Work Collection
ILLUSTRATIVE PROJECT
We, TongRo Image Stock, since commence with producing digital Image slide transparency
business in 1992, have been building outstanding success in distributing various kind of collections from overseas countries to Korea and in supplying our own collections to many countries
through around 45 channel partners.
ARK7 COMMUNITY BUILDING
This is a landing project for a financial technology app, dedicated to creating an integrated space resembling a community. The project aims to assist users in fostering confidence throughout the entire investment process, ultimately boosting the platform's user conversion rates.
MY ROLE
+ Managed and maintained all aspects of Ark7 News Feed design, including user flow restructuring, wireframe creating, marketing illustration assets and final visual design.
+ Conducted user research, usability testing, and gathered feedback to inform design decisions.
PROJECT SCOPE
1 Product Manager, 4 Designers
TOOLS
Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop
OVERVIEW
Context
How Ark7 Works?
Ark7 streamlines real estate investment by providing fractional shares in high-quality residential properties across the US. With a focus on accessibility, profitability, and stability, Ark7 offers investment opportunities for anyone living in the US with real estate investment intentions.
50K+
Active Investors
$16MM+
Property Value Funded
$1.8MM+
Cash Distributions Paid
Challenge
Retain existing investors and convert new users
Ark7 faces challenge to retain existing investors and to convert new users into regular investors. The Ark7 platform attracted a lot of new users through its referral rewards system, but those users did not continue to invest in the platform.
Success Metrics
I worked with a team of product manager, designers and researchers, we set our success metrics:
01
Conversion rate
A higher conversion rate generally indicates that the design is effective in encouraging users to complete the desired actions.
02
Retention rate
A high retention rate is generally considered favorable and indicates that users find value in the product, continue to use it.
user RESEARCH
New User
Ian is a new user, he haven’t invested @ Ark7.
Ian
29 / Male
Age:
29 y.o.
Job:
Marketing Analyst
Location:
Texas, Austin
Social Investor
Tech-Savvy
ENTJ
Game player
Explorer
Goals
Investing in a more transparent and trustworthy platform.
A supportive platform that offers guidance and builds confidence for fellow investors.
An investment process offers a sense of engagement.
Frustrations
I’m really cautious about who to trust and rely on now.
Cannot cancel or return his online tickets in case of emergency.
Cannot cancel or return his online tickets in case of emergency
Existing User
Leo is an existing user, he already has some investments @ Ark7.
Leo
31 / Male
Age:
27 y.o.
Job:
Engineer
Location:
San Jose, California
Social Investor
Thinker
ISTJ
Investment savvy
Goals
Be kept informed of the latest news on the purchase of investment properties.
Opportunities to connect and share experiences/insights with other investors.
Mechanisms to provide feedback or input on property management to feel more involved.
Frustrations
Be kept informed of the latest news on the purchase of investment properties.
Cannot cancel or return his online tickets in case of emergency
Cannot cancel or return his online tickets in case of emergency
Define Our Goal
Assumption
Hence, I made two assumptions according to the feedback from marketing team and literature review of psychology of financial investment.
Existing users need more timely and transparent information on Ark7 and its properties and they hope to connect with fellow investors.
New users need channel to learn more about Ark7 so that they can build trust with the platform.
How Might We
Help different users to build trust @Ark7?
market RESEARCH
Market Research
To find out the solution, I conducted research about "how to build trust" and "what kind of transparent and timely info do they need".
The key insights found
were that . . .
Based on our market research, I find four key insights.
01
Interactive information boost sales
User engagement and participation play a pivotal role in fostering a dynamic and compelling sales environment.
02
User control prolongs asset retention
Users tend to hold the assets for a longer time when they feel they have the control and voice over the assets.
03
Community brings investment confidence
Connecting with fellow investors help users to make the investment decision as they feel safer to invest when they know that they are not investing alone.
After this, we make our design goal clearer:
How Might We
Build up an engaging experience for users to learn and invest with more confidence @Ark7?
Determination Features
Hence, we made two assumptions according to the feedback from marketing team and literature review of psychology of financial investment.
As a UX designer, I engaged in brainstorming sessions and collaborated with the product manager for proposal review. I crafted low-fidelity wireframes for each design direction, followed by a thorough evaluation aligned with client requirements and a leadership review. This process spans from initial ideation to detailed design, aiming to ensure our designs meet user needs while aligning with the overall project objectives.
