TUL is a Colombian technology startup focused on marketplace that operates in the B2B e-commerce sector. It specializes in solving supply problems for small and medium-sized merchants in Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico, especially in the hardware sector. The TUL platform works as a mobile application that allows small merchants to: buy wholesale products, obtain credit to stock their hardware store, receive fast merchandise deliveries, access more competitive prices, and other financial services. TUL's business model seeks to digitize and optimize the supply chain for small businesses, eliminating intermediaries and facilitating the inventory purchasing process.
Goal
The main objective of this design project for the debit card request and activation flow is to optimize the user experience by reducing friction in the process of obtaining and enabling the card. Specific goals include reducing the request time to under 5 minutes, achieving an activation rate above 80%, and ensuring a sense of simplicity and security that encourages users to complete the entire process without abandoning it. The goal is to create an intuitive, fast, and reliable flow that not only facilitates card acquisition but also creates a positive first impression of the TUL brand, increasing the likelihood that users will keep and actively use the card after receiving it.
Problem
TUL’s potential users face a significant barrier during the debit card request and activation process, marked by a high abandonment rate and complexity in the required steps. The current experience leads to frustration and distrust, with multiple friction points, including:
• Lengthy and complex request processes that require too much personal information
• Unintuitive interfaces that fail to clearly guide the user
• Verification steps that feel invasive or unnecessarily complicated
• Lack of clarity wait times and next steps after submitting the request
• Security concerns that create distrust during the digital process
The main design challenge is to create a card request and activation flow that is so simple, transparent, and secure that it significantly reduces existing friction, lowers the abandonment rate, and increases the conversion of users who successfully complete the process of obtaining their debit card.
Research process
1. Research objectives
- Understand current friction points in card application processes
- Identify user expectations and needs for digital card acquisition
- Evaluate behaviors and perceptions about security in digital financial processes
2. Research methods
a) Qualitative Research
- Focus groups (2 sessions)
- Explore collective perceptions
- Identify behavioral patterns
- Validate initial insights
b) Quantitative research
- Online survey (20-30 participant sample)
- Digital process abandonment rate
- Main pain points in card applications
- Interface preferences
- Trust levels in digital platforms
c) Competitive analysis
- Benchmarking of 5-6 direct competitors
- Card application flows
- Process times
- Verification characteristics
- Interface designs
3. Observation methods
- Usability Testing
- Initial prototype user testing
- Completion time tracking
- Click and movement mapping
- Confusion point identification
- Current Metrics Analysis
- Abandonment rate
- Average application time
- Drop-off points in current flow
4. Success Metrics
- 30% reduction in abandonment rate
- 25% increase in application conversion
- Application time under 5 minutes
- Satisfaction index above 8/10
This research process aims to deeply understand user needs, identify improvement opportunities, and design a card application flow that is intuitive, efficient, and reliable.
Core customer needs
TUL users seek a debit card application experience that is fundamentally simple, secure, and fast, where technological complexity transforms into an intuitive and frictionless interaction. They need a process that breathes transparency, offers clear guidance, generates instant trust, and reduces the typical anxiety associated with digital financial products, allowing them to feel empowered rather than overwhelmed. The essence of their core need lies in a flow that is not just a means to obtain a card, but an experience that makes them feel understood, protected, and efficiently served, where each step is perceived as a personalized dialogue that respects their time, privacy, and intelligence, turning what is traditionally a cumbersome procedure into a simple, secure, and almost pleasurable moment of acquiring a new financial instrument.
Client: TUL
Industry: Technology and e-commerce
Role: UX/UI Designer
Contribution: UX - UI
Country: Colombia, Brazil and Mexico
Year: 2021 -2023