Wireframe Analysis of Venmo’s User Flow
By: Mariana Nava
Tags: UX Design, Prototyping, UI, Wireframe, Fintech

In an era characterized by immediacy and simplicity, Venmo has become an increasingly significant payments platform within the United States. This can be readily seen by the app’s 40 million active users and annual payment volume of approximately $100 billion. Venmo’s success is not only attributed to the inherent innovation of facilitating peer-to-peer transactions, but the app’s accompanied sleek and user-centered design. As part of the Ironhack bootcamp design challenge, I chose to examine a Venmo user’s journey in checking their available account balance and transferring funds to a user outside their contacts through a wireframe analysis.

Initial Observations

As stated above, I chose to examine the following user journey within the Venmo app: checking one’s available account balance prior to transferring funds to a user outside one’s contacts or “friends” list.

It was observed that Venmo’s prioritization of immediacy and speed greatly simplifies the user journey; one can simply tap the blue “pay or request” button to the lower right of the screen and instantly search for users as well as view through which account (whether the Venmo account or personal bank account if connected) balance will funds be sent from. I momentarily found this to be a personal dilemma, as the design challenge required for one to examine a user flow depicted by at least 5 to 7 wireframes (although it demonstrates how Venmo has truly emphasized providing a facilitated user experience). However, after analyzing the “pay or request” screen that is prompted from pressing the blue “pay or request” button, I noticed that it is only after inputting the desired monetary amount to be sent that one is able to view if one has the funds available to make the transaction. If one does not have sufficient funds in their Venmo account, and they have their personal bank account connected to their profile, then Venmo automatically selects such account for the funds to be withdrawn from.

Because of such prior observations, I determined that the most convenient manner to quickly check one’s available account balance on the app prior to sending funds to another user is by going through the side menu located on the upper right hand side of the screen. I demonstrated this journey through a wireframe and prototype of the particular user flow.

Venmo Wireflow Sketch

The User Flow

The journey a user would have to take in order to quickly check one’s available account balance prior to transferring funds to a user outside one’s contacts would begin, as mentioned previously, within the side menu of the home screen. The side menu displays various information, one conveniently being the available balance within the user’s Venmo account. If the user decides to take any other action in regards to their account balance then they are also conveniently provided such an option. This is significant, however, as not all users may have a bank account connected to their Venmo account and will, thus, need to ensure that they may have sufficient funds within their Venmo account in order to make a transaction. Even those users that have a connected bank account may not wish for such funds to be automatically considered when going to transfer funds to another user.

After the initial and quick inspection of one’s available funds, and determining that there are indeed sufficient funds for the transfer, one is able to effortlessly search for users to which to transfer funds as allowed by the “search” side menu option. From this moment forward, the process is identical to that of choosing to commence with the initial big blue “pay or request” button. The user will have to search for the other party involved in the transfer if they are not already added to the user’s friends list. Once the other user’s profile is found, then one can press (yet another) blue “pay or request” button in order to then be redirected to the screen that allows one to input the desired monetary amount to be transferred and an accompanying description.

Venmo Wireflow on Figma

Task Analysis

After completing wireflow, I conducted informal interviews with regular and semi-regular Venmo users. When asking the two users how they would complete the goal previously stated, they both completed the task in the manner that was previously described in the user flow. Both users stated that they completed the goal in this manner because it was the quickest way to check if one had sufficient funds in their Venmo balance prior to transferring them to another user (as determined by the number of clicks taken). The users stated that they would prefer for their Venmo account balance to somehow be demonstrated immediately upon entering the app or as you are inputting your desired fund amount to be transferred on the final screen as opposed to being demonstrated only after you have inputted the monetary amount and description. This, they said, is a significant action that they take prior to transferring funds despite both users having their personal bank account connected to their Venmo account and not having to necessarily worry regularly about their Venmo balance.

You can view my final prototype created on Figma here.

Final Thoughts

I was excited to complete this challenge as this was my first time creating a wireframe and prototype of an app’s user flow. I was particularly excited to analyze Venmo’s user flow, as I am a semi-regular user of the app and I have always admired the simplicity and swiftness in which one is able to transfer funds to any other user. Since this was my first time completing such an analysis and creating a wireflow, I found it difficult to focus on depicting the most significant aspects of the screen and not worry primarily on the appearance of the wireframe itself (I know, I know… a newbie mistake!) but I am certain that with continued practice and determination I will improve upon both my research and design techniques.

Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave your comments below, as I would love to read and respond to all of them!