Abstract
This chapter details the redesign process of the bank reconciliation interface of ContaAzul, an online cloud-based financial management software for small businesses in Brazil. The reconciliation is a feature that allows the user to import bank account statements and easily register them into the software, generating automated reports that help companies achieve their financial control. The research problem was motivated by use cases that were not covered in the studied version of this feature, as well as by recent technological advances. Interaction design was chosen as the project approach and Garrett's five planes as the methodology. As the final deliverable, a prototype was composed of static, bitmap screens, elaborated from a participatory design perspective. This research was developed as a course conclusion project in the Master's degree in Design Program of University of the Region of Joinville, Brazil. The first author of this chapter is also a design coordinator at ContaAzul.
TopBackground
This section contextualizes the field of activity of the ContaAzul company, discussing a brief profile regarding small businesses and banks in Brazil, which are, respectively, its clients and partners. Other topics covered here are the firm’s timeline, the features present in its software and the disposition of its design team.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Bill: A document that lists a purchase.
Internet Banking: An online interface offered by a bank that allows its client to consult and do transactions.
Bank Reconciliation: The task to relate the information present in a bank statement to the information registered in an enterprise resource planning software or similar solution, in order to facilitate the analysis of cash flow and business results.
Open Banking: A concept that comprises the use of APIs—application programming interfaces—that allow the user to own his or her own bank account information, connecting it to third-party applications to obtain products and services not usually offered by the bank.
Bank Statement: A document supplied by a bank that informs all of the transactions done in an account.
Bitmap: A graphic representation designed with aid of computer software.
Prototype: A mockup of a product or service, that helps with the evaluation of efficiency of a concept.
Cash Flow: A financial report that shows the input and output of money of a company.
Invoice: A document that lists a sale.
Product Manager: The person responsible for go-to-market initiatives and general indicators and vision of a product, being it tangible or intangible (software).