Design Explorations
I explored 3 different design explorations, all incorporating the new features we decided on above. Each of these three explorations, to varying degrees, is designed to capture the user's attention, increase trust, and encourage feedback.
OPTION 1
Ark7 Club @ homepage
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
Design Highlights
Add Ark7 Club in the Tab bar at the top of the Homepage.
Combined with badge system, Webinar Hub, and Trending.
Pros
A conservative design solution,
Existing component,
Visual coherence
Cons
Too many new features crowd out the important information that used to be on the front page.
Finally, PM decided that News Feed was the ideal direction because it had a better sense of community and was more visually coherent than the other two solutions, and it wouldn't interfere with users reading other important content published on the Ark7 platform on the front page.
DESIGN RESPONSE
Solution
Features of the News Feed help users unite more effectively, continuously fostering confidence throughout their investment journey.
More user generated
The discussion groups and voting features enable users to better connect within the investment community.
More to explore...
Rich content attracts users, providing them with a deeper understanding of Ark7 and real estate, instilling confidence in their investment decisions.
People can see what other pp are thinking
The like and reply functions empower users to encounter a diverse range of perspectives, from relevant insights to more exploratory viewpoints.
User Flow
We created a user flow, enriching card content to enhance the reading experience on the platform, bridging the trust gap between users and the platform.
DESIGN & Iterate
Usability Test
We ensure the News Feed design is based on solid foundations through much testing with current and prospective users. We conducted usability tests with more than 10+ users during the process.
Iteration A: News Feed Card
1.0
The initial card title is visually unbalanced with the accompanying graphic and textual content.
2.0
The second version introduces the concept of 'tags' to help users quickly identify card content, but the repetition of content at the top and bottom creates confusion.
3.0
The final iteration features clear sections and content hierarchy, ensuring high readability and distinctiveness.
Iteration B: News Feed Flow
1.0
Round avatars can add a sense of community.
2.0
The official avatar is square, and the user avatar is round, which makes the interface more dynamic.
3.0
A square avatar gives a sense of authority and is a good way to show and help users to identify different types of property.
FINAL OUTPUT
Community Like
News
Feeds.
Features of the News Feed help users unite more effectively, continuously fostering confidence throughout their investment journey.
Property News
Through the continuous push of real estate news to help users build trust in Ark7.
Integrated space
We create an integrated space where users can share their ideas and get useful investment advice from their relationships.
Badge system
Ark7 Plus, Reginal Influencer, Investment Star…
For New User
Lack of trust?
We created a user flow, enriching card content to enhance the reading experience on the platform, bridging the trust gap between users and the platform.
1
Reading Property News
Ian came across the hottest property on the platform through the News Feed.
Intrigued by the beautiful photos, he clicked to view the property details.
2
Register Webinar
Ian registered for the webinar because he felt it would provide a better understanding of the property he would like to invest.
For Existing User
Inaccessible community engaging?
I enable users to see and interact with other users and feel that they are not alone in their investment, thus cementing trust.
1
Discussion Group
Leo invested Berkely-M1 last year.
He was notified about a discussion focused on the renovation.
He joined the group as he found like-minded individuals discussing investment strategies.
2
Your Investment Update
Leo found that the property he invested was set to be upgraded into an Airbnb with the efforts of the Ark7 team.
He is very pleased to see his investment being well-managed and recognizes its potential for appreciation.
More than these . . .
Lack of a platform with belonging?
I created a user flow, enriching card content to enhance the reading experience on the platform, bridging the trust gap between users and the platform. Community brings investment confidence
1
Let's vote!
Leo came across a poll about Ark7 team's investment preferences for the next year. He selected two cities that he personally favors.
2
Share Views
Leo shared his views on investment on the platform and received a lot of likes from many people.
3
Save & Hide
Ian is very interested in the property Berkely-M1; he clicked on the "Save" button.
What I've Learned
A good community feature can't be implemented in a short period of time, it requires continuous user testing and rapid iteration to push the design forward. Fast early iterations save time and team expense.
If we got more time..
After the initial release of the Ark7 News Feed feature, we considered exploring and iterating on the functionality, user flow, and interface to improve the sense of community. Exploring how to stimulate active user growth.
