Reimagining Buy Now Pay Later for Fintech B2C | Bajaj Finserv
01. Overview
This case study showcases how I balanced innovation with practicality within legacy banking systems during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discover the tools and processes to empower 45,000+ sellers all over India and design for 974K users every day through Bajaj Mall
Beyond Design Limits
02. My RoleAt Bajaj Finserv— India’s largest Non-Banking Financial Company operate with a lean digital team. I was a part of design team with 11 designers working on different business verticals. The teams handled both UX and UI for the mobile app and website, and my role often overlapped with Product Owners and Business Analysts.
What is an NBFC? A financial institution that offers financial services and products, but is not legally a bank. It is also known as non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs).
03. Key Challenges Breaking Legacy
Barriers
Challenge
Bajaj Mall relies on some outdated systems, which can limit our ability to roll out innovative ideas. My challenge was to create an engaging, well-branded web experience that is informative and persuasive for user acquisition & retention in Bajaj Mall.
Solution
To strike the right balance between constraints and creativity, I developed a UX Prioritisation Model. We start with baseline requirements to ensure core needs are met. Then, a small team explores innovative ideas without limitations. The game-changing concepts are shared with the wider group for consideration.
04. Primary Research + ContextualisationWhat is Bajaj Mall?
“Bajaj Mall is a hyperlocal network platform for 40,000+ stores that allows users to shop for electronics like smartphones, washing machines, refrigerators, etc. with no documentation, pre-approved loan limit, 0% interest rate
So what?
The average delivery time to buy a gadget in India (other than smartphones) is 10 -15 days. With Bajaj Mall, the delivery time is reduced to just ONE DAY with other additional benefits...
Pain points of the current process
After further investigation, I found three factors that needed to change
According to stats via Google, this version of the website has an 89% bounce-off rate 😬
Over 80% of users are visiting the site from their mobile devices and the site itself isn’t optimised for the mobile experience 🤕
The microcopies are confusing and jargony which is causing less trust in online orders 🥸
What will success look like?
An increased percentage 📈 in user acquisition and retention (customers applying for the EMI Network Credit Card and using it for multiple purchases), and a decreased percentage 📉 of user sign-in drop-off
A thousand minds,
one heartbeat
Challenge
Getting design approval was a complex process involving design leads, product owners, legal, tech leads, accessibility, and security teams. It was time-consuming, and the diverse feedback often added layers of complication.
Solution
I developed a set of principles to improve sign-off efficiency, enabling better time management and ensuring stakeholders receive maximum value with minimal time investment.
04. PROCESSChallenges Spark
Innovation
Inheriting a Pre-Designed Solution
We were handed a solution crafted by another team. This was both a hurdle and an opportunity. With fresh eyes, we could refine the design and spot areas ripe for improvement and Innovation
Challenges
Solution
The Discovery Sprint Process
To tackle these challenges head-on, I developed the Discovery Sprint process—a remote-friendly twist on the Google Design Sprint. This approach leverages asynchronous activities and digital tools to avoid the need for a full-week workshop. It ensures seamless collaboration across teams while fitting neatly into everyone's schedules, even with the quirks of remote work.
Key Features
Fully Remote: Every aspect is handled remotely—no office required.
Efficient Meetings: We keep meetings under an hour to respect everyone's time.
Pre-Reading Provided: Materials are shared beforehand so the team hits the ground running.
Structured Presentations: Team members present their findings and recommendations in allocated slots, keeping things organised.
Task Assignments: We assign tasks to individuals or small groups, promoting ownership and efficiency.
Design Process Overview
05. Design DiscoveryThe Art of Reduction
In this sprint, we honed in on the essentials. By focusing on the MVP, we ensured core needs were met and brought all stakeholders into alignment.
Discovery Sprint 1
UX Outcomes
Business Case: Covering viability, desirability, and feasibility.
Competitive Research, and Heuristic Evaluation
Elements of a scrollable-worthy landing page
Having a sticky header with the company’s logo and CTA
Having an intriguing headline that prompts the user to keep scrolling
Balance of photographs and illustrations/icons to convey meaning to programs
Some social proof such as ratings, testimonials, etc.
A “why” statement that embodies the mission of the company
Descriptive hero image so that a user can get an introduction on what to expect from the programs
Competitive Research
Heuristic Evaluation
We used Jakob Nielsen's 10 heuristics that are proven to be reliable in UX evaluation. At this stage, we had well-defined the issues and connected dots which the desired process flow. We understood the exact problems, current product version, branding, users and customer journeys.
