Financial Services App Design: Helpful Guide With Examples

Money, money, money. Money is time, money is the root of all evil, money makes the world go ‘round. Money is simply, money. It makes sense that people are looking at ways not only to make money but to handle money as well. Many financial institutions are changing the traditional ways of banking and finances which have exploded into a business of Financial Technologies, or FinTech. The industry approaches finances such as payments, money transfers, loans, crowdfunding, asset management, cryptocurrency, and many others as another way to communicate with clients and customers and are being treated as such. The best FinTech apps create a user experience that makes life and money easy. Who doesn’t like easy?

What is a Good Financial Services App Design?

Discovering new methods of finance and banking requires a certain amount of learning for both the user and the company, so delivering these services needs a user-friendly design. Without it, users aren’t likely to start using the app and will actually turn away future clients.

Many companies use design in FinTech to also cater to the wants and needs of their clients. Do they want a way to find an ATM quickly? Do they want to transfer funds with the click of a button? Answering a question a client may not have now is a sure way to let users know they are being thought of in the design process.

The well-thought-out financial app requires FinTech design knowledge and expertise. Designers with domain expertise can empathize with users’ financial goals, concerns, and behaviors, leading to user-centered designs that suit their unique requirements.

Top Financial App Design Principles

• Understand the customer, realize the problems, and create their experience. The best FinTech apps continually listen and adapt to feedback from users, which is part of any design process.
• Security must be built at every stage of design. Gaining the trust of both sides requires a secure system that is reliable and tested. In finance, people are more likely to trust apps that really “get” their needs and the industry’s regulations. Domain expertise not only builds credibility but also makes users feel more confident.
• Designing for Fintech requires a diverse team to address all points of interest. Assembling a team with unique skills, such as business management or web security, will benefit the entire design process as they specialize in these important features.

Financial Services App Design Challenges

However, the journey of financial app design may present its fair share of challenges. These could range from integrating security measures to facing competition between financial institutions.

• The most important aspect is security. Designing an easy way to conduct transactions comes with the challenge of making a secure and safe transfer of funds. But as many people understand, online security is able to be hacked and users are wary of the dangers of going digital when it comes to finances. A designer who knows the industry well can easily include security regulations in the design, avoiding problems and ensuring the app’s adherence to industry standards.
• Pushing the technological envelope is also a challenge. Sometimes there is the need to change the outlook on traditional financial services to fit modern times, which can be a challenge for those institutions that stick to their own ways. They need to find out what works and what can be improved upon to create these innovations that appeal to all audiences.
• Competition is fierce between financial institutions and businesses, so it’s always a challenge to separate your company from another. The benefits and efficiencies of using your platform should attract new customers and retain current ones, which is easier said than done.

Tips for Perfect Financial Services App Design

There are plenty of ways to create a FinTech web app UI/UX design. However, there are some surefire ways to guarantee a more successful landing as well as those that can lead to failure.

Do’s:

Focus on user behavior

Fintech apps are meant to be user-friendly, so understanding how a client uses an application gives the design team more insight into what to improve. Using insights for the app shows whether a feature is being used often or correctly, and can also indicate what can be cut or redesigned. Feedback is also important from users. If they are having trouble or have some positive feedback, the designers are able to listen and adjust accordingly.

Care about app security

Designing a secure app is the foremost priority within the financial app UX design process. The platform communicates sensitive financial information and needs to be treated with care. For example, applications like PayPal have p2p money transfers that require confirmation from banks and users to complete a transaction. The user then feels safe about using this service and is inclined to continue to use something they trust.

Gamification

Apps have become almost synonymous with the word fun because apps are a quick and convenient way of doing everyday tasks. Having logos, icons and colorful images enforces the fact that users are drawn to the fun. Gamification of simple tasks like loading screens and verification prompts has made the processes easier and fun to use. For example, putting a puzzle piece to solve a captcha makes the experience more fun than a chore.

Choose an appropriate background color for the application

FinTech UI design is responsible for the look and feel of an application, and that means deciding the tones and the background colors. Using icons and logos needs to match the use of the background so that these icons and logos are easier to locate and navigate. Being on a mobile device also sets parameters of how users will see the platform. For example, lots of apps like Twitter and Messenger are starting to create a “Night Mode” setting so users’ eyes can adjust to night lights instead of using a plain white or brightly colored background.

Choose the right font

Going along with backgrounds, the font is also important. Being readable and understandable is important for FinTech apps as the fine print and conditions are necessary for completing transactions. For example, PayPal uses a clear font in a darker color to make sure the information is easily read and not missed.

