The challenge

Finding credit card deals has traditionally been difficult. People often had to search across different websites or only discovered relevant offers at the moment of payment.

When new regulations made it easier to aggregate banks’ products and services in one app, Standard Chartered saw an opportunity to develop CardsPal: an app that brings credit card deals together in one place. To test and refine the experience, the team needed a fast and efficient way to gather feedback from potential users.

The solution

We first conducted research in Hong Kong and Singapore to better understand CardsPal’s target users. We then created a short-term online community where participants could download and use a beta version of the app.

Through screen recordings of users completing specific tasks, we observed how people interacted with the app and identified areas for improvement. Participants also shared video feedback directly with the design team, creating a continuous feedback loop.

To explore user needs in more depth, we facilitated consumer discussions within the community and conducted one-on-one interviews using the UX Think-aloud approach, uncovering user frustrations, needs and opportunities.

The impact

Early feedback on the beta version revealed both strengths and areas for improvement. By incorporating consumer input through several iterations, Standard Chartered was able to launch CardsPal with an improved user experience.

Key changes included:

• Reassuring users that they did not need to submit personal card details to use the app.
• Allowing users to expand their search radius when the “Near Me” feature showed limited offers.
• Making the “Favourites” feature easier to access through the bottom navigation bar.
• Helping less experienced credit card users better understand card benefits through the “Compare cards” feature.

By involving users throughout development, Standard Chartered was able to create an app experience that better reflected customer needs and expectations.