Currencies Direct

Money transfer experience (B2C). Company project, London.
Business context: Redesign of the money transfer experience process in the financial services industry / Client: Currencies Direct / My role: UX design lead / Target audience: Those interested in large-amount currency transfers with trust and security in mind

This project followed an end-to-end (E2E) approach, from UX research to the implementation of UX/UI best practices. The goal was to identify pain points in the money transfer experience and redesign the iOS app accordingly. This strategy enabled the team to deliver a functional product quickly, providing immediate value while keeping costs low.

1 Research

The design process began with a gap analysis of the account creation flow, combining qualitative insights (what users were saying) with quantitative data (what they were actually doing). This approach provided a deeper understanding of users, their experiences, and their motivations.

1.1 Gap Analysis

I compared key features of 20 competitors’ mobile apps, specifically for the registration process, including Wise, Revolut, Bó –no longer available–, Monzo, Starling Bank, N26, Mettle, and Tide.

📋 Recommendations for Improvement

• Avoid requesting to upload identity documents during the registration process to do it fast to complete.
• Request digital identity verification just before making the first transfer.
• Only ask what’s really necessary: Minimal data collection helps keep a frictionless journey.

1.2 Remote Usability Testing

I tested the existing app’s transfer flow with both new and existing customers. Participants were UK-based, with a balanced gender split and ages ranging from 18 to 55+ (20 users per test). I also ran regular questionnaires and unmoderated interviews to gather insights and begin validating initial assumptions.

⏯ Audio and Video Screen Recording

Participants shared insights on payment tracking, transfer costs, and transfer confirmation. They were asked to think aloud while interacting with the app on their mobile devices using the UserTesting platform.

⚠️ Main concerns

• There was a perception of quite a lot information to process.
• The layout looked “simplistic” and “quite basic”.
• Get a free quote now wasn’t immediately recognised, and some needed to spend extra time to figure out what the next step was.

👥 Patterns

In addition, Hotjar recordings were used to identify patterns of repeated behavior on the desktop website, particularly within the registration flow (01 Account > 02 Details > 03 Identity > 04 Confirm). The participant segment included users from multiple countries, including the UK, Spain, Thailand, New Zealand, and the United States.

📋 Recommendations for Improvement

• Turn ‘Confirm’ into green when the process has been completed.
• Show what to do next after getting an error message on the screen via a text link / button.
• Rating the registration experience should be available for customers of any country.
• Request the same type of information regardless the country to keep consistency.

1.3 Quantitative Data

This work involved using Google Analytics in collaboration with the digital analytics and insights team, focusing on six key goals: Create login, Your details, Enter mobile number, Enter PIN, Transfer terms, and Verification timer (across web, mobile devices, and the app).

⚠️ Main concerns

• Both the number of steps to complete the registration process and the amount of details requested could have a negative impact on the user experience.
• Requesting some information such as the date of birth as well as identity documents wasn’t really necessary at a very early stage.

2 Strategy

This stage focused on exploration and discovery. I analyzed seven case studies, covering the full mobile app experience, and created the presentation below to clearly outline the assumptions that would later be validated.

The task involved sending pounds via bank transfer to euros for a new recipient. I opened accounts with TorFX, Moneycorp, WorldFirst, OFX, Wise, and Revolut to document each user flow step by step. Finally, I identified the strongest competitor and summarized the findings in a comparison table, along with UX tips.

🔎 Analysis

• There wasn’t a huge variance in the time taken to send a payment from any of the FX companies.
• Most of the companies were ‘fee free transfer’, but the extra cost is in their exchange rate.
• Weakness: low max transaction limit.

✅ UX Tips

The new mobile app needed to incorporate at least the following improvements:

💳   More payment options.
⬇️   £1 min transaction limit.
⬆️   Higher max transaction limit.
⏱   Delivery time before review.
📱   Fewer clicks.
💸   Digital wallet.
🛂   Fewer details.
✅   Screen confirmation.

3 Design

This project aimed to launch a native mobile app on the App Store. The earlier strategy phase provided a broader understanding of the problem, paving the way to move into solution development.

3.1 Wireframes

Wireframes help define space allocation and content prioritization, as well as clarify available functionality and intended user behavior. As a key part of the design process, I also used them to align stakeholders and secure project team approval.

3.2 Mockups

Mockups provide a more realistic representation of the product, creating a scalable design system that is easier for everyone to understand and align with.

In collaboration with the creative lead, I contributed to a scalable design system that incorporated predefined components, including an asset library with grids and styles, to ensure consistency across all screens. Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) were also essential in guiding the design and ensuring a successful iOS app launch.

3.3 Prototypes

Prototypes offered a clearer understanding of how users might behave, think, and feel when interacting with the product. They allowed me to test assumptions in an interactive, real-world context through unmoderated interviews with both stakeholders and existing customers.

3.4 iOS App

Among other recommendations for improvement mentioned earlier, the new app included better transfer speed and more payment options. That created a meaningful impact on the user’s overall experience.

Evaluation

I helped launch a minimum viable product (MVP), an iOS app with enough features to satisfy early customers and get feedback for future product development, aligned with business strategy. And here it is! Finally on both the App Store (4.8 out of 5 ★★★★★) and the Google Play store (4.8 out of 5 ★★★★★).