Building the Right Feature
How research guided product prioritisation by validating desirability and perceived value with real users
Client
Virgin Money | ME Bank | Bank of Queensland
Role
Lead Researcher | Product Designer
Scope
End to End Usability Testing | New Feature Recommendation & Iteration Based on Insights
Tools
Figma | Dovetail | Jira | Miro | Confluence | Sketch
Stakeholders
Development Lead | Product Team | Design Lead
/ Context
Frequent Payments, Friction-Filled Flow
The team identified a friction point for users who make repeat payments to the same individuals. The proposed Quick Pay feature aimed to simplify this by allowing users to save payment details and reuse them for faster one-off transactions.
<1
%
of all transactions are automated, highlighting heavy reliance on manual payments.
>99
%
of transactions are handled manually, creating friction and lost time in repeat payments.
50
%
of manual transactions are abandoned partway due to a clunky payment flow.
How might we simplify frequent payments to the same person when amounts or timing can’t be fixed?
/ Discovery
Validating Assumptions through Research
I planned and led end-to-end user research to test interest, behaviours, and usability for the proposed feature.
Participant Recruitment: Created screeners and recruited 6 participants through ChitChat.
Testing Set Up: Prepared Dovetail templates and moderation guide for consistent testing.
Moderated Testing for Real-Time Insight
I facilitated all sessions and gathered qualitative feedback to understand:
- How often users repeat payments and to whom.
- What features they value in managing payees.
- Their concerns about saving payment data.
Prototyping: Designed alternative flows in Figma to evaluate usability and gather user feedback.
Synthesis
Post-research, I tagged and analysed insights in Dovetail, validating hypotheses and surfacing new needs. The user research revealed several insights that shifted our focus:
Recent Payees Over Favourites
Theme
“I don’t want to create favourites. I just want the app to remember who I paid last time.”
User Feedback
The Rise of PAYID
Theme
“I use PAYID almost every time, have to enter it every time I send money. It would be much easier if I could just save it like a regular account.”
User Feedback
Variable Payment Patterns
Theme
“I like the idea of saving the person’s details, but I don’t always send the same amount. I’d rather just see my recent payees.”
User Feedback
Users didn’t perceive strong value in the proposed Quick Pay feature. The time savings were minimal compared to their usual flow, and since these payments weren’t frequent, the extra steps didn’t feel burdensome. Instead, users preferred the ability to pin favourite payees within the address book for quicker access when needed.
Stakeholder Collaboration: I then worked closely with stakeholders to align expectations and secure buy-in.
/ Design
Pivoting Based on Real User Needs
Research revealed that users didn’t want to save fixed payments or create favourites. They simply wanted the app to remember who they paid last.
This led us to shift focus from the proposed Quick Pay to enhancing the Recent Payees feature within the Address Book—creating a more flexible and intuitive flow.
/ Impact
Increased Efficiency
Users could now easily access recent payees, reducing time spent re-entering details and making transactions smoother.
Boost in PAYID Usage
The ability to save PAYID info improved user engagement and consistency in usage.
Higher User Satisfaction
Usability testing revealed strong user interest in the improvements, particularly the ease of finding and using recent payees—pointing to a smoother, more intuitive payment flow.
/ Reflection
Navigating Stakeholder Expectations
With varied perspectives and limited product context in the room, I led with research-backed recommendations that balanced user needs with business priorities. By grounding decisions in evidence, I helped align stakeholders and bring clarity to the path forward.
Doing More with Less
I piggybacked on an existing usability study, slotting this feature in to gather key insights—ensuring we stayed evidence-led, resource-savvy, and on schedule.
Maturing Research in Agile Teams
This case helped elevate research maturity—demonstrating that good insights save time and guide smarter product decisions.
Building the Right Feature
How research guided product prioritisation by validating desirability and perceived value with real users
Client
Virgin Money | ME Bank | Bank of Queensland
Role
Lead Researcher | Product Designer
Scope
End to End Usability Testing | New Feature Recommendation & Iteration Based on Insights
Tools
Figma | Dovetail | Jira | Miro | Confluence | Sketch
Stakeholders
Development Lead | Product Team | Design Lead
/ Context
Frequent Payments, Friction-Filled Flow
The team identified a friction point for users who make repeat payments to the same individuals. The proposed Quick Pay feature aimed to simplify this by allowing users to save payment details and reuse them for faster one-off transactions.
<1
%
Complex Products, 3 Brands, 2 Platforms
>99
%
of transactions are handled manually, creating friction and lost time in repeat payments.
50
%
of manual transactions are abandoned partway due to a clunky payment flow.
How might we simplify frequent payments to the same person when amounts or timing can’t be fixed?
/ Discovery
Validating Assumptions through Research
I planned and led end-to-end user research to test interest, behaviours, and usability for the proposed feature.
Participant Recruitment: Created screeners and recruited 6 participants through ChitChat.
Testing Set Up: Prepared Dovetail templates and moderation guide for consistent testing.
Moderated Testing for Real-Time Insight
I facilitated all sessions and gathered qualitative feedback to understand:
- How often users repeat payments and to whom.
- What features they value in managing payees.
- Their concerns about saving payment data.
Prototyping: Designed alternative flows in Figma to evaluate usability and gather user feedback.
Synthesis
Post-research, I tagged and analysed insights in Dovetail, validating hypotheses and surfacing new needs. The user research revealed several insights that shifted our focus:
Recent Payees Over Favourites
Theme
“I don’t want to create favourites. I just want the app to remember who I paid last time.”