Charting style

The information inside of a FinTech App is presented in many ways, and in finance, it can even be presented in graphics such as charts and tables. But choosing the appropriate chart comes down to what needs your clients have. Designers need to innovate the space, create advanced features useful to users, and provide necessary information. For example, FinTech App MINT presents your finances as charts, tables, and graphs to better show you different information like trends and percentages.

App localization

Your audience should continue to grow as your company grows, and depending on banking systems and your user base, something like international travel and purchases need to be addressed. Localizing apps to be compatible with a variety of banks, maps, and locations allows your customer base to grow. Paypal can convert money with a small fee, but it allows people from other countries to interact and conduct business P2P or B2P.

Dont’s:

The lack of a UI/UX design strategy

Without a well-defined UI/UX strategy, various challenges and setbacks can arise, affecting both the efficiency and outcomes of your project. A strategy serves as a roadmap, ensuring that your efforts are targeted and streamlined. Its absence can lead to disjointed efforts and hindered collaboration among design teams.

You don’t explain to your users why you collect the data

Part of understanding security is explaining why things are the way they are and answering questions. Collecting data also aids in troubleshooting problems and concerns about the platform. Credit card information usually needs a home address, security codes, and correct names, so filling in a form may be tedious to input all these details. So it’s important to explain why the data is collected the way it is.

There is no visualization of information

Information is received in many ways, but the quickest way to send the most information is through visuals. People understand more through diagrams and photos, which ties into a financial services app design. Without effective visualization, users can struggle to comprehend and analyze this data, leading to confusion and potentially incorrect decisions.

You don’t speak your user’s language

The goal of creating FinTech apps is for the user to utilize the service efficiently and easily. If you don’t simplify terms and processes for your users, it will be hard for them to understand your product at the most basic level.

For example, PayPal has several prompts when making a transaction to explain how it works and what the requirements and restrictions are. They present it in layman’s terms so that the user may understand fully why there is a transaction fee and things like that.

Wrong color palette

Color pallets are more than just visuals, they represent certain types of information. In the context of finance, the colors red and green represent buy and sell, and if your palette drowns out these colors, information is lost. Paypal’s color palette of white and blue makes it easy to differentiate other colors from buttons and icons as well as transaction information.

Perfect Examples Of FinTech Mobile App Design

PayPal

Payment platforms that are safe, secure, and quick are essential for conducting modern-day business. One of the pioneers of e-commerce and online web payments is PayPal. They have everything you could want in a FinTech app: an easy-to-use website and app, top web security, and accessibility with most banks, cards, and merchants. All tied together with a PayPal-Blue bow.

MINT

Budgeting is hard enough that people go to classes to properly manage their personal or business finances. But the FinTech app MINT makes all your expenses easier to work with. Simply add your bank account information and it tracks all your purchases and transactions and automatically sorts them into categories of products and services. The best part is that it’s free to create an account and secure because they do not need you to process any payments on their platform.

Kickstarter

Crowdfunding has become a popular source of investments for new startups because it’s streamlined to pool money quickly. From B2B to B2C, Kickstarter allows users to send money to each other and for someone to directly ask a company for a large investment. Opposed to the traditional way of starting a business, by receiving a loan, crowdfunding has given plenty of opportunities to a large amount of people, changing the layout of how to start a business.

Robinhood

FinTech apps are all about the money, so having an app that generates money for you seems like the next step to the future. Wallstreet can be a bit crowded and overpriced, but Robinhood brings riches to the general public. People can invest in low-cost stocks in many different kinds of businesses, hoping that they will become the next Apple or Microsoft. Robinhood also boasts a no-commission model, allowing the most profit from your investments.

How Qubstudio Can Help?

Qubstudio employs one of the most diverse and professional teams you’ll work with. They have experience with plenty of design projects ranging from E-Commerce, Digital Products, Entertainment, Health Platforms, FinTech, and many more. Understanding the ins and outs of financial services app design, we are able to guide you to the perfect platform for you and your clients. Specialized teams for security systems and protocols can provide security at each point of the design. UI designers can build an aesthetically pleasing experience, as UX can deliver a smooth journey from start to finish.

Conclusion

Fintech apps are becoming the future. How we buy, sell, and trade things has evolved and companies are keen to evolve as well. Building a business requires structure and discipline, but to make it successful needs innovation and efficiency. With the advancement of technology, our favorite apps in Fintech are paving the way our everyday lives work, so investing time and effort to create the perfect financial app UX design is worthwhile.