gathered together for some brainstorming sessions. We were all given mobile templates to sketch out ideas for the app. We also spent some time sketching ideas out on the whiteboard.

We were to also given the Guiding Principles in mind:

• Keep the member and mission first
• Be authentic and build trust
• Create conditions for members to succeed
• Innovate and build for the future

My team and I were also provided with documents for market research, mainly how consumers interact daily with money. They wanted to understand their mental models and obtain some insight on ethnography. The key areas of focus were:

• Interacting with Money Diary Tracking
• Everyday purchases
• Paying Bills
• Making a Purchase
• Loyalty/Rewards
• Spending Plans
• Financial Goals
• Pre-Commissioning Needs

Wireframes

Early Iterations

Later Iterations

Bringing It To Life

As always, the Creative Designers on the team would work their magic in bringing my wireframes to life.

Usability Testing

I built a prototype for Usability Testing in Axure. However, after this was created, the project was moved over to another office within the Critical Mass family. So, that being said, I was not involved in any testing or any of the developments after this. To view the prototype, you may toggle the "Show Hotspots" switch on to help guide you through the interactions.

Results and Outcomes

I attended a summit at McCormick Place where a speaker from USAA introduced the Member Value Account app. After the project was transferred, it turned out that a mascot was created, thus creating more awareness and attraction towards the app.