AXIS ORBIT
OVERVIEW
Axis Bank is India’s third-largest private sector bank, offering a full spectrum of financial services across retail, SME, and corporate banking. Neo for Corporates is Axis Bank’s unified digital banking platform - empowering it's current account holders to manage their financial operations efficiently and seamlessly from a single platform.
Built as a part of Neo for Corporates, Axis Orbit is a beyond-banking platform made for small and medium-sized enterprises to streamline and efficiently manage their financial operations.
ROLE
Product Designer
TEAM
2 PMs, 2 Designers, 8 Engineers
YEAR
2023 - Present
THE CHALLENGE
With the initial onboarding of catering businesses through an external vendor, it presented a problem packed with cross-product integration and timely updates. With the aim to build an in-house alternative, arose the question: How might we help small and medium-sized businesses keep their operations running smoothly while staying in sync with their financial activities?
THE SOLUTION
A highly tailored business management platform that enables SME owners to take informed decisions and actions towards their goals while staying connected to banking services.
COMPETITORS
To establish a value proposition through market research, I identified the key players and their business management tools.
STRENGTHS
Extensive and customizable tools and functionalities
Task automation
Useful analytics aiding revenue generation
Responsive design - optimized for all viewing platforms
Third-party integrations
WEAKNESSES
Steep learning curve for new users
Limited payment and banking service offerings
Poor/non-existent customer support
USER GOALS AND PAIN POINTS
To understand how we could best tackle and bridge gaps in the existing market, I conducted interviews and collected insights from various small businesses in my locality and within my circle of friends. Within this user group, I identified and synthesised the following insights:
Lack of Centralization
Users feel it to be frustrating to have to go to multiple platforms to manage and keep track of their businesses.
Too Much Information
The vast number of metrics and options shown to the user often confuses them in deciding what to prioritize in order to take decisions.
Missing Out on Important Tasks
Users often miss out on important tasks such as restocks or payment due dates.
Time Taking Tasks
Users find it time-consuming and exhausting to input data and sync real-time values with the business management products.
INTERVENTION AREAS
Guided by UX research, we turned the found insights to actionable opportunity areas for our designs.
Part of a Whole
Keep the solution part of an existing banking umbrella so users can make use of multiple services aiding business management.
Only that's Necessary
Identify and implement only the mostly used and useful features as an MVP.
Keep it Precise
Identify and stick to only the useful and major metrics that are beneficial for the user.
Reminders and Notifications
Incorporate reminders and notifications for important tasks that need attention.
Least Task Completion Time
Keep every journey simple and concise, with minimum time taken to complete any task.
Maximum Automation
Facilitate maximum automation to keep records on track without much manual effort by the user.
THE APPROACH
The development process of Axis Orbit was divided into module-wise two-week sprints. With the actionable insights and opportunities in hand, we devised a few touch points to be followed along with the provided requirements, while designing.
Keep it simple and relatable to evoke confidence
Simplify journeys for the least task completion time
Make it equally compelling for both new and existing users
IDEATION
The development process of Axis Orbit was divided into module-wise two-week sprints. With the actionable insights and opportunities in hand, we devised a few touch points to be followed along with the provided requirements, while designing.
