About DBT Capital

DBT offers growth loans to small and medium-sized enterprises. DBT relies on accounting data to make well-informed decisions when analyzing companies' financial situations. Through their customer portal, clients can share accounting data, schedule meetings with their account managers, see frequently asked questions, and manage their accounts.

The problem

Customers were unable to navigate through the flow to share accounting data. This was a significant issue as DBT's business model relies on customers sharing their accounting data, preferably by integrating their ERP system. Besides the unclear workflow, the portal did not provide enough value to entice customers to log in.

The project

My mission was to enhance the accounting data flow to encourage more customers to share. In discussions with customer managers, we also identified a need among customers to be able to access and view their loans and invoices themselves.

Evaluation

I evaluated the portal based on design principles and identified the following issues:
  • Spacing and layout not according to best practice
  • Inconsistent design patterns
  • Low feasibility
  • Insufficient contrast, making it inaccessible
  • No error messages
  • Excessively long and unclear texts
  • Unclear icon library

Creating new design

With a clear picture of the problem, I started creating wireframes for a new accounting data flow. My goal was to improve the flow by adding consistent user feedback and by restructuring the layout to create a clearer visual hierarchy. In addition, I created wireframes of two new modules that would deliver more value to the customer

Usability Test

I developed prototypes and tested the new accounting data sharing flow with five users. The tests resulted in iterating on the text, shortening it and making sure there was no room for misinterpretation. We also realized that the icons needed to change, as the style of the chevrons did not convey clickability, making the users miss important information.

The Solution

Sharing accounting data became simpler as new error messages empowered customers to manage errors on their own, reducing the need to wait for assistance from client executives. The new design contributed to customers successfully sharing accounting data.

Besides the accounting data flow, two new modules gave the customer an overview of their loans, allowing them to see repayment dates, current debt, and interest rates. It also gave an overview of the customer's invoices, as customers often have multiple loans. The invoice overview included details such as: notified, overdue, or paid. Customers now had more reasons to visit the portal.