WenjuanZhou - Portfolio

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Service Design

for International Student Banking

Enhancing International Student Account Opening Experience

with AI, AR and VR Technologies.

Background

The UK is consistently increasing in popularity among international students.

82,440

EU students: 17,140

non-EU students:65,300

non-UK students enrolled in higher education in Scotland

Number of International Students in Scotland

Historical Number of International Students in UK

Countries of Origin of International Students in UK

The latest data shows that the total number of international students in the UK is 679,970.

There are currently 82,440 non-UK students enrolled in higher education in Scotland.

Figures quoted from Erudera (2023).

679,970

Service Design

I started this project from scratch, defining the problem, conducting user research, analyzing competitors, and creating service design strategies. I explored how AI, AR, and VR can improve the account opening experience for international students, addressing issues like language barriers and information gaps.

Type

Overview

Mar - May 2024 (3 months)

Timeline

Service Designer

Role

Service Design strategy

Responsibilities

Problem Statement

However, they often face many challenges

when opening a bank account.

International students face challenges such as language barrier, information gap, complex documents and processes, identity verification failures, and lack of financial knowledge when opening accounts with the Bank of Scotland. These issues diminish their experience and satisfaction. The Bank of Scotland needs to enhance its service design for a more convenient and efficient account opening process.

Why does my ID keep showing as invalid when I apply online?

I don't know the differences between account types,and

why don't I have the right to apply for a student account?

OMG！ I have no idea what the staff is saying.

Empathy

Understand students' painpoints and needs through in-depth interview

In order to improve the service experience, I conducted in-depth interviews with three groups with a large user base to understand their pain points and needs, such as EU students, Chinese students, and Indian students.

EU Student

Chinese Student

Indian Student

Elaine (Chinese)

mASTER sTUDENT

“Enjoy my study abroad time”

expectations

Complete the account opening process smoothly without any obstacles.

scenario

She failed to register online, so she chose to apply for a bank card offline.

Stages

Goals

Actions

Touchpoints

Emotions

Pain Points

stage 1

Information Gathering and Preparation

Gather account opening information

Prepare required documents

Bank website

School international student office

International student communities and forums

Need to query multiple sources to get accurate information

Numerous document requirements, easy to miss items

stage 2

Appointment and Consultation

Schedule an appointment for account opening (via website or phone)

Inquire about account opening-related questions

Bank website appointment system

Phone appointment customer service

Appointment system may not be user-friendly

Possible language barriers in phone communication

stage 3

On-site Processing

Visit the bank branch at the scheduled time

Submit prepared documents

Undergo identity verification

Bank branch

Bank staff

Finding the right branch and counter

Potentially long waiting times

Complex document review process

Possible communication difficulties

stage 4

Account Activation and Receiving Materials

Sign account opening agreement and related documents

Receive account information and initial password

Activate the account

Receive bank card and usage guide

Bank counter

Bank staff

Bank website or mobile app

Customer service hotline

Bank branch or postal service

Complex contract terms, difficult to understand

Potentially complicated activation steps

Guide content may be hard to understand

Long delivery time for the card

stage 5

Account Use and Feedback

Set up online and mobile banking

Start performing daily transactions

Provide feedback on the account opening process

Online banking and mobile app

Customer service hotline

Initial use may encounter technical issues

Unfamiliarity with functions, needing time to adapt

Key Findings

Information Gathering and Preparation

Hard to find the right information

Overwhelming documents

Complicated system

Language barriers

Appointment and Consultation

Finding the right branch

Long waits

Document review

Communication issues

On-site Processing

Complex contracts

Difficult activation

Hard-to-understand guides

Delayed card delivery

Account Activation and Receiving Materials

Technical issues

Unfamiliar functions

Ineffective support

Poor feedback

Account Use and Feedback

Competitive product analysis

Check how competitors handle the account opening process.

