Featured

Say Goodbye to the
UX Agency Next Door!

April 19, 2018 | 12 min read

It’s a no-brainer to go and hire an agency or consulting firm for that work. But where do you find that agency that’s best for you?

A Must-Download for Forward-Thinking Fintech Enthusiasts interested in UX and Digital Payment solutions

by Aron Bijl | December 20, 2023 | 1 min read

In today’s rapidly evolving fintech landscape, staying ahead of the curve is not just an option; it’s a necessity. This White Paper is an essential read for anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding of cutting-edge trends in digital banking UX (User Experience). This White Paper… Read more

Japan Fintech on the rise

by Harlan Cockburn | December 18, 2023 | 34 min read

When I first e-meet Takeshi Kito in the summer of ‘22, the then Vice-Chair of the Fintech Association of Japan is planning trips to the Singapore Fintech Festival and Hong Kong Fintech Week – the first time that Japan will have lifted post-covid travel testing regulations. As well as… Read more

Do’s and don’ts using ChatGPT in UX design

by Dávid Taraczközi | November 27, 2023 | 9 min read

In the ever-evolving realm of digital design, cutting-edge tools are revolutionizing how we approach UX design. Among these tools, ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, stands out as a transformative force. But what sets ChatGPT apart, and how can we harness its capabilities to enhance user interactions?… Read more

Atomic design methodology in UX – 7 things you need to know

by Judit Havas Kádár | October 12, 2023 | 9 min read

UX and UI designers apply the atomic design methodology to make consistent design changes faster and easier. But sometimes we tend to use things because of their popularity and not because we actually know how to use them. Let’s see what atomic design really is, who can benefit from it, its… Read more

Croatia – In the process of waking up

by Harlan Cockburn | August 29, 2023 | 32 min read

Timing is everything in the fast moving world of Fintech, banking and crypto, and sometimes time is against us. The interviews with leading players in the Croatian market started long before the publication of this article, so some of the information is a little dated. For example Croatia is now… Read more

Meet Olga Rozskova – Ergomania’s talented UX designer

by Harlan Cockburn | August 8, 2023 | 16 min read

By her own admission, Olga Rozskova is a very organized person. “I know, for instance, what I usually will be doing through the whole summer: Every weekend. And most of the days too!” This detail-oriented mindset is part of the toolkit of a successful UX Designer, working for the Budapest and… Read more

User personas effortlessly – User persona template for your brand

by Gábor Szabó | July 18, 2023 | 7 min read

My wife’s nephew checked it and he had this amazing, never-before-seen idea! / I like puppies in costumes, we should do that! / I’ll know what I want when I see it. Situations where designers receive similar feedback and project briefs often occur in our industry (excluding our delightful… Read more

‘Doing the right things’ – Ukrainian Fintech

by Harlan Cockburn | July 4, 2023 | 26 min read

As if to leave no doubt, the chairman of the Ukrainian Fintech Association is wearing a black hoodie with large white text across the front: I’M UKRAINIAN. Rostyslav Dyuk displays pride in his country, and the fact that his NGO is doing well, despite the enormous struggles in over a year of… Read more

How to use colour psychology in UX design to achieve our goals in marketing and branding

by Dávid Taraczközi | June 22, 2023 | 9 min read

Colours play a key role in our everyday lives and how we perceive the world. We can use this to our advantage when establishing a brand identity, marketing a product, or creating a service. But to effectively do so, we must first understand how it all works. What is colour psychology?… Read more

Working with a UX agency: Which UX design team to choose? – Part 3

by Dr Andras Rung | May 23, 2023 | 15 min read

Why work with a UX agency? For some companies in the UX journey working with an agency is the first step. Others come later, some never try. As we described in our earlier articles about freelance work and in-house team usage, there is no one-size-fits-all solution in UX. Agencies might be good… Read more

What are microservices and what are their advantages in UX design?

by Adam Dragus | May 4, 2023 | 7 min read

By designing your digital service with a microservice strategy in mind, you can ensure that your product is easy to manage, fault-tolerant, quickly fixed and updated, scalable, and provides a satisfying user experience through a custom-tailored UX. All of this is true, but only if you apply it at… Read more

