Transforming the payment experience

Launched by Barclays, this project aims to create a new ‘contactless’ payment method within a corporate campus. The innovation plays a very important role in the experience of payment and the ‘contactless’ systems, which are becoming an alternative to a traditional tangible representation of value. Thus, the design of a system that could improve the payment experience within the payment Corporate campus and that changed the perspective and behaviour within the corporative culture.

‘Click’ is a device that provides a new convenience that facilitates new payment methods. It has three primary functions: “invisible money” transition; enterprise campus rewards system; an exchange of information method among workers. Is a device that allows better social interaction and ease of communication. It also allows the management of personal expenses through a mobile application which is synchronized with the ‘Click’.

The project outline was to study contactless payment methods in corporate campus. It was to discover how the old as well as existing systems for payments are being replaced by new contactless systems and technology. How innovation is playing a major role in the payment experiences and how contactless payments systems are becoming an alternative to traditional tangible representations of value.

We had to design a system which could enhance the experience of payments inside a corporate atmosphere and how this system can change the perceptions and behavior inside a corporate culture.

For this process, we decided to start by understanding how technology can be incorporated into the daily life of people working in a corporate campus and how would it change their interactions and ease their experiences in terms of payments. At the same time, it was important to understand what is missing in the existing systems and what issues are faced in the current payment methods.

The whole concept was not about solving the current problems and improve the status quo, was about proposing design solutions for future scenarios taking into consideration the experiences with tangibility, materiality communication and trust that prevails in the corporate society in terms of payment methods.

We carried out the desk research into two stages. Our first objective was to understand what exactly did a corporate campus consist of?

We studied various corporate campuses all over the world and considered what they offered, how they functioned and the scale of the campus. We also interview some workers to understand the work atmospheres in their companies and what they would like to change if given an opportunity. This helped us to understand the past and the existing scenario on the relationship between payments and corporate campuses.

Apart from corporate campus, we also researched about the prevailing systems of payments and considered what existed in past. How payments were made and how would the contactless payments and methods of payments be in the future. We looked more in futuristic technology and reasons for the development.

Then, we researched into consumer adaptation to new methods and their reviews and critics on futuristic technology specifically in the field of wearable devices. We considered existing and proposed wearable devices in terms of contactless payments and how they worked.

The desk research helped us to make our research foundation strong and develop a methodology for the new technology we were supposed to design.

For the engagement with the user, we designed tools for several different scenarios.

We designed single question cards with quick-and-easy questions like “How Do You Spend Your Break Time?”. These cards were handy to use in places like the entrances to the campuses we went to visit as people coming and going there were reluctant to stop for longer than a minute or so. This gave us an insight into specific moments of the typical campus day as well as allowing us to observe campuses first hand.

We also designed a questionnaire in the shape of a foldable wallet with the intention of understanding the transaction moments. We handed these out in campus canteens and outside the library of the University of Glasgow, places where people generally happy to stop for a little bit longer and talk to us. This allowed us to have a better overview of interconnected questions and to look for patterns in behaviours.

As we were in contact with people around the world, in several different campuses of our interest, we designed an online survey based on the wallet design. The questions were similar and centred around transaction moments on campus. The response was good and provided a lot of the material that we used to develop our insights and opportunities.

Trust

In order to be ale to trust new payment methods, they should provide an unique value proposition not only in terms of finance but also for security and accessibility.

Convenience

To integrate a system that provides accessibility to facilities, convenience to support daily life routine within the corporate campus and simplifies bank transfers.

Interaction

Create a new system that facilitates the communication and work. Not just a payment method, but also a physical exchange between users.

Security

Security procedures are often seen as an inconvenient, time consuming and frustrating.

The click is a device that provide new convenience to facilitate new payment methods. It has 3 primary functions:

Invisible cash transaction
Corporate campus rewarding system
Exchange of company personal data

The new convenience allows the seamless exchange among colleagues and top management. It is a device that will improve social interaction and facilitate communication. It can also help manage personal expenditure with the help pf the software (App) that synchronize with Click.

This new contactless payment device is a must have in a corporate campus environment. A proposed symmetrical shape was developed. It reflects the sophisticated and a complex, yet professional, working attitude in a corporate environment. The top 3 angles define corporate benefit and protection of our welfare whereas the bottom 3 angles are the empowered authority within our capability.