To further optimize the account opening service experience for international students at the Bank of Scotland, I have conducted desk research on the account opening processes of other banks, aiming to gain valuable insights and data support.

Advantages

Account Opening Guide

Standard Barclays Bank Account

Current account

HSBC Student Bank Account

Bank

✅

Need to improve

Global Network: HSBC has an extensive branch network worldwide, allowing students to open accounts in their home country and continue using them in the destination country.

Multilingual Support: Offers multilingual customer service and online resources to assist non-native English-speaking students.

International Student Accounts: Accounts specifically designed for international students, offering fee waivers and other benefits.

Fast Account Opening: Provides a simplified account opening process with online pre-approval, reducing wait times at branches.

Dedicated Student Accounts: Offers accounts specifically for students with waived fees and free overdraft facilities.

Online Booking and Application: Students can book account opening appointments online, simplifying the initial process.

Academic Partnerships: Collaborates with multiple universities to provide exclusive financial services and campus activities.

Fully Online: As a digital bank, Monzo allows students to complete the account opening process entirely online, without needing to visit a branch.

Fast Account Opening: The account opening process is very fast, typically taking only a few minutes, requiring just ID proof and a selfie through the app.

User-Friendly Interface: The app interface is simple and intuitive, providing a good user experience.

Real-Time Notifications: Users receive instant notifications for every transaction, helping them manage their finances effectively.

Comprehensive Mobile Banking: Provides a full range of mobile banking services, allowing students to open, manage, and transact through the app.

Fast Account Opening: The account opening process is quick and straightforward, requiring just ID proof and a selfie through the app.

Multi-Functional Accounts: Offers various features such as real-time transaction notifications, spending analysis tools, and savings goals, helping users manage their finances better.

Low Fees: No monthly account fees and low international transfer fees, suitable for international students.

Strict Document Requirements: Requires a large number of identity and address verification documents, which can be inconvenient for newly arrived students.

Limited Technology Application: While they have an online pre-approval system, they do not fully leverage AI, AR, and VR technologies to optimize the user experience.

Poor User Experience: The online system interface can be complex and not user-friendly, especially for international students.

Slow Customer Service Response: Customer service response times can be slow during peak periods, affecting the user experience.

Limited Multilingual Support: Mainly offers services and support in English, which might be inconvenient for non-native English-speaking students.

Lack of Physical Presence: Does not have physical branches, which could be a disadvantage for those who prefer in-person service.

Limited Language Support: Mainly offers services and support in English, which might be inconvenient for non-native English-speaking students.

Lack of Physical Presence: As a digital bank, it does not have physical branches, which could be a disadvantage for those who prefer in-person service.

Key Insights

Further Simplifying the Account Opening Process

Enhancing Technology Applications

Improving User Experience

Providing Multilingual Support

Strengthening Customer Service

Participatory Design

Identify stakeholders

We used a stakeholder map to identify all stakeholders (e.g., students, staff, and partners) and invited them to participate in the design process to better understand and meet their needs.

Primary

Skateholders

International Students

Customer Service

Representatives

IT Team

Bank Staff

Marketing and

Promotion Team

International

Student Office

Postal Services

Technology

Providers

Government

Agencies

Bank

Management

Secondary

Skateholders

External

Skateholders

1. Primary Stakeholders

International Students: Direct users of the account opening process.

Bank Staff: Handle document review, identity verification, and customer service.

Customer Service Representatives: Assist international students via phone, online chat, or other methods.

2. Secondary Stakeholders

Bank Management: Set up account opening policies and ensure service efficiency and satisfaction.

IT Team: Develop and maintain technical systems like online appointments, virtual assistants, and video identity verification.

Marketing Team: Promote account opening services to attract international students.

International Student Offices (at universities): Provide information and support to help students understand the account opening process.

3. External Stakeholders

Government Agencies: Regulate the bank's account opening process for compliance.

Technology Providers: Supply AI, AR, and VR technology support.

Postal Services: Deliver bank cards and related materials.