Working with an in-house team: Which UX design team to choose? – Part 2

by Dr Andras Rung | April 20, 2023 | 13 min read

Why build an in-house team? At some point on your business journey, you may notice that you spend too much on UX or you might just simply realise that UX is a core competency for your team. You may then decide to internalise this expertise. And why not? It seems cheaper. The members are more… Read more

Working with UX freelancers: Which UX design team to choose? – Part 1

by Dr Andras Rung | March 28, 2023 | 17 min read

Why work with UX freelancers If you run digital projects from time to time, sooner or later you’ll have to admit that you need some UX folks. You may have been aware of it for a very long time, but you’ve been delaying your decision to step forward. This might be for several reasons. You… Read more

UX in Zurich

by Harlan Cockburn | March 7, 2023 | 25 min read

It’s Switzerland’s biggest city, with a population of less than half a million, of which nearly a third are not Swiss citizens. It’s the world’s largest trading center for gold, and its secretive ‘Gnomes’ are said to be the most discrete bankers anywhere. Welcome to Zurich in the… Read more

Sustainable and Inclusive – is this the future of UX – UI design?

by Dr. Péter Rónay | February 21, 2023 | 8 min read

Sustainability and inclusivity are as important aspects in the world of UX – UI design as in other service providing industries. Inclusivity is essentially solidarity. One of the benchmarks of advanced societies is the extent to which, and in what ways, it enables its members with different… Read more

Why design is so important – for online business too

by Aron Bijl | February 7, 2023 | 8 min read

To earn money from a product or service, you have to help users reach their goals. Design is a vessel to do this…and even more. As an experienced product designer, I share my view on design, what inspires me, and why design is equally important for customers and online businesses. What… Read more

At war – Ukrainian Fintech and banking

by Harlan Cockburn | January 24, 2023 | 17 min read

There are several vectors I’m dealing with here, as I start to write up an interview with Mariam Matiashvili, Chief Business Development Officer of the Ukrainian payments company LEO. The previous night I was at a concert by the Ukrainian band DakhaBrakha that I’ve been a fan of for several… Read more

Clas Beese – curating change and growth

by Harlan Cockburn | December 20, 2022 | 23 min read

Imagine this: You’re outside a beautiful walled garden. You can see inside through the gates, and there’s lots of new growth, delicious looking fruit, and even some quite mature trees. You want to enter, but the garden gates are locked, and although you can see the many gardeners at work… Read more

NORWAY – Small but sustainable

by Harlan Cockburn | November 29, 2022 | 32 min read

“It’s a long country, with only 5 million people, and big distances from everywhere to everywhere,” Niklas Sandqvist sets the scene for the place he’s called home since 1999 – Norway. “I’m actually Swedish,” he explains. “Sweden is a more industrialized country, more… Read more

Qualitative research methods in the world of UX research

by Csilla Herendy | November 8, 2022 | 13 min read

There are several qualitative methods for understanding user behaviour, for assessing and researching user needs and unspoken needs. The appropriate choice between methods (methodology, level of detail, depth) is a matter of available financial resources and also depends on professional needs and… Read more

Mixing experience and technology

by Harlan Cockburn | October 18, 2022 | 43 min read

How many would-be Fintechers said way back when, ‘You know, when I grow up I really want to get into Fintech’? Answer: none, because Fintech is a very new idea. People may have been interested in Finance, or Technology, but the joining of the two as we now recognize it wasn’t a thing. I… Read more

Europe’s most popular digital banks – what should we know about them?

by Réka Almay | October 6, 2022 | 14 min read

Online banking services are satisfying more and more needs and are becoming more and more widespread; many are choosing the comfortable solution of using their smartphone as a bank, among others. Many decided to do so because they have bad experiences with the institution of traditional banks or… Read more

Maria Amidi Nouri – Balancing Art and Engineering

by Harlan Cockburn | September 20, 2022 | 12 min read

I empathize with Maria Amidi Nouri in our mutual wish to be closer to the sea. I was raised on the coast of north east England, Maria in Tehran, a few hours drive from the world’s largest inland body of water, the Caspian Sea. Then there were childhood holidays in Cyprus with her family, and a… Read more

