Juni

Transforming concepts into high-value, impactful features

Juni is a Sweden based startup, providing an array of financial solutions such as credit, multi-currency accounts, and insights, all striving to offer a one stop platform for ecommerce businesses.

MY ROLE & SKILLS

UX Analysis & Research
UX Design
User Research
User testing/interviews
Personas
User Journey Map
Ideation & Validation
Prototyping
User Flows / Screen Flows
Interaction Design
Information Architecture
Wireframes
UI Design
Design System

Background

I joined Juni as the 43rd employee and 4th person in the design team when it was still a beta product. Since joining, through numerous changes, I’ve been part of two product teams (Insights team & Accounting team) each as a sole lead designer, shaping vague value propositions into fully developed, value-driving features that solve problems and attract new customers, positioning Juni firmly in the market.

PROCESS & OUTCOME

From a beta product with value concepts, I conducted extensive discovery research to identify market gaps and solutions. These were turned into tangible products tested for usability and delivered to developers, maintaining the high pressure and speed essential for a startup.

IMPACT

Day to day: from concepts to impactful features

Case study: Shopify integration

As Juni aspires to be a financial companion for ecommerce businesses, one of its goal was to provide the right insights for the users to be able to make the most impactful decisions at the right time. A key part of this involves integrating with popular storefronts like Shopify. Initially, we were unsure what value to offer through this integration—what data to show, what would be helpful, and what wouldn’t. My goal was to identify the most valuable offerings while maintaining the speed of a Minimum Lovable Product (MLP) and ensuring feature integrity.

Research method: Research heavy

Using the research matrix, I determined that this project will fall onto Research Heavy quadrant--since we knew providing Shopify integration is an integral part of Juni’s value offering, at the same time we did not know what problems and challenges we will have to solve.

Collaborating with my PM, we embarked on qualitative research to pinpoint these issues. Simultaneously, the tech team explored technical aspects to strike the perfect balance.

Desk research + Discovery interview

I began with thorough desk research, analyzing Shopify’s analytics to understand what our users are accustomed to. This was followed by in-depth user interviews, engaging both internal and external stakeholders to gather feedback on useful and less useful features.
We ensured our approach remained finance-focused, avoiding the pitfalls of becoming just another analytics tool.

This process enabled us to compile a list of features that align perfectly with Juni’s offerings, ensuring smooth and efficient financial operations for our users.

Wireframes to concept testing

With the problems identified and broad solutions in mind, it was time to translate ideas into sketches. I began by creating wireframes, which went through multiple rounds of internal user testing, technical feasibility assessments, and team discussions. Through these iterations, we clarified the solutions that would deliver the most value to users as an MLP.

Initial wireframes that were put through several rounds of internal testings and its evolution

Usability testing, refinement to delivery

After finalizing the solutions, I assembled the designs into a prototype and tested them with our customers to validate our assumptions. This feedback allowed me to refine the designs, finalize the user interface, and prepare the feature for development.

The prototype to usability testing logs, to refinement points, eventually leading to the final screen

Track & Improve

At handoff, we defined the success metrics for the feature to ensure we could track its performance post-release and verify it met user needs.

We collaborated with the Customer Service team to collect user feedback, reviews, and experiences. Additionally, we provided support to help customers get the most out of the new feature. This ongoing process enables us to make any necessary improvements after the release.

Shaping Juni

I have been involved in rigorous, fast-paced projects at Juni since before their beta launch. Being part of two product teams, I have navigated the challenges of startup growth and contributed to establishing Juni as a strong financial platform. As a result, I was able to watch Juni get 3 rounds of funding to grow into a firm product they are now!

Below are examples of products and features I helped shape from ideas to impactful solutions that address key problems and provide significant value.

Examples of Juni products and features I helped shape from ideas to impactful solutions.

Internal work and beyond

Vision to product launch

One of my key responsibilities as a design team member is to lead the product team, alongside the PM, in envisioning the team, product, and features for each quarter or year. This visionary work involves meticulous planning, brainstorming, presenting, securing stakeholder buy-in, and prototyping to share within the organization and with customers for concept validation. This process is crucial as it unifies the team, ensures safety, and fosters a strong bond, ultimately transforming ideas into real-life products.

Some vision work and prototypes I produced for the Insights & Accounting team, that eventually led to product development

UX artifacts: User personas, User journey map, Research report templates...

With a passion for shaping the UX foundation, I have taken on significant UX artifacts projects at Juni. Collaborating with our User Researcher, I’ve developed user personas and conducted user journey map workshops, integrating these insights into a comprehensive map that guides all projects at Juni. Additionally, I’ve created essential templates for the design team, ranging from interview notes to research report templates, ensuring consistency and efficiency in our design processes.

Working and contributing to evolving Design System

As a fast-growing product in a remote setting, our design team recognized the need for a dynamic design system to unify our diverse initiatives and designs. I collaborated with team members to shape and evolve our Design System from the beta launch through subsequent redesigns, ensuring consistency and cohesion.

An example of what I contributed to the Design system - our side panel pattern

Improvements to design team internally: way of working, structures, mentorships

As an active member of both the design and product teams, I played a key role in enhancing our workflows and structures. As the fourth member of the design team, I introduced ideas that significantly improved our processes, including work sync sessions, design critiques, and collaborative team meetings.

Additionally, as a senior team member, I mentored junior colleagues, bringing them up to speed, delegating tasks, and providing ongoing support, advice, and feedback.

Conclusion

Juni is a fast-paced startup fueled by passionate individuals dedicated to providing users with the best possible products in a competitive market. Over the past three years, I’ve been proud to be part of an organization that turns ideas into real-life products that meet customer needs, helping the company achieve its growth aspirations.

Robin Sieun Bae © 2024