Dodl by AJ Bell is your easy-to-use, no-nonsense investment app
Year
2022
Client
AJ Bell
Project
Dodl by AJ Bell
Industry
Financial Services
What we delivered
User research, UI/UX design, Flutter development for iOS and Android
The Lowdown
AJ Bell is one of the leading online investment platforms in the UK. They provide customers and advisers with wide investment choice, low-cost, market-leading online functionality and first-class service to help them manage investment portfolios within SIPPs, ISAs and Dealing accounts. They are part of the FTSE 250 on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.
The Problem
AJ Bell wanted to introduce a new fintech mobile platform to make investing easy and less scary so they were looking for an app development agency that could help them identify and develop a mobile app that would really stand out.
This required an agency with the design and engineering expertise to deliver an impactful, user-focused, Flutter-based mobile app.
When they decided to work with hedgehog lab, developing a mobile app on Flutter (a new hybrid technology language) was one of the challenges the development team had to overcome to develop a cohesive and complete mobile app.
The Solution
Prior to this project, AJ Bell already had other investment apps that were mainly targeted at people who had a more advanced understanding of investing. However, Dodl is designed to help anyone invest, regardless of prior experience or investment knowledge.
That meant hedgehog lab’s UX research team, had to identify and better understand users' raw behaviours. The team carried out extensive user research which went beyond their recorded opinion as it observed people’s behaviors and prevented them from investing. That led to the understanding that the target audience was feeling overwhelmed by too many choices and proceeded to focus on improving their experience.
That was extremely crucial for the team to realise how the target audience might react to the potential design updates that were happening and work more confident and faster during the app development.
Features
Optimised onboarding journey - Simplified user experience with fewer steps for easy access
Guiding the user as much as possible by providing information while assuming they were new to investing
Invest in UK shares and funds with no fee for buying or selling
Transparency in the investment opportunities with easy-to-understand themed investment categories available to everyone
The app offered an enhanced user experience that followed brand guidelines in a smooth and uncomplicated design
Advanced analytics connected to AJ Bell’s MI systems for a detailed understanding of product experience
The Product
The new mobile apps for iOS and Android were designed and built on Flutter by our in-house developers and after meticulous testing, it was launched early April 2022 for iOS and Android, with a waitlist of nearly 5000 people at the time.
This brand new investment app is making investing easier for people who would have never thought about it and ultimately add to the growth of the economy as a whole.
Impact
Nearly 5,000 on the waitlist before it went live
More than 5,000 Android downloads in the first 4 months
Average rating 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google Store and 3.9 out of 5 on the App Store
High profile PR and social media launch
Recognition
Finalist for Best Fintech Innovation at the Prolific North Tech Awards 2022
Won Highly Commended shout-out at the Prolific North Tech Awards 2022
Finalist for Best App at the Northern Digital Awards 2023
Finalist for Best Mobile Initiative - Investment & Trading at the Banking Tech Awards 2022
Finalist for App of the Year at the UK Dev Awards 2023