Fintech conquers Belgium – What are parties and WhatsApp doing in a mobile banking app? – Part 3

by Csilla Herendy | September 6, 2022 | 12 min read

The majority of young people do not want to bother with banking apps; however, they are keen on using novel or on the contrary, familiar interfaces if those match their lifestyle. Splitting the cost of a dinner together or communication with the bank similar to a chat app? We need solutions to… Read more

Interview techniques for advanced interviewers

by Csilla Herendy | August 9, 2022 | 9 min read

Because interviewing is quick and easy, it is a popular tool for collecting user feedback. It is a (UX) research method in which the researcher asks one or more users questions about a specific research topic. It is similar to (but different in topic from) interviews conducted by journalists or… Read more

Top 3 UX-UI challenges in the process of buying a motorway vignette in a mobile banking application

by Gergő Herczeg | July 26, 2022 | 9 min read

Users are increasingly conducting their digital transactions via mobile applications. The number of users who also perform their financial or banking transactions on banks’ own mobile applications (mobile banking) is increasing day by day. Buying a motorway vignette is a popular feature… Read more

Hungarian Fintech – Bankers and the orange crop – part 2

by Harlan Cockburn | June 30, 2022 | 29 min read

‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,’ is an old saying that seems to apply particularly well to my enquiries into Hungarian Fintech, where in the home country of Ergomania, doors are significantly easier to open. So much so that it’s necessary to divide this country review into… Read more

The Romanian Fintech scene – Trusting your feet

by Harlan Cockburn | June 14, 2022 | 27 min read

What is a bank for? Why are there bankers? Where is this coming from? I am plunged straight into philosophy by the Co-Founder and CEO of Finqware, one of Romanian Fintech’s brightest offerings. Perhaps it’s not entirely surprising, since Cosmin Cosma started out studying Heidegger… Read more

Sweden – Accelerating innovation and saving trees – part 2

by Harlan Cockburn | May 31, 2022 | 22 min read

As the Swedish Fintech scene is apparently ‘booming like crazy’, to re-quote Anders Norlin of Coach & Capital, let’s hang out a little longer in Stockholm, and check in with two more practitioners of the fine art of Fintech. One working within the framework of an august Swedish bank,… Read more

Sweden – Crypto and the International Vibe – part 1

by Harlan Cockburn | May 19, 2022 | 18 min read

Anders Norlin is the genial and well-connected Fintech advisor and former CEO of the Swedish Fintech member organization Findec, and he reports that a Swedish Fintech scene that’s ‘booming like crazy.’ That’s in terms of VC capital deployed, as well as in growth and recruitment, with… Read more

Fintech scene in Switzerland – Is there a Brand Swiss?

by Harlan Cockburn | May 5, 2022 | 28 min read

In the 1949 classic movie, The Third Man, the central character famously says, “In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace. And what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.” Although the actor Orson Welles was later corrected (cuckoo clocks being… Read more

AR, MR, VR, XR – 4 abbreviations that we must be familiar with in the world of modern UX-UI

by Dr. Péter Rónay | April 20, 2022 | 22 min read

AR, MR, VR, XR: these are abbreviations without which the second half of the 2020s cannot be imagined. Today, technological advances add newer and newer abbreviations and technical terms to our languages; in some cases, these are worth learning even for those who do not work in the field of IT.… Read more

The future of online mortgage application

by Dr. Péter Rónay | April 5, 2022 | 15 min read

For many, owning a home would remain a dream forever if mortgages didn’t exist. For millions of people, one of the first steps to home ownership is taking out a mortgage loan – but it’s often a bumpy road to getting there. The coronavirus pandemic has profoundly disrupted the… Read more

Assessing the ROI
of UX

by Harlan Cockburn | March 22, 2022 | 14 min read

‘Wow! Will you take a look at that!’ This is the sort of response that all Designers would like for their labors, and sometimes even get. We usually recognize ‘classic design’ although rarely agree with each other about what this constitutes: The Volkswagen Beetle, Fender guitar, Converse… Read more

