Case Studies
Profits & the Planet
Grow your wealth while making a positive sustainable impact with Ethos.
Building on insights from Research team’s (Leena) Horizon study in the BFSI sector, this project was spearheaded by Arya Chutke with guidance from Sukhbir Singh, Rajesh Ghodke, and Sunita Das.
Challenge
Bringing innovation to a saturated field like financial technology while focusing on sustainability.
High level goals
- Make sustainable investing accessible and user-friendly for all.
- Bridge the gap between investor values and sustainable company performance.
- Differentiate in a crowded market.
- Measure and showcase sustainable impact.
- Drive user engagement.
- Encourage sustainable FinTech innovations benefiting businesses, investors, and the planet.
Project Approach
From definition to delivery
Alignment with Research Team
To ensure we stay ahead of the curve, we collaborated closely with our research team. Through in-depth discussions and analysis, we gained a comprehensive understanding of current trends in financial technology, allowing us to strategically position our offering within this ever-evolving space.
Insights from Secondary Research
- In order to sustain in the market, brands need to advocate for social and environmental causes that their consumers believe.
- Mainstream investors are now shifting to sustainable forms of investment.
- ESGs or Environmental, social, and corporate governance goals are a critical factor for India’s growth story. There is a lot of investment opportunity in this space.
- Sustainability is becoming an intended outcome across diverse development goals.
- There is a rise of the investor class of technology savvy professionals who prefer digital & personalized advice for managing their investments.
- Millennials are already starting to financially plan to save up for a post retirement life in order to become self-reliant.
Empathising with the Market (Benchmarking)
In order to develop a truly impactful solution, we conducted a thorough benchmarking exercise. This involved analyzing the current landscape of sustainable FinTech, specifically how existing players are approaching sustainability and the challenges they face. This research provided valuable insights that helped us identify gaps in the market and shape our app’s unique approach to sustainable investing.
Empathising with the Potential Users (User Interviews)
We interviewed eight individuals with backgrounds in finance and the stock market (four from each persona type). They provided some insightful details that would facilitate the process of designing in the future.
Interview Insights
- Market trends indicate a growing interest in sustainable investing, with an increasing number of users seeking investment options aligned with environmental and social values.
- Some prioritize sustainability alongside financial returns, while others may need to be convinced of its value.
- Users appreciate the ability to customize their investment strategies based on both financial and sustainability preferences.
- They express a desire for educational resources within the app to enhance their understanding of the company, its sustainability metrics, and how they impact stock selection.
- Some users are well-versed, while others might require educational resources to understand the impact of sustainability metrics on stock selection.
- Because there is no information regarding the abbreviations in the present apps, it is difficult for new users to grasp them.
User Persona
We interviewed eight individuals with backgrounds in finance and the stock market (four from each persona type). They provided some insightful details that would facilitate the process of designing in the future.
User Journey Mapping
A user story is a concise description of a feature from an end user’s perspective, outlining what they need to accomplish and why. It helps prioritize development tasks and ensures alignment with user needs and goals.
Design Philosophy
- Information should be concise, clear, and not overwhelming.
- Group information intuitively.
- Clear information hierarchy.
- Less clicks to reach the goal.
- Meaningful use of visual elements for clear communication.
- Transparent communication about the impact of each investment.
App Features
Information Architecture
Wireframes
Low-fidelity wireframes were created to provide a basic visual representation of the app’s layout and functionality, focusing on structure and content placement rather than detailed design elements.
Visual Direction
App Details
Design Explorations
App Screens
App Details
App Name and Logo
We chose “Ethos” as the name for our sustainable investment app because it embodies the very core of what we strive to achieve. “Ethos” refers to the fundamental beliefs and values that guide a person. In our case, it reflects the values-driven approach to investing that our app empowers. This short, memorable name conveys a sense of responsibility and aligns with the modern, tech-savvy audience we aim to empower.
Style Guide
We maintained a consistent style throughout the project to create a seamless and intuitive user experience.
To streamline our development process and ensure design consistency, we built a comprehensive component library. This centralized repository houses reusable UI elements like buttons, forms, cards, and navigation, allowing developers to easily implement these components across the entire project.