Credit Card Terminal

Speculative redesign
  • Issue
  • Approach
  • Solution
  • Outcome

Issue

A credit card terminal at Whole Foods had jarring, confusing messaging that caused people to withdraw their card too quickly.

Approach

  • I interviewed the cashier and learned that this was an ongoing issue
  • I took a photo of the existing terminal
  • I scratched out some notes about what was missing, and what an ideal experience might look like
  • Then I opened Figma and got to work.

Solution

  • By informing users in non-technical terms what is taking place, I felt my new design removed some confusion
  • The addition of a status bar satisfies Nielsen’s first heuristic of interface design – Visibility of System Status
  • I used a lighter touch to reinforce the need to leave the card in the machine
  • A final message, friendly message adds a human touch and reassures users that things are moving along

Outcome

Speculative users found the updated experience clearer, reducing the chances of premature card removal,  and speeding up checkout times!

Overview

This credit card terminal at Whole Foods used confusing messaging. I decided to improve it.