Inclusive Banking

Design thinking for Financial Inclusion of elderly in digital banking services in Urban India.

Thesis : IIT Hyderabad / Internship 23 : HDFC Bank

Process

Discover

Define

Develop

Deliver

Framing & Understanding the system 

Banking services in India 

Services overview 

(India)

HDFC Bank has more than 68 million customers, 6,378 branches across 3,203 cities and 18,620 ATMs across India. 

Technologies in digital banking

Overview of Banking services in India 

Cloud Computing

Internet of Things

Process Automation

Chatbots

Biometrics

Self-service Capability

Pilot Study

To understand the uses of digital banking and their experience.


Interviews

Age : 21 - 52

No. of Participants : 18 

Payments

UPI is mostly done using gpay / phonepe and not bank applications 


Payment wise usage :

Bank App Experience

Devices

Do not pay using alexa or other smart devices for payments (no trust on the system) 

Offline Banking

Rarely visit bank branch, only while applying for loans 

Opportunities

From the pilot study

Verify the opportunities

Literature Review : Problem and the proposed solutions

In a study, it was found that



Paper by Boston Consulting group

Strategies to assist seniors in embracing digital banking: 



Paper by Latinia Solutions


Services by NatWest and RBS Bank: 


'Digitalization for the elderly is  another step towards financial inclusion.'

-

Boston Consulting group

Financial inclusion major step towards inclusive growth which is one of the Sustainable Development Goals by United Nations.

Brief

Goal from the opportunities 

Design to make in the HDFC Bank digital banking services useful for elderly in Urban India and make UPI payments easy using HDFC Bank application.

Financial Inclusion 

Literature Review

Financial inclusion refers to efforts to make financial products and services accessible and affordable to all individuals and businesses. 

It strives to remove the barriers that exclude people from participating in the financial sector and using these services to improve their lives. 


It is also called 

inclusive finance. 


Financial inclusion can be achieved using the following:

Case Studies 

that demonstrate the inclusion of the excluded.

Doorstep banking service 


have already been mandated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for those above 70 years old to receive certain basic banking facilities at your home. 


The need of access and the hindrance of mobility of some of the elderly citizens is solved with this program. The ecosystem and network of stakeholders, functions and physical & digital infrastructure.


Access | Infrastructure | Technology

Bank in a box 


Micro ATM machine operated by IDFC First bank

agent, first introduced in June 2016.


The design solves a gap for the remote or rural

areas and increases the accessibility by serving

the excluded areas.


It reduces the need to open bank branch and ATM in these areas. It also provides an opportunity for the local vendors. It helps cash-out to be carried with ease.


The impact of the design is not only restricted to

a single use but also benefits the community and all the stakeholders as a whole.

Bank in a box 


Functions :

     • aadhar card

     • account number

     • registered phone number

     • ATM card number

Paytm Soundbo


The Paytm Soundbox was born out of the

personal experience of visiting the nearby small

business store.


Paytm’s Soundbox has played a pivotal role in

building trust in digital transactions as a safe and secure process. 


This is an example an user centric design that has taken the real story into consideration, to design a product for small businesses like a milk store. Observation and intuition plays an important role in designing for a change.

Rural Ageny Banking 


Agency banking uses bank agents or the ones associated with Agencies to provide services to the customers in remote and unbanked areas.


Advantages of agents in rural banking :

Access

Rural population gains access to banking facilities and services easily as there are many obstacles such as low knowledge of the culture and behavior, distance from cities, and cost.

Usage

Rural agents become a permanent solution for the rather impermanent nature of rural banking experience.

Financial Literacy

Rural agents can also conduct programs to increase the knowledge of individuals.

Financial quality

Rural agents enable banks to reach a wider population in low cost and better quality, hence fulfilling the needs of people in the rural area and achieving financial education.

Ecosystem map to understand the Rural Agency Banking

UPI 123Pay 


RBI launched this feature in March 2022 for the inclusion of feature phone users to further democratize the digital payment networks,

especially in rural India.

UPI 123Pay 

UPI payments have transformed the world of banking. It can primarily be used on the smart phones using the Internet. A feature like this, has included the non- smart phone users and geared up the innovation towards financial Inclusion.

Why design for the

95th percentile?


Universal Design not by intend, but by usage and functionality.

Sam Farber designed for his wife, Betsey, using a peeler with her arthritic hands. The peeler (OXO Good Grips) designed for 5th percentile, is proved to be ergonomically comfortable for all. 

Similarly, the typewriter / keyboard, audiobooks are among the innovations designed for the specially able but proved to be useful for all.

Interviews

of the target audience

Age : 60 - 77

No. of Participants : 28

They are the residents of Pune, Jamshedpur, Nagpur and Delhi in India. 

Primary requirements of elderly 

Reasons for not using Digital Banking :





3 types of users identified in the interviews :

Adapter


The elderly user who are smart phone users and use Gpay, Phonepe or other mobile payment platforms.


Out of 28 participants, 60%

Pro-adapter 


The elderly user who used most of the online banking services confidently. 


Out of 28 participants, 5%

Non-adapter


The elderly user who does not use online banking or payment services and in some use a feature phone. 


Out of 28 participants, 35%

Empathy Maps

Adapter

Says


We use Gpay / Phonepe / Paytm - mobile payment apps for regular payment as well as for checking bank balance. 

Does 


We uses Gpay / Phonepe / Paytm - online payment apps 

Thinks


Convenient 

Feels 


Secure 

I find bank application difficult to use. 

