Problem
Legacy portal complexity created support call surges (61% regarding transaction status) and deterred younger investors.
Phillip Capital
Modern mobile investing for a SEBI-registered brokerage, built for a younger investor.
Overview
The Project
Phillip One is the mobile investing app for Phillip Capital India, a SEBI-registered full-service brokerage with operations across equities, mutual funds, and derivatives. The product brief was to build a clean, modern investment interface that could attract a younger, digitally native investor segment while remaining compliant with SEBI regulations. I was brought in as the UX/UI lead for the initial release, responsible for the portfolio overview, transaction flows, SIP management, and onboarding experience.
The Challenges
What We Set Out To Solve
Investment apps sit at an awkward intersection: users need access to large amounts of data, but too much data creates paralysis. Phillip Capital’s existing web portal was built for professional traders — it had every feature imaginable but required a two-hour orientation for a new user. The brief was to create a mobile-native experience that served the most important 20% of use cases for 80% of users while integrating SEBI-mandated disclosures seamlessly.
Solution
A goal-led mobile application providing transparent portfolio performance, simplified SIP management, and compliant SEBI disclosures.
Outcome
61% drop in transaction-related support calls, 2.8x higher SIP registrations, and 28% adoption from younger investors.
Research
Understanding the Users
Analysis of call centre logs revealed that 61% of support tickets stemmed from post-investment confusion (e.g., pending order states, SIP execution status). Interviews with retail investors aged 26–45 indicated that users think in goals rather than asset classes, prompting a pivot in information architecture.
Research Focus
- SEBI compliance requirements for information display
- Mined call centre logs and support ticket categories
- Needs of younger retail investors vs. experienced traders
Key Insights
- Gain/loss displays must be unambiguous and compliant.
- Users think in financial goals, not raw product categories.
- Post-investment clarity is the single biggest retention lever.
Empathy Map
Empathy Map
Says
Show me my active SIPs clearly.
Why is my pending order taking time?
Thinks
Is this platform secure and regulated?
I hope I don't lose money due to UI confusion.
Does
Reviews portfolio overview daily.
Executes SIPs and tracks holdings.
Feels
Cautious about capital.
Needs speed, accuracy, and clear answers.
User Journey
Mapping the Experience
01
Onboarding
User creates account
Interaction : Completes biometric setup and KYC verification
Pain: Regulatory requirements make onboarding tedious
Opportunity: Break down steps clearly and show progress
So many compliance forms...
02
Monitoring
User checks portfolio
Interaction : Views dashboard and active positions
Pain: Unclear gain/loss presentation in competing apps
Opportunity: Compliant, unambiguous data visualization with flat line graphs
Is my portfolio in green?
03
Execution
User sets up SIP
Interaction : Selects goal, amount, and bank mandate
Pain: Confusing mandate authorization steps
Opportunity: Streamlined order status tracker with immediate feedback
My SIP is scheduled
Strategy
The Approach
Support data opened the strategy: 61% of calls were about understanding a transaction. So the strategy rejected growth-play conventions — colourful discovery feeds, impulse-buying rails — and concentrated on making what the user already owns feel as well-designed as the buying flow.
01
Serve the top 20% of use cases
Focused on portfolio check and SIP review on the commute.
02
Goal-led, not product-led
Reorganised navigation around financial targets rather than raw asset categories.
03
Clarity is the differentiator
Made holdings and order execution tracking the best-designed surfaces in the product.
Design Decisions
The Calls That Mattered
01
Flat line graph, not a gradient
Chosen for total clarity and lack of visual ambiguity over trendy visual aesthetics.
02
Disclosures as furniture, not interruptions
SEBI-mandated warnings were integrated natively where decisions occur.
03
Support-ticket-driven design review
Client success teams walked flows early to catch real-world support bottlenecks.
04
Biometrics over OTP theatrics
Optimised login for fast re-entry during daily commutes without breaking KYC security.
Validation
How We Knew It Worked
- Mined support tickets and call-centre logs to establish user confusion points before designing.
- Eight interviews across new and experienced investors shaped goal-led navigation.
- Benchmark analysis of Kite, Groww, and Paytm Money pinpointed the post-investment clarity gap.
- Dedicated compliance review at every UI milestone caught two disclosure issues pre-launch.
First Concepts
Wireframes & Concepts
The Solution
Final Screens
What Shipped
Feature Highlights
01
Portfolio Overview
net invested value, current value, and absolute P&L on a single home screen.
02
SIP Manager
active SIP listing with next instalment dates, modification flow, and pause controls.
03
Mutual Fund Discovery
goal-based fund browsing with risk category labelling.
04
Stocks & Equities
watchlist-to-trade flow with market depth and position tracking.
05
Watchlist
custom stock and fund lists with live price feeds.
06
Transaction History
chronological log of investments, redemptions, and dividends.
07
Investment Reports
monthly portfolio statements downloadable as PDF.
08
Risk Profiler
guided questionnaire establishing risk appetite.
09
Goal Planning
goal-based SIP calculator projecting corpus at target date.
10
Secure Login
biometric and mPIN login with SEBI-compliant session timeout.
11
Market Insights
curated market news and research notes from Phillip Capital.
12
Order Status Tracker
real-time execution status for placed orders.
13
Bank Mandate Management
UPI and NACH mandate setup and status tracking.
14
Tax Statement Export
capital gains statement download for ITR filing.
Business Impact
What It Delivered
Support calls about transaction clarity dropped 61%, SIP registrations per user reached 2.8× the web-portal average, and the 25–35 age segment contributed 28% of new accounts in the first quarter.
0%
Reduction in support calls about transaction clarity
0.0★
Play Store rating within 90 days of launch
0.0×
SIP registrations per user vs. the web portal average
0%
New accounts from the 25–35 age segment in first quarter
Reflection
Key Learnings
In high-stakes financial contexts, clarity is vastly more valuable than visual ornament. Involving customer support teams in UX reviews uncovered operational friction points far faster than traditional user research.