Participatory Design

Fostering creativity through collaboration

We held an interactive workshop, engaging all stakeholders (students, bank staff, international student office) in the design process to collaboratively find solutions. After introducing the project background, participants picked papers from the floor representing their perceptions of the Bank of Scotland's account opening experience and shared their reasons.Next, they joined a yarn-throwing game, creating a web by tossing yarn and answering questions. Finally, they worked together to place pens into three glass bottles, fostering creativity through collaboration.

Participatory Design

Service blueprint helps bank staff better understand and meet customer needs.

Finally, we compiled the results into a service blueprint, showing how AI, AR, and VR technologies can optimize the account opening process for international students. This improves service efficiency and user experience, attracting more student customers and boosting the bank's innovation and competitiveness.

Information Gathering and Preparation

Appointment and Consultation

On-site Processing

Account Activation and

Receving Materials

Account Use and

Feedback

Journey Phase

Customer Goal

Prepared the materials quickly based on the official information

Make a appointment

and communicate without barrier

Activiate the account successfully

Receiving help for problems and issues

Customer Actions

Actions that customers perform while interacting with a service to reach their goal.

Preparation

Authentication

The IT team develops and iteration exclusive projects for international students, multi-language support, and AI assistantsa'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a

The legal compliance team reviews content'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a

Marketing and event planning teams

continue to launch promotions

Social media and advertising management

Customer service and multilingual support teamxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

the technical support team maintains the system xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

the data analysis team collects

user query data and provides

optimization suggestions

Product development teams design

exclusive services and discounts

for international students

Compliance audit, data analysis Recommendation Algorithmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Recommendation Algorithmxxxx

Make an appointment

Gathering Information

Consult account opening questions

Visit a bank location

VR experience: Financial

knowledge and account opening

process training

AR brand&marketing Campaign

Submit Documents

Sign a contract

Activate Account

Receiving Letters

Accept bank cards

Set up online banking

Call customer support

Front Stage Actions

Front stage actions can be performed by employees or technology and assist the end-user actions.

Back Stage Actions

Actions that the user doesn’t see, but that are required to support their experience.

Training customer service staff to

use AI intelligent customer service

Marketing team promotes

AI assistant and reservation system

Supporting Systems

Anything that must exist
to support the actions and experiences above.

Channels:

Phone

Post Mail

Web

Mobile App

Documents

In Person

Physical Location

Support Multilingual and Launching AI Assistant

Launching a special program

for international students

Create a reservation system

Use AI Assistant to handle

common problems.

Use AI Assistant to recommend

Financial product

Use AI Assistant to Provide guidance（Material preparation, Document review, Activate guidance )

Use new account

Final Solution

Service Implementation

Exclusive International Students Program

Creating a specific program and account type for international students, rather than having them apply for classic accounts, will reduce their information gaps and confusion during the information search process.

Exclusive International Students Program

Application Guide

Information Gathering and Preparation

Providing Multilingual Support

Appointment and Consultation

AI assistant

VR experience: Financial knowledge training

On-site Processing

AI assistant

(Website/App )

Account Activation and Receiving Materials

AI assistant

(Website/App )

AR promotional campaign

Account Use and Feedback

Reflection

Insufficient consideration of human and financial investment costs

Website/App AI assistant

Offline Touch Points

Train users on financial knowledge and account opening procedures through VR experience

Integrate AI assistants throughout all user processes and end-to-end designs, so that new users can get guidance and help before opening an account,Especially when they submit errors on the website, they can get timely feedback and suggestions.

Provide more interactive experiences for customers offline, such as learning financial knowledge through VR to improve learning outcomes. Additionally, promote discounts for international students through AR to increase their participation willingness.

Although introducing AI, VR, and AR technologies can enhance the bank account opening experience for international students, significant human and financial resources are required for development, so the feasibility of the plan still needs to be evaluated.

VR Experience

AR Advertisement

Display interactive content and promotions through AR ads