Zhongxin Jingwei March 15 , "The font on the mobile phone is too small to see clearly." This is the voice of almost every elderly user. From the beginning of 2021, many banks began to update the mobile banking app and launch a version suitable for the elderly, the most intuitive embodiment is that the font on the app has become larger, and the operation is simpler than ever.
According to incomplete statistics, at least 7 state-owned banks and joint-stock banks have launched an old-age version of the financial app, and China Merchants Bank is one of the pioneers.
China Merchants Bank officially launched the Handheld Life for the Aged Project in June 2021. After extensive research, the following month, the bank quickly finalized the renovation plan and entered the substantive development.
Time is tight and the task is heavy. Ageing versions need to be "tailored" to the needs of the elderly population. The credit card center of CMB immediately united multiple team backbones to form a joint project team to overcome product and technology development problems. In September of that year, the old version and barrier-free version of China Merchants Bank's "Pocket Life" App were officially launched, and it has been running for more than half a year, and has received positive feedback from many elderly users.
Priority is given to focusing on the needs of the elderly
In terms of ageing and barrier-free transformation, due to the particularity of users, it is difficult to comprehensively collect information and portray needs, and the joint project team can only "feel the stones to cross the river" and complete the urgent task in just a few months.
According to a product expert of pocket life app, the first question in front of the joint project team is how to achieve convenient reading of the page for the elderly? "We've also considered a lot of directions, such as directly enlarging the standard version." He said, but the idea was quickly abandoned.
In the case of directly enlarging the font, if you want to re-install the original function in the limited screen, some functions will be folded up and hidden deeper. The aforementioned expert used an analogy: "When storing, the things on the desktop are suddenly one size larger, and they can only be stored in more places." When looking for something, it may take you four or five rummages to find what you need. ”
The joint project team finalized the "redesign and streamlining of the interface". The biggest change in this scheme is "doing subtraction".
The "Pocket Life" App has been online for more than ten years, and after 8 major versions of iterative updates, it has become very mature, and the total number of operating users has exceeded 100 million. With the help of content ecology, quality e-commerce and other products, the app provides a large number of services and activities, creating a strong business position.
The joint project team believes that from the perspective of elderly users, although the different interaction capabilities adapted to these scenarios are advanced and interesting, they will also increase the difficulty of operation of users accordingly. Therefore, in the "big character version" of handheld life, the joint project team finally determined the development direction of "prioritizing the needs of the elderly, minus marketing content for young customers". All components of complex interactions are simplified and replaced with more standardized functional entrances. There will be no pop-up windows, pendants and other forms of advertising marketing and plug-ins, and strive to provide the simplest operating process for elderly users.
Compared with the default version, the "big character version" of Handheld Life is concise and restrained, retaining only key business modules such as QR code, account checking, repayment, card housekeeper, point bill and customer service, and the operation process and interface design are much simplified. Through the data analysis of users over 60 years old on the whole platform, the joint project team selected 11 major use scenarios for the elderly with high frequency and just need, and carried out special aging and concise transformation of these business modules.
In terms of reading experience, the age-appropriate version of handheld life not only takes into account the basic adjustments such as font size and spacing, but also takes into account the problem of old models used by some elderly users. In the early stage of interface design, the interaction designer has adapted the corresponding page font size for different mobile phone models, as small as the ultra-small screen models such as the iPhone 5C, and as large as max mobile phones, to ensure that the display of each model of mobile phone is reasonable.
Polishing the interactive experience makes it more convenient for the elderly to use
How to "open the age-appropriate version", the joint project team also explored, although this is only a single step, but to meet the requirements of easy to find, easy to use is not an easy task. At present, some apps in the industry will be reflected in the form of small programs in the form of small programs, and every time the app is opened, it must be re-evoked; some developers will launch the old version as a standalone App, which requires additional downloads.
To this end, the joint project team has designed a variety of paths to make it easy for users to find in the form of "one centralized entrance, multiple key app nodes". "A centralized entrance" refers to the highest traffic in handheld life - "My" page is placed with a fixed entrance for the old version, and the user can switch to the old version with one click in the settings menu. In addition, other entrances are personalized according to the user's usage habits. The system can directly identify users over the age of 60, and actively remind them to switch the "big character version" on their first login. Users can also use the search function to search for keywords such as "big characters", "care", "elders" and so on, and easily find and open the "big character version".
When the customer selects the "Big Character Edition (Care Edition)" page, the system will default to the user's relevant needs, even if the App is restarted, the interface will remain as the "Big Character Edition" until the user actively switches back to the Standard Edition.
The handheld life version provides a one-click direct access to human customer service. In addition, the joint project team has also created a new "Care for the Elderly Zone". Through the text-based card manual and video-based explanation strategy, the knowledge of using cards is explained in a simple and simple way, helping the elderly to want to use, can use, dare to use and use more safely.
Pocket Life "Big Character Edition" has also been launched for more than half a year. The above-mentioned product experts said that they have continued to receive feedback from internal and external users, and intend to further improve the adaptation ability of handheld life in barrier-free transformation to ensure that users with needs, including visually impaired people, can use the App more conveniently. For business functions that are in demand by elderly users, the "big character version" of handheld life will also track and evaluate updates and optimizations, and include more needed scenarios into the scope of transformation.
Customer-centric
Dismantling the "financial adaptation to the old", the App suitable for the old version is only a corner, relying more on the endurance, insight and overall view of financial institutions, but also includes the flexibility of the organizational structure and the background of financial technology infrastructure.
The ability to deeply understand the needs of customers, a complete customer service system, mature big data, AI, voice technology and other capabilities to carry intelligent recommendation, interactive functions, the integration of open mechanisms under the formation of cross-departmental teams, rapid response and delivery needs, if the CMB credit card center lacks any of the above points, the "big character version" of the Pocket Life App may not be so well received by users.
Although the current handheld life App is called the "big character version (care version)", the goal of "financial ageing" is not to rely on the size of the font size and the upgrade of the App to reach it with one click. The above-mentioned product experts stressed that ageing and barrier-free transformation will be a "protracted battle" and has been incorporated into the normal management of the App of Pocket Life.
The product expert also said that adapting to the physical and mental characteristics of the elderly group and providing services for them is not only a kind of humanistic care, but also to meet the needs of the elderly. Ageing and barrier-free renovations have brought a broader perspective, and some details of the old version, such as the text version of the card manual, have been successfully used in the development of the "Pocket Life" standard edition.
A product manager of Pocket Life sighed that young users will one day grow old, and the transformation is not only for the special groups now, but also for the long-term companionship of all customers.
China Merchants Bank said that "customer-centric, creating value for customers" is the bank's consistent service concept, China Merchants Bank is committed to serving every customer.
In recent years, China Merchants Bank has actively promoted the age-appropriate and barrier-free transformation of online and offline financial service channels. In terms of online channels, the Elder Edition was launched in the China Merchants Bank App, and the Credit Card Pocket Life App launched a large-character version (Care Edition) to help special groups cross the digital divide; at the lower end of the line, outlets upgraded elderly customer service, such as equipped with backrest love seats, reading glasses, magnifying glasses, first aid kits, wheelchairs and other convenient facilities, and increased electronic equipment helpers.
When the ageing age enters the vision of more and more people, how will thousands of industries make more contributions to the aging society in their own way? In the financial field, the answers handed over by CMB and the thoughts brought by CMB deserve more expectations from the industry. (Zhongxin Jingwei APP)