Fintech conquers Belgium – switching bank accounts service providers automatically and interoperability – part 2

by Csilla Herendy | March 8, 2022 | 22 min read

‘If you can’t beat them, join them’ as the old saying goes, which continues to be valid even in the age of Fintech. ING Belgium is attempting to exploit opportunities for rapid financial growth with the help of its own incubator programme, while BNP Paribas Fortis is playing emphasis on… Read more

The Bulgarian Fintech Scene – Dedication and tough work

by Harlan Cockburn | February 22, 2022 | 26 min read

For me, one of the joys of interviewing Fintech players around Europe is the random and sometimes fascinating stories which surface. One such story comes to light in talking with Georgi Penev, Director of the Bulgarian Fintech Association since 2020. It’s almost a by-product in our chat about… Read more

Mobile banking in Austria

by Réka Almay | February 8, 2022 | 9 min read

In Austria, which considered to be a rather conservative country, it is perhaps not surprising that people still largely prefer cash and traditional banking services to digital solutions. Nevertheless, the digital sector is growing steadily with the emergence of mobile banking and apps. The… Read more

The Polish Fintech scene – ‘I can actually see it!’

by Harlan Cockburn | January 26, 2022 | 27 min read

If Piotr Jan Pietrzak ever decides to move on from his work as Director of Product at web browser Opera, I’m pretty sure there’d be a perfect new slot for him: Polish Ambassador, roving the world to sing the praises of his native land. Once upon a time he was champion of Polish electronic… Read more

Financial Scene of Ukraine

by Dr Andras Rung | January 19, 2022 | 19 min read

What makes Ukraine exceptional among other countries in Europe? There are thousands of reasons for that, among them – a unique financial scene which we are about to uncover together. Overview of a Ukrainian Fintech ecosystem Let’s face the truth: Fintech advancement’s pace in… Read more

The 3 Horizons and the Role of Digitalization in Leadership

by Harlan Cockburn | January 13, 2022 | 25 min read

Stefan F. Dieffenbacher has an amazing view from his office, high above ‘Germany’s most famous square’. I know this because during our chat he flips his phone camera round and shares a look down to the medieval beauty of Marienplatz (Mary’s Square) in central Munich. Building of the… Read more

More Popular Than Expected: The Secret of The Best Voice-user Interfaces

by Dr. Péter Rónay | December 21, 2021 | 11 min read

Personal assistants communicating with the VUI, or voice-user interface, have become much more popular than the largest industry players expected them to be. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, or Apple all have their digital assistant (developed strictly in-house) on offer, and to tell the truth each one… Read more

Spanish Fintech – A bridge to bigger goals

by Harlan Cockburn | December 9, 2021 | 33 min read

Look, I know it’s not a good thing to resort to easy stereotypes when speaking of different nationalities. Generally I would steer very well clear of, ‘All Swedes are…’ or, ‘Greeks are usually distinguished by…’ However, in the case of the three interviewees who are my guides to… Read more

Fintech conquering Belgium – the right UX is the engine for banking growth – part 1

by Csilla Herendy | November 23, 2021 | 11 min read

Since 2010, the Belgian Fintech segment has been developing steadily, with the first players focusing on alternative financial solutions such as crowdfunding. However, the last few years have brought changes, the end of the decade saw the rise of payment solutions on the Fintech scene. This… Read more

Hungarian Fintech – Going the extra distance

by Harlan Cockburn | November 9, 2021 | 22 min read

“We always say that we were a Fintech company since before the term was invented, because we’ve always been a technology provider for financial services.” Head of Marketing at Dorsum, Greg Csorba, makes a reasonable point about a company that’s been in business for more than 25 years.… Read more

Searching for Austrian financial UX agencies – Mission implausible?

by Harlan Cockburn | October 19, 2021 | 15 min read

‘Your mission, should you choose to accept it’ was the challenge given to operatives in the original TV series of Mission Impossible. Now, in the Tom Cruise role (I wish!) I’m being asked to fulfil the possibly impossible mission of finding top UX-UI Design Agencies in Austria, which… Read more

The Austrian Fintech scene – Greener grass?

by Harlan Cockburn | October 5, 2021 | 17 min read

From my earliest days of living in Hungary I was conscious that Austria played a big part in the history of my adoptive homeland. Austria was partner in a once-great empire, and a byword for high culture across the whole region. Later, during the dark days of Communism, Austria was the golden… Read more

