Poof Pay
Role
Work + Skills
Product Design
& Marketing Intern
Timeline
Summer 2022, 9 Weeks
User Journey Mapping, UI/UX Design, Product Design, Comparative Analysis, Basic HTML Front-End Development, Brand Design, Social Media Marketing, Business Development
Introduction
As a startup, the Poof Payments digital platform and front-end interface was fully developed solely by the founder. When I was onboarded as a marketing intern, I noticed a learning opportunity for me to contribute my product design skills.
Because a seamless and intuitive user flow is essential for marketing and business development in terms of user engagement and usability, I created interface redesigns to improve the overall digital experience.
​
Since I started my internship, Poof has experienced such incredible growth, from <2,000 daily transactions to now over 10,000 – plus just ending the seed funding round!
I initially began with User Flow Mapping, to visually and holistically understand the user's journey with respect to each flow's main functionality. Noticing some possible misalignment, I created a new user flow map that could better streamline the user's navigation across Poof's varying products.
User Flow
Mapping
Comparative Analysis
Since Poof didn't have a substantial user base to access for user research, I instead focused on market research and comparative analysis to identify Poof's areas for growth and improvement. I took documentation of interfaces from Stripe, PayPal, Etsy, and more companies to pinpoint key elements that Poof lacked, and integrated those into my designs.
Designs
& Prototypes
Below are my Poof high-fidelity interface redesigns, one of which I was able to help develop using HTML. With my designs, I focused on a clean and simplistic layout that aligned with Poof's current visual UI theme.
Help Center
The Poof Help Center is where users access popular articles to help resolve their issues, or receive extra instructional support for performing specific actions. I aimed to make the help center more comprehensive and intuitive in the sense that users could access their needs more efficiently in a digestible way.
Checkout Integrations
Originally, Poof Checkout and Storefront settings were grouped together, which could be confusing for a user who mainly uses one of the products. Thus, creating a settings page specific to Checkout features was critical and helping users relevant tools without being overwhelmed and confused.
Previous Interface
Search Bar
Based on competitor analysis, the search bar feature is crucial for addressing user needs. It is one of the most often used functions since it's efficient and low-effort. I added this to the top of the help center for hierarchical purposes so that it would be the first point of access for the user's convenience.
​
Article Categorization
Since solely article titles can be overwhelming and confusing for the user, grouping them by category allows the user to more easily narrow down articles relevant to their needs.
​
Promotional Banner
Because the help center is a huge page for Poof's SEO traction, it was important to boost marketing and user conversion by adding a promotional banner. If new users often discover Poof through the help center, this banner will help guide them to sign up and use the product.
​
Get Support
In the previous interface, the idea of "submitting a request" could be confusing and unintuivie. By adding a clearer title with a clear call to action for the user to "contact us", this will improve the user experience.
​
Previous Interface
Because Form Fields, Physical Addresses, and Checkout Dropdowns were integrations only relevant to users who use the Poof Checkout product, consolidating these features was important in helping the user have a clear overview of their offered tools.
​
Additionally, I altered the previous plus icons so that there was also a description of what the user would be adding. I also included a more comprehensive layout so users would be redirected to the least amount of separate pages to complete a certain task.
​
I also included a Checkout Integrations navigation bar familiar in many other digital interfaces, to provide some direction and clarity to the user.
User Profile
The User Profile is an important access point for the user to alter aspects of their account, including password and profile picture. It also provides access to their personal QR code for receiving donations. Previously, there wasn't as clear hierarchical design, which could possibly be confusing for the user.
Previous Interface
I utilized more alignment and grid alignment to provide more visual hierarchy for the user. By having clearer boundaries, the user would be able to understand the interface in a more organized manner.
​
I also limited the amount of text in the profile so it could be less overwhelming and intimidating. I made the email, name and password more visually consistent, which could help the user process the information more easiliy.
Payment Integration
The Payment Integration Pop-Up is a method for users to link their external accounts in order to accept specific payment types for their business.
Previous Interface
I wanted to simplify the Pop-Up to be more straightforward and digestible for the user. Instead of utilizing "close" and "connect" button options, I simplified the actionable options by just having the "connect" along with an "x" to exit the tab if desired.
Because users might be concerned with providing their personal information without having clarity on its usage, I added an additional "?" button pop-up that would reassure the user that their private information would not be for any other purposes besides linking their account. This information is critical in affirming the user and ensuring their trust with the platform.
Storefront Settings
In addition to Poof Checkout, Poof's other product is the vendor Storefront. This acts as an interface for users to list their products, contact information, and customize their brand feel. Previously, the tools and settings access points could be confusing and unclear.
Previous Interface
I added navigation for product settings, full store preview, and storefront settings at the top of the page, along with social icons to the Storefront to provide clarity. Because the shown storefront display acts as a brief preview, the user flow might be clearer if the editable settings were outside of the preview. I also added a notification for users to receive extra confirmation when they made changes.
Thinking Back
& Looking Ahead
This was my first time interning for a startup, and it gave me so much insight into the startup process! Because it was a small team, I got to be super involved and contribute significantly to the direction of the company, the platform, and its growth, which is so rewarding.
I also got to engage in lots of different areas, such as social media marketing, business development & outreach, and HTML front-end development in addition to product design. This was such an amazing learning opportunity and I'm so thankful for this experience!