Objective:
When ZANE (then operating as RIGHT) approached us, they knew their app had potential, but users were struggling with it in ways the team couldn’t fully see. The goal was simple: get an honest, expert view of the current experience, figure out where it was falling short, and build a clear path toward a better product.

Methodology:
We started with a full UX audit. Ruthless UX team went through the app in detail, mapping out the user journeys, highlighting friction points, and providing practical recommendations for improvements, not just surface-level design fixes, but deeper usability adjustments.

The ZANE team took that feedback seriously. They went back, made the changes, and once the updated version was ready, we ran a usability study with 9 participants. Watching real users interact with the app gave us a second layer of insight, validating what was working, spotting new gaps, and refining the experience even further.

Outcome:
The findings from the audit and the usability study directly informed the next iteration of the app. ZANE launched a redesigned product that was smoother, clearer, and far better aligned with user needs. Instead of guessing at what needed fixing, they had a research-backed roadmap — and it showed in the quality of the final result.

This research project evaluated the present state of the Zane financial app and provided new insights to improve a) the app itself b) the outcomes for its users

Planning and Approach

We began with a UX audit to uncover usability problems and experience gaps. We agreed early on that this work needed to go beyond aesthetics. Our focus was to evaluate how the app supported key user journeys and where it might be falling short. Once improvements were made, we’d validate them through real-world usability testing.

Data collection

The research took place in two phases:

  1. UX Audit:
    We reviewed the app against usability heuristics and best practices, evaluating onboarding, navigation, interaction patterns, and overall flow. Each issue was documented with context and a recommendation.

  2. Usability Testing:
    Once the updated version of the app was ready, we conducted moderated usability sessions with nine participants. These were remote, task-based sessions focused on how real users interacted with the revised design. We observed behavior, captured feedback, and tracked points of friction and confusion.

Findings and recommendations

From the audit, we identified several core usability issues:

  • Onboarding lacked clarity, with users unsure what to do next after signing up

  • Key features were hidden behind non-intuitive navigation patterns

  • Visual inconsistencies created cognitive friction

Our recommendations focused on simplifying navigation, improving copy and prompts, and aligning interface elements with user expectations.

The usability study showed that most of the earlier issues had been resolved but revealed a few new ones introduced during the redesign. These included overly complex filters, some lingering confusion around language, and a few features users didn’t notice at all.

We delivered a concise findings report with prioritized next steps and design recommendations to guide the next development sprint.

Impact

The combination of UX audit and usability testing gave the ZANE team a clear, research-backed foundation for redesign.

The app launched with smoother flows, clearer copy, and a more intuitive interface and the team had confidence that their decisions were rooted in real user behavior.

Instead of guessing what needed fixing, they had evidence - and that made all the difference.