06. Design EnhancementCreativity
Without Limits
In this sprint, we set out to generate innovative ideas that deliver exceptional customer experiences and uncover new business opportunities, all without letting technical limitations hold us back.
Discovery Sprint 2
UX Psychology Toolkit
UX Psychology Toolkit
Design Principle
Content Framework
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Present information to encourage positive action-like cashback upto 2,000 INR on sign up
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Spot patterns of spending and offer insights like lowest EMI, lowest downpayment
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Provide examples of similar users to help users make decisions
Solving Emotional Spending
Solving Busy Lifestyle & Procrastination
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Design interfaces that requires less or minimal effort streamlining user journey to simplify financial management decision.
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Keep users engaged by highlighting like creating an account and why E-mandate is essential to complete that journey thereby motivation them to take actions.
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Guide decisions towards buying product online after a credit limit check
Solving Lack of Financial Literacy
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Breaking down financial jargons into small digestible information to reduce cognitive load
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Highlight knowledge gaps and motivate users to fill them by offering content tailored to their needs
The iACT Formula To deliver concise content that packs a punch, I developed the iACT (Insight, Action, Consequence) formula, minimising time spent while maximising value.
Content Framework
Insight: Highlight the key observation.
“Protect Your Mobile”
Action: Suggest a clear and achievable action to address the observation.
“Available Extended Warranty Plans”
Consequence: Show the direct benefit or outcome of the action.
“Nationwide Repair Network”, “Coverage up to invoice amount”, “Dedicated Helpline” & View More Benefits
07. Design DisplayDesigning with a
“mobile-first” mindset
Execution
In addition to it being my first time working with a “mobile-first” mindset and my first time collaborating in real-time as a UX researcher. I learned a lot about social listening and carefully picked users to interview their experience on the platform. This made me create an organised and well-planned approach for deep-diving into the problems. My contribution towards conversations in the cross-functional team improved with more hands-on experience using Hotjar for tracking user journeys on the website. I noticed that only the Marketing team was using heatmaps and initiated to get access for my team. Heatmaps and video recordings were a game changer!
More clarity, more conversational content
Outcome
What is eMandate?eMandate is a digital payment service initiated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).So what?Indian businesses can collect recurring payments without the need for human interactionActionable Takeaway
3/5 users dropped off after this step because they were not sure what Mandate mean
Design Revision
We revisited the Mandate flow in the current process and then broke it down to what users can understand and make them to proceed towards next steps
Implementing Progressive Disclosure
Actionable Takeaways
5 of 5 users wanted more information about why or how an extended warranty works
4/5 users wanted to know more overview of how the warranty works
Make value props more concrete, unique, distinct to Bajaj Mall
"I didn't notice that it was warranty at first glance and I don't get how it would work. I'd browse through it pretty fast."
“This looks very confusing"
Design Revision
Focus on different ways to create a better information hierarchy and find creative ways to cover questions with progressive disclosure. We filled it with information that proactively answers the user’s questions about warranty
Anticipating more searches, More Product page views
Actionable Takeaways
5 of 5 users wanted more information about why or how an extended warranty works
4/5 users wanted to know more overview of how the warranty works
Make value props more concrete, unique, distinct to Bajaj Mall
"I didn't notice that it was warranty at first glance and I don't get how it would work. I'd browse through it pretty fast."
“This looks very confusing"
Design Revision
Focus on different ways to create a better information hierarchy and find creative ways to cover questions with progressive disclosure. We filled it with information that proactively answers the user’s questions about warranty
Having being a part of this mega 1 billion Dollar project's 18 Sprints, the project is going through an iterative design change, but we did it!
I completed 300+ user stories of the Bajaj Mall Landing Page Redesign as the UX Manager - Writing and researching of the project from the business side of the project.
If I had more time…
I would have dived deeper into the other areas of improvement that were listed in our takeaways.
My biggest challenge was…
Maintaining drive and proactivity to engage and Paragraph 1Maintaining drive and proactivity to engage and align all the stakeholders. align all the stakeholders.
My biggest takeaway was…
Effective cross-functional collaboration is essential for both project and product success. Setting clear expectations and priorities at the outset simplifies the project's trajectory.