User Feedback
The Rise of PAYID
Theme
“I use PAYID almost every time, have to enter it every time I send money. It would be much easier if I could just save it like a regular account.”
User Feedback
Variable Payment Patterns
Theme
“I like the idea of saving the person’s details, but I don’t always send the same amount. I’d rather just see my recent payees.”
User Feedback
Users didn’t perceive strong value in the proposed Quick Pay feature. The time savings were minimal compared to their usual flow, and since these payments weren’t frequent, the extra steps didn’t feel burdensome. Instead, users preferred the ability to pin favourite payees within the address book for quicker access when needed.
Stakeholder Collaboration: I then worked closely with stakeholders to align expectations and secure buy-in.
/ Design
Pivoting Based on Real User Needs
Research revealed that users didn’t want to save fixed payments or create favourites. They simply wanted the app to remember who they paid last.
This led us to shift focus from the proposed Quick Pay to enhancing the Recent Payees feature within the Address Book—creating a more flexible and intuitive flow.
/ Impact
Increased Efficiency
Users could now easily access recent payees, reducing time spent re-entering details and making transactions smoother.
Boost in PAYID Usage
The ability to save PAYID info improved user engagement and consistency in usage.
Higher User Satisfaction
Usability testing revealed strong user interest in the improvements, particularly the ease of finding and using recent payees—pointing to a smoother, more intuitive payment flow.
/ Reflection
Navigating Stakeholder Expectations
With varied perspectives and limited product context in the room, I led with research-backed recommendations that balanced user needs with business priorities. By grounding decisions in evidence, I helped align stakeholders and bring clarity to the path forward.
Doing More with Less
I piggybacked on an existing usability study, slotting this feature in to gather key insights—ensuring we stayed evidence-led, resource-savvy, and on schedule.
Maturing Research in Agile Teams
This case helped elevate research maturity—demonstrating that good insights save time and guide smarter product decisions.
Building the Right Feature
How research guided product prioritisation by validating desirability and perceived value with real users
Client
Virgin Money | ME Bank | Bank of Queensland
Role
Lead Researcher | Product Designer
Scope
End to End Usability Testing | New Feature Recommendation & Iteration Based on Insights
Tools
Figma | Dovetail | Jira | Miro | Confluence | Sketch
Stakeholders
Development Lead | Product Team | Design Lead
/ Context
Frequent Payments, Friction-Filled Flow
The team identified a friction point for users who make repeat payments to the same individuals. The proposed Quick Pay feature aimed to simplify this by allowing users to save payment details and reuse them for faster one-off transactions.
<1
%
of all transactions are automated, highlighting heavy reliance on manual payments.
>99
%
of transactions are handled manually, creating friction and lost time in repeat payments.
50
%
of manual transactions are abandoned partway due to a clunky payment flow.
How might we simplify frequent payments to the same person when amounts or timing can’t be fixed?
/ Discovery
Validating Assumptions through Research
I planned and led end-to-end user research to test interest, behaviours, and usability for the proposed feature.
Participant Recruitment: Created screeners and recruited 6 participants through ChitChat.
Testing Set Up: Prepared Dovetail templates and moderation guide for consistent testing.
Moderated Testing for Real-Time Insight
I facilitated all sessions and gathered qualitative feedback to understand:
- How often users repeat payments and to whom.
- What features they value in managing payees.
- Their concerns about saving payment data.
Prototyping: Designed alternative flows in Figma to evaluate usability and gather user feedback.
Synthesis
Post-research, I tagged and analysed insights in Dovetail, validating hypotheses and surfacing new needs. The user research revealed several insights that shifted our focus:
Recent Payees Over Favourites
Theme
“I don’t want to create favourites. I just want the app to remember who I paid last time.”
User Feedback
The Rise of PAYID
Theme
“I use PAYID almost every time, have to enter it every time I send money. It would be much easier if I could just save it like a regular account.”
User Feedback
Variable Payment Patterns
Theme
“I like the idea of saving the person’s details, but I don’t always send the same amount. I’d rather just see my recent payees.”
User Feedback
Users didn’t perceive strong value in the proposed Quick Pay feature. The time savings were minimal compared to their usual flow, and since these payments weren’t frequent, the extra steps didn’t feel burdensome. Instead, users preferred the ability to pin favourite payees within the address book for quicker access when needed.
Stakeholder Collaboration: I then worked closely with stakeholders to align expectations and secure buy-in.
/ Design
Pivoting Based on Real User Needs
Research revealed that users didn’t want to save fixed payments or create favourites. They simply wanted the app to remember who they paid last.
This led us to shift focus from the proposed Quick Pay to enhancing the Recent Payees feature within the Address Book—creating a more flexible and intuitive flow.
/ Impact
Increased Efficiency
Users could now easily access recent payees, reducing time spent re-entering details and making transactions smoother.
Boost in PAYID Usage
The ability to save PAYID info improved user engagement and consistency in usage.
Higher User Satisfaction
Usability testing revealed strong user interest in the improvements, particularly the ease of finding and using recent payees—pointing to a smoother, more intuitive payment flow.
/ Reflection
Navigating Stakeholder Expectations
With varied perspectives and limited product context in the room, I led with research-backed recommendations that balanced user needs with business priorities. By grounding decisions in evidence, I helped align stakeholders and bring clarity to the path forward.
Doing More with Less
I piggybacked on an existing usability study, slotting this feature in to gather key insights—ensuring we stayed evidence-led, resource-savvy, and on schedule.
Maturing Research in Agile Teams
This case helped elevate research maturity—demonstrating that good insights save time and guide smarter product decisions.