Does not use bank applications 

Bank apps are not useful as most of the needs are covered by online payment apps, missed call service and atm

Bank applications are complicated.

I could surely use bank apps if they are as easy as Gpay. 

Does not use bank applications 

-

Willingness to attempt 

Pro-Adapter

Says


Being a bank employee all my life, I often use netbanking, bank app, online payment apps for banking services and well for trading. 

Does 


Uses netbanking, bank app, online payment apps for banking services and well for trading. 

Thinks


He can earn from the profit from trading even after retiring before 10 years. 

Feels


Comfortable and confident using online banking and payment platforms. 

Also, I often teach others to use these platforms. 

Teach others to use these platforms. 

-

Happy to help 

Non-Adapter

Says


Afraid of loss of money in fraud, like we read about in the newspapers and whatsapp. 

Does


Does not use any online banking or payment platforms.

Thinks


Life savings will be lost if a fraud happens, that they are living on savings and not earning.

Feels


Fear more than awareness

My husband or son looks after the finances and banking requirements and, i don’t know much about it and don’t find the need to. 

Does not use any online banking or payment platforms. 

It is difficult to handle finances especially when we haven’t worked in the industry and have been housewives. 

Does not feel the need to use these platforms as someone else is adequately doing it for them. 

Uses feature phone and does not want to switch to smart phone 

Does not use smartphones 

There are others to rely on when it comes to banking requirements and hence, why bother 

Do not feel the need to get away form their comfort zone 

Personas

Adapter

Mr. Shekhar Joshi

Age 72

Retired Govt Officer 

Technology

Smart phone  

Persona

Shekhar uses online payment platforms like Gpay to pay for everyday requirements. He uses SMS / missed call banking for basic banking requirements like knowing the bank balance or details of last transaction. Writes pin numbers in a diary.


Pers

Motivations

Want to securely use online banking for ease, also needs to have confidence on the same. He requires the app to be easier to use. 

Goals

Would like to carry all the tasks on one platform, but needs to be secure and easy to use.

Visit bank branch only when required 

Frustrations

Banking applications are difficult to use. 

Opportunities

Easy to use banking platform 

Pro-adapter

Mr. Pradeep Tiwary

Age 70

Retired HDFC Bank Officer

Technology

Smart phone, Laptop 

Pro-adapter

Pradeep uses netbanking , mobile banking and online payment services for his regular banking requirements. Being a retired officer of HDFC Bank, he is well versed with the terminology and services provided by the banks. He also likes to adapt to new technologies, mostly as guided by his son. Uses Demat account for trading and income even after 10 years of retirement. 


Pro-adapter

Motivations

Goals

Wants to teach his wife to use basic functions on these platforms, who herself is hesitant to do so. 

Frustrations

His wife denies to use bank applications as she is afraid of making a mistake and loosing the money 

Opportunities

Non-adapter

Mrs. Ritu Tiwary

Age 65

Home-maker 

Technology

Smart phone

Persona

Ritu comes from a culture where women did not often work or engage in finances. Her son takes care of the finances and banking requirements for her. She uses the smartphone for calls, whatsapp and facebook. Does not shop online. As her phone is registered with the bank account, she receives SMS on bank balance. 


Pers

Motivations

They do not find the requirement to use any of the banking services as someone else takes of it for them. 

Goals

Money to be secure. 

Frustrations

Fear loosing money due to frauds as often mentioned in newspapers and as some of their friends have experienced. 

Opportunities

Aim

To help encourage elderly to use the bank application that will be beneficial for the bank and users.

Ideation 

Brainstorm > Affinity Mapping > Concepts

In the graphs above, x = Feasibility, y = Desirability

 1 

Device like paytm soundbox, for digital personal banking services for elderly in India 

 2 

Sessions by the pro - adapter like the retired bank employees to teach others to use the application.

 3 

Assistance on how to use application using constant onboarding or instructions, videos explaining features and assistance on video call 

 4 

Conversational UX :

Chatbot based service - 

regional languages and gestures of India 

 5 

User Interface designed for elderly in terms of visual design, navigation, etc

 

Print media communication design with an aim to increase awareness and not fear and to encourage 

 7 

Use of local crafts in visual design in the awareness campaign for financial literacy 

Final Concept

Bank Application designed for elderly 

Guidelines

UI guidelines of applications for elderly 

Reduce Users’ Cognitive Overload : 

Visual accessibility : 

Earn Users’ Trust : 

Seniors and Technology Experience : 

Benchmarking

of mobile payment platforms often used by the elderly and a bank app along with HDFC Bank.



Payments Journey, Navigation, Usability, Task Flow, Visual and Emotional Design.

Landing Pages

Landing pages will not be used only by the elderly but all users of the application, hence, they must be universally designed.

Pay options

Inference :

Information Architecture

of mobile payment platforms often used by the elderly and a bank app along with HDFC Bank.

Wireframes

Landing page, Home page & payment pages

Design System

Prototype

Landing page, Home page & payment pages

Link for the prototype

User Testing

Inference

Inference :

User Testing

Pain points

Scope of Work

Emotion and Value are to be build further. 

Faculty Guide : Prof. Saurav Deori

Internship : HDFC Bank


Industry Guide : Ms. Amisha Shah 

( Guide for projects at HDFC Bank other than the thesis project) These projects have contributed as major learning from the experience, that have helped me in the above project.