/ Project Story

Backr.
Creating a one-stop solution to help small businesses get started in Australia.
(powered by CBA).

Lead Designer • Roam Digital

/ An Overview

Many aspiring entrepreneurs in Australia find the process of setting up a small business daunting and complex. With this in mind, our mission was clear: create a user-centric digital platform designed to guide small business owners through the essential steps to get set up for success.

As the Design Lead, I led the design initiative, collaborating with a multidisciplinary team that included; a Project Manager, x2 Product Designers, Lead Architect, x3 Frontend Engineers, and x1 Backend Engineer. My responsibilities included:

  • Setting the approach and coordinating all design activities to ensure a seamless and user-centric experience.

  • Developing strong, trusting partnerships with project stakeholders to align goals and expectations.

  • Planning and facilitating meaningful client touchpoints to gather insights and feedback.

  • Leading Discovery workshops to uncover user needs and business opportunities.

  • Conducting in-depth market research to inform strategic design decisions.

  • Exploring a wide range of innovative concepts to discover the best solutions.

  • Implementing a brand refresh to create a cohesive and visually compelling design direction.

  • Facilitating comprehensive customer testing to validate and refine designs.

  • Bridging the gap between design and engineering to ensure seamless implementation.

  • Owning the quality and delivery of the product, ensuring it meets user needs and exceeds expectations.

/ The Approach

Our journey began with a comprehensive 6-week Discovery and Branding Phase, where we immersed ourselves in exploration and creativity, laying the foundation for what was to come before transitioning into a focused 3-month Delivery Phase, guided by the agile framework. Here, our vision was transformed into reality through iterative progress

/ The Process

01.

Embarking on the Journey:
A Landscape Review

To kick the project off we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the Small Business landscape in Australia to provide the team with valuable context, identify gaps, and gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities available in the market.

02.

Understanding the Human Element:
Empathy Interviews

We conducted empathy interviews to gain a comprehensive understanding of the experiences, emotions, and motivations of small business owners in Australia. Our objective was to uncover the unaddressed needs, desires, and challenges they face when starting a new venture.

03.

Engaging Workshops to Explore the Problem Space

I coordinated and led a series of workshops with the goal of aligning our team towards a unified vision. These workshops encompassed the Product Vision, Product Goals, Value Proposition, and Opportunities. Through our collaborative efforts, we sparked inspiration and fostered meaningful discussions for the project ahead.

04.

From Ideas to Reality:
Concept Sketching and Prototyping

We engaged in a collaborative process of idea exploration, generating a diverse array of design concepts. After refining these down to two primary concepts, we crafted two low-fidelity prototypes and tested their desirability with customers.

Feedback was gathered from four participants who were in the process of setting up their own small businesses. We assessed whether the concepts instilled confidence in the participants, if they recognized the value of using the platform for business setup, their inclination to open a business bank account with CBA, and their willingness to pay for the services.

05.

Design Ideation

During ideation, we delved into customer insights from concept testing and explored various opportunities. Key ideas included:

  • Gamification Elements: Make the user experience more engaging.

  • Business Proposal Feature: Help on crafting a clear business plan.

  • Value Proposition for CBA Accounts: Highlight benefits of opening a business bank account with CBA.

  • Government Funding Resources: Educate users on funding options.

06.

Putting Ideas to the Test

Following ideation, we conducted a round of usability testing with four participants to evaluate the ease of use and user-friendliness of the features and functionalities we had developed. Building on the insights gained from this testing, we engaged in further ideation to enhance our product before moving into the exploration of a visual design direction.

07.

Blue Ocean Strategy

Using the Blue Ocean Strategy framework, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the digital banking product landscape. Our objective was to identify and evaluate the key factors driving competition within this space. This analysis empowered us to make well-informed decisions for a strong product-market fit. By exploring untapped market spaces and identifying unique value propositions, we aimed to create a differentiated offering that would stand out in the industry.

08.

Crafting a Narrative

In collaboration with another designer defining the brand, we spent three weeks crafting a brand for a successful and sustainable business. Our goal was to connect with the target audience, differentiate from competitors, and create long-term value for customers, employees, and stakeholders. From establishing the Brand Foundation with essential business insights to designing logos and visual assets, our focus remained on reflecting a brand ethos that engages our audience throughout the experience.

09.

Bringing Vision to Life

We crafted user journeys to outline all the core experiences for our Minimum Viable Product (MVP) before applying the new brand identity to detailed wireframes. This served as the foundation for us to begin fleshing out our design system, which would streamline the product development process.

10.

Focusing on What Matters

With core journeys fleshed out from a design perspective, we prioritised the features that strategically addressed the most important needs of Backr's customers. This approach aimed to maximize the likelihood of long-term success for the product. Working closely with engineering we

For an in-depth look at the project and its outputs, please click here.

/ The Outputs

  • A vision statement that not only inspires but fuels the passion of Team Backr, propelling us towards a shared vision of resounding success.

  • SMART product goals that highlight the path towards noteworthy achievements within a year's time

  • A value proposition that sets Backr apart in a crowded landscape, offering customers a compelling reason to embrace the brand over competitors

  • A blue ocean value curve, we pinpoint where Backr can flourish, finding its unique product-market fit in uncharted waters

  • A validated prototype tailored for Australian small business owners, providing a guiding light through the setup process, offering clear, user-friendly steps to get them set up for success.

/ The Results

  • Since its launch in September 2020, Backr has made significant strides in empowering new businesses. Within the first few months alone, Backr facilitated over 1,000 new business registrations, with an impressive 50% of those entrepreneurs choosing to open CBA Business Bank accounts through the Backr app.

  • In 2021, Backr was honored as a Good Design Award Winner, reaffirming its commitment to innovation and user-centric design.

“Super, super useful — wraps a lot of functionality and reference material and offramps to other locations in a meaningful, intuitive, simple way. Great navigation and wayfinding, and such a great pattern to use as well, i.e. like a ‘bureau’ over all the different services available. Illustrations are really on-point too - friendly without missing the tone of the subject matter. Great work.”

— The Good Design Awards Jury