Bigpay’s app redesign — product teardown
As a new postgrad student in Malaysia back in 2018, I had a memorable ‘aha moment’ when I signed up as an early adopter of BigPay.
The paperless and online application process was a breeze, a delightful departure from the usual hassles in finance institutions.
From the very beginning, I fell in love with the product — a free sign-up, home-delivered card, transparent international transaction fees, expense analytics, and instant money transfers; it was an unparalleled product experience.
In this article, we will explore BigPay’s journey & new redesign through the lens of a Product Manager focusing on product design and user experience. Discussing what is good and what can be improved, with some potential ideas to improve user experience.
BigPay’s biggest MOAT has undoubtedly been its exceptional user experience — enabling users to effortlessly manage everything on their smartphones, all while boasting low international exchange rates.
PS: Not sponsored. The writings ahead reflect my own experience and opinions, which might be scoped or just plain wrong, and I’m happy to hear from you and learn more.
1. Brand
The new logo was revealed in 2021, replacing the playful ‘bp’ gradient with a more sophisticated look featuring darker and dual hues of blue.
I want to express my appreciation for the maturity and growth demonstrated in the new BigPay logo. The redesign showcases a more professional and sleek appearance, which positively contributes to the brand impression!
This new logo on the card works rather neatly — an impeccably clean card design with the iconic color building a strong recognition for the brand.
2. Email newsletter
In July 2023, I received total 9 emails. 1 survey, 4 promotions, 3 product updates
During the week of July, BigPay unveiled a fresh new look for its app, marking a significant redesign since its launch in 2018.
What is great
- The emails containing product updates are excellent. They provide educational and concise content, accompanied by step-by-step instructions with screenshots.
What could be better
- There should be an option to opt out or in for different types of emails.
3. Home Screen
This is the app home screens, before and after. Images sourced from the internet and the official blog.
What is great
- The redesign looks clean and modern. There is less clutter, more information is accessible with a visually appealing interface.
- Quick links for easy navigation for good usability.
- Clear visual hierarchy with distinct background colors helps differentiate between sections, making it easier to map information.
- Floating navigation is visually pleasing.
What could be better
Navigation
- New settings/profile [1] is not in an ideal ‘thumb zone’, it’d be more accessible on floating navigation. Less confusion for users as it is consistent with the previous design app layout. The profile icon has no text or indication it leads to profile settings either.
CTA buttons and hierarchy
- The ‘top-up button’ [2] is one of the main CTA buttons. It is too close to the balance and card details link page, and just an icon without text. It deserves more space and hierarchy for better experience and usability.
Stash options
- Stash [3] amount should be more discrete and difficult to access. Or there should be an option to hide the stash amount (I used up all my stash money 😢)
Quick links and flow
- New friends [4] even though in quick links is an additional press from the previous design (I miss seeing my friends), maybe press and hold to see top friends would be a nice feature? Like sharing on Instagram.
Enhancing core features
- There is a ‘more’ [5] button in quick links which is the same as the ‘explore’ on floating navigation, it is an unnecessary repetition and could cause confusion/frustration to the user.
- The most recent transactions should expand on-scroll rather than having a button [6]. This is de-emphasizing a core function of the page.
- Analytics [7] is another core function with such a button — it deserves a place in the floating navigation.
- ‘Refer your friend and get RM 10’ should be on the quick links section or friends view.
4. Explore & reward
Explore/more view has all the services which BigPay provides for users. The rewards view has also been featured in the redesign. Here is the before and after of both views.
What is great:
- Content grouping is helpful to stack together similar services.
- New icons are a great improvement from generic-looking icons. Using the brand color adds to brand impression and recognition.
What could be better:
Address Repetition and Inconsistency
- The rewards view and the rewards group in the explore section has some inconsistency and repetition.
- Providing context and points details of rewards in explore view, make rewards more prominent in explore services view.
- Reevaluate the need for an additional view for rewards, as it may be creating unnecessary complexity. Removing this view may also eliminate the need to have rewards separately in the floating navigation, cleaning up clutter from the screen.
5. Analytics
The Analytics page has some interesting new things, let’s take a look.
What is great
- Total worth and outstanding is a big upgrade. It’s useful to see an overview of financial health.
- The design looks more mature and clean. The section division is visually more appealing and creates a consistent layout.
- New features such as cashback balance and rewind are mentioned — excited to learn more!
What could be better
Fine-tuning Automatic Categorization
- The automatic categorization is already pretty good — it picks up the merchant and places the expense under a category. However, there are transactions that require further classification for an accurate representation of expenses. For example, GrabPay may need more specific categorization of how much was spent on transportation, food orders, or grocery.
Enhanced Exporting Options
- Exporting to CSV/pdf is good, but would be better if the statements are sent to the user’s email to improve convenience and accessibility.
Some extra features & thoughts
These are some potential new feature ideas I think would improve the experience and financial well-being of users.
Breakdown of income
Incoming cash is either top-ups or transfers from friends. A feature to break down top-ups and transfers into income categories could be an essential feature.
Additionally, a total of dues owed to the user could help anticipate and keep track of future incomes soon-to-be due with a reminder tool for follow-ups.
True net-worth
There are many users running side projects and earning income from multiple sources. A more accurate net-worth calculation should consider this plus the value of capital assets such as cars, laptops, watches, etc for a more comprehensive financial status.
Monthly subscriptions
Currently, there is a feature that sends a notification reminding you to top-up if the balance is low to be able to pay an upcoming subscription payment.
A view to see and track monthly subscriptions with amounts and payment dates would be helpful to manage and plan finances.
Budgeting & suggestions
Analytics already provide us with a lot of useful information about spending habits. With the introduction of a budgeting feature, users could gain more insights into spending habits.
Based on available funds and spending habits, users can use the data to get personalized AI-generated suggestions based on budgets set by users or financial decision considerations that could further assist users in managing their finances smartly.
Ending notes
These features and ideas showcase a user-centric approach, addressing financial management needs and providing insights to improve personal digital wallet experience.
Experimenting and implementing these features would improve user engagement and net promoter score.
Some limitations to consider are technical feasibility, scalability, and potential impact on user privacy. User surveys and interviews will help gather more feedback. Which can be used to discover more needs and prioritize implementation.
If you’ve read this far, you must be a big fan of BigPay or a fintech product enthusiast. Let’s be friends?
till next time.
