Green Growth Pioneers

Designing a Finance App to help revitalize West Virginia’s Economy

Green Growth Pioneers is a financial app focused on the West Virginia region. Our aim is to link small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs with private investors and mentors. This facilitates business growth and provides investors with a return on their investment. Designed for ease of use, the app not only connects small businesses with investors but also educates them by offering valuable resources for growth. Our ultimate goal is to stimulate economic development in West Virginia.

Overview

Challenge

Due to the historical focus on the coal industry and lack of diversified investment in West Virginia, the local economy has been weakened. As a result, small businesses in the region struggle to attract the attention and investment they need to grow and contribute to economic revitalization.

Goal

Our objective is to develop a platform specifically tailored for the West Virginia region, with the aim of connecting small businesses with private investors. Through this platform, we aspire to facilitate investment and mentorship opportunities that empower these businesses to grow, ultimately contributing to revitalizing the local economy.

Deliverables

Prototype of Mobile App

Project Duration

Ongoing . . .

My Role

UX Designer - User Research, Information Architecture, Lo-to-High Fidelity Wireframing, Prototyping, Usability Testing

My Tools

• Paper & Pencil

• Figma

• Photoshop

• Miro

• Google Forms

• FigJam

Approach

Online Research

Unmoderated Usability Testing

Design Process

Building an app from the ground up meant using a user-centered design process to determine pain points and potential solutions.

• Interviews

• Observation

Discover

• Journey mapping

• Personas

Define

• User Flows

• Site Mapping

• Lo-Fidelity Wireframes

• Usability Testing

• Iterations

Design

• High-Fidelity Wireframes

• Design Language

Deliver

User Research

To inform the development of our financial app aimed at revitalizing the West Virginia economy, I conducted comprehensive research in several key areas.

First, I analyzed which businesses are currently flourishing in the region, as well as potential business opportunities available.

Next, I performed a competitive audit of existing financial institutions focused on small business development and private investment.

In an effort to gain further insights, I also reached out to staff members of West Virginia's economic development committee, although I have yet to receive a response.

Overall, my research indicates a palpable lack of opportunity in the area; even the prospect of starting a business appears to be a daunting task for many. This underscores the urgent need for a platform that can connect small businesses with private investors and mentors as well as provide learning opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs in the area.

Interviews

Personas

“We have such a rich history and beautiful landscape, I want to share it with others.” 

Age: 35

Education: College

Hometown: Green Spring, WV

Family: Married, 2 Kids

Occupation: School Teacher

Arthur Miller

  1. Share the history of their county in West Virginia

  2. Start a small business

  3. Be able to help other members of their community

Goals

  1. There is little investment to start new business

  2. I’m not sure how to start business

  3. Where do I share our stories?

Frustrations

User Journey

Paper Wireframes

I created numerous paper wireframes as I was initially uncertain about how to approach the UI for this project. I opted for a simple design to ensure clarity of information and seamless navigation.

Findings

I conducted two rounds of usability studies. Findings from the first study help guide the designs from wireframes to mockups. The second study helped me redesign the layout and develop “cards” used for each of the featured businesses.

  1. Users wanted a clear way to see investment opportunities or raising funds applications.

  2. Users wanted an easy “previous” and “next” navigation option.

  3. Investors wanted to have a comprehensive dashboard to be able to measure their investments.

  4. Small Business owners wanted to have access to learning resources.

Round 1 Findings

  1. Users wanted more detailed information on small businesses if needed.

  2. New Small Business Owners wanted an option to be guided through filling out an application to raise funds.

Round 2 Findings

Refining the Design

With the digital wireframes complete, I wanted to make the UI simpler. A solid and clear Information Architecture scheme needed to be designed to support a simpler UI. I decided to leverage the colors of West Virginia University to reinforce the idea this product is for the communities of West Virginia.

Designing the Onboarding Process

I wanted to design the onboarding process to be as inviting and encouraging to new business owners as possible. I designed the onboarding process to be as educational and informative as possible for new business owners. Once a small business owner has completed the onboarding process they will have a draft of their business plan to start pitching to investors.

Responsive Design

Next steps

  1. Conduct research on how successful this app is in connecting small businesses with private investors.

  2. Add a form and fill helper section for beginning entrepreneurs.

  3. Create an online market within the app so businesses can have a platform to sell on.

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