The UK Fintech Scene – Will the crown slip?

by Harlan Cockburn | September 14, 2021 | 19 min read

In speaking with people around Europe about all things Fintech and UX-UI, a common theme I’ve heard is, ‘But here we’re not as advanced / innovative / mature as the UK.’ So when I call in to Andy Samu in London, I’m keen to hear his take on this. Is the United Kingdom really leading the… Read more

The Danish Fintech Scene – Trust, Design, and something much more

by Harlan Cockburn | August 31, 2021 | 22 min read

About halfway through our conversation I have to ask Sarah Millerton to repeat something, because I figure I must have misheard. Surely she didn’t say, ‘When we go out on our Fintech boat’? Or was that some kind of metaphor? Well, no actually, the Head of Relations and Global Events for… Read more

Will it be enough to upgrade Revolut in the age of hyper-personalisation?

by Réka Almay | August 17, 2021 | 9 min read

Revolut has come a long way in its relatively short, six year-long career. Launched in 2015, the startup had reached unicorn status by 2018 (the term given to startups with a valuation of at least $1 billion) and now has more than 15 million customers – and is still going strong. But the… Read more

The Czech Fintech Scene – innovation and ingenuity

by Harlan Cockburn | August 3, 2021 | 18 min read

When I meet Ivan Dovica online I’m in a warm home office. He on the other hand looks like an arctic explorer, wrapped up against a howling wind as he walks home at the end of the working day. Should I call back later at a more convenient time? But Ivan shrugs off the weather. Along with around… Read more

Big Banks aren’t waiting idly, Digital banking in The Netherlands – part 2

by Csilla Herendy | July 20, 2021 | 18 min read

Our previous blog post was about the modern services and UX solutions of Bunq, one of the most innovative Dutch financial companies. This article looks at the opportunities for incumbent providers in the market, large banks that have grown to their current size over decades/centuries for a… Read more

The top 5+ UX Agencies in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent (Belgium)

by Harlan Cockburn | July 6, 2021 | 13 min read

A Ferrari is undoubtedly a very fine car. But is it best for taking the kids to school or getting the weekly shopping? – That’ll be a ‘No’. So when I ask Pieter Van den Keybus to guide me to the best, top five UX agencies in Belgium, I’m not so surprised that he qualifies his… Read more

Innovative UX solutions from Bunq neobank Digital banking in the Netherlands – part 1

by Csilla Herendy | June 22, 2021 | 10 min read

Digital and/or mobile banks are among the most user-friendly varieties of financial organizations. Their services are not based solely on the intense interest of the digital generation, so they are primarily aimed at an increasingly populous camp of those who want a good user experience and ease… Read more

Speech can also be used for biometric identification

by Dr. Péter Rónay | June 8, 2021 | 17 min read

In recent years, communicating with voice interfaces has become a normal part of our lives. In fact, we’ve already been using numerous voice-activated services, such as identity verification in customer service channels, mobile banking, or even answering queries using digital assistants like… Read more

A practical guide to testing voice interfaces

by Dr. Péter Rónay | May 25, 2021 | 13 min read

For VUIs, or voice user interfaces, user testing is just as essential as for any other system. Although the tests will be very similar to those we are used to with mobile applications, if the device only allows voice-based control (like Amazon’s Echo), there are significant differences.… Read more

Top 5 Fintech UX Design agencies in Amsterdam

by Harlan Cockburn | May 11, 2021 | 13 min read

Back in the day many of us traveled to conferences, business meetings, and even for weekend breaks in other cities and countries. Sometimes we might plan ahead, while at other times introducing elements of chance added a little spice to the visit. “Take me to a good hotel!” could result in… Read more

Is there a future for banking interfaces? Here’s why not.

by Dr Andras Rung | April 27, 2021 | 10 min read

The title of this blog post may sound a bit strange at first, because it is meant to be “bombastic”. Of course, an experienced reader will know that there will be some twist to make it out that, although there isn’t one, there is one. Well, this time I am bound to disappoint.… Read more

Visually impaired Hungarians are assisting Ergomania to develop Voice User Interfaces for all mankind

by Dr. Péter Rónay | April 15, 2021 | 21 min read

At the end of 2020, Ergomania embarked on the next phase of a larger project. Since 2013, we have been developing solutions on the field of voice control and voice navigation, so we sought out the blind and visually impaired to aid us in our research on voice control. The visually impaired are… Read more

Fintech UX for B2B

by Harlan Cockburn | March 30, 2021 | 12 min read

The Pont Vecchio, or Old Bridge, in Florence has nearly fifty shops across its span. Almost all of them are jewellers of one sort or another. Some sell gems, others watches, or gold and silver items. It’s great for shoppers to wander from one outlet to another, but how does it work for the… Read more

The Netherlands Fintech Scene

by Harlan Cockburn | March 16, 2021 | 20 min read

With over half its landmass standing no more than a meter above sea level, and a quarter below sea level, the Netherlands (meaning ‘lower countries’) deserves its name. The country is also known as Holland, and the adjective used to describe the country and the language is Dutch. The… Read more

Creating Voice User Interfaces is shaping to be like a walk in the park

by Dr. Péter Rónay | March 2, 2021 | 18 min read

English has become a common language of modern times in the Northwest of the world, and this greatly facilitates communication on a daily basis. But half a billion people in Europe rightly ask why they should learn a second language just to be able to handle devices with voice commands? Ergomania… Read more

The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the UX industry

by Harlan Cockburn | February 16, 2021 | 17 min read

The Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in profound changes in the way people throughout the world meet and work. Are these changes permanent, or merely temporary blips? And as masses of people have resorted to online work, how has the UX-UI community responded? More precisely, how should UX… Read more

Design Sprint: is it really a new era in UX design?

by Dr. Péter Rónay | February 2, 2021 | 12 min read

Ergomania is committed to professional development, so on September 30th we held our next Product design talks webinar, about new trends and proven methods in UX-UI design. The webinar and the following discussion was led by Dr. András Rung, the founder of Ergomania, who outlined the process of… Read more

Jobs to be done get done using the Value Proposition Canvas

by Harlan Cockburn | January 19, 2021 | 14 min read

The Business Canvas model was first proposed by the Swiss entrepreneur, Alexander Osterwalder, around 2005. He’s also the lead author of Business Model Generation which has sold more than a million copies, as well as a series of Strategyzer books. So clearly he’s onto something, but what… Read more

Spreading the word and speech: voice-user interfaces conquer the world

by Dr. Péter Rónay | January 5, 2021 | 10 min read

The popularity of VUIs or Voice-user interfaces is unbroken, conquering new fields year after year. As technology evolves and user needs change voice-based user interaction no longer belongs to the realm of science-fiction for telephones, computers or digital assistants – in fact, VUI is… Read more

The Fintech Scene in Belgium

by Harlan Cockburn | December 15, 2020 | 20 min read

Belgium: a safe, secure country, where commerce has flourished for centuries. A country at the center of European activity, home of the European Commission and the Council of the European Union, and bordered by Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. General Electric, IBM, Toyota,… Read more

Why is it important for airports to focus on passenger experience?

by Zsuzsanna Imrei | November 26, 2020 | 8 min read

According to a survey called Global air traffic – scheduled passengers 2004-2021, the number of scheduled passengers boarded by the global airline industry in 2019 exceeded 4,54 billion people. This number increases by 4-5% year on year, which brings with it the maximum utilization of the… Read more

The road to maximum usability leads through minimal cognitive load

by Csilla Herendy | November 6, 2020 | 16 min read

How easily users can find the content they are looking for on a website and how easily they can solve the planned tasks is affected by the actual cognitive load required to use the site or application. These can be physical in nature, like having to scroll too much or click far too often on the… Read more

Everything becomes manageable without touch: the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on VUI(voice user interface) developments

by Dr. Péter Rónay | October 20, 2020 | 10 min read

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed not only our social behavior but also the way ordinary objects are used. In a situation where touching different devices carries a risk of infection a hand sanitizer is often a rarer commodity than truffle, as people think twice about what to touch.… Read more

What is a Voice User Interface and why is it really needed?

by Dr. Péter Rónay | October 1, 2020 | 11 min read

Voice User Interfaces are present in many areas of life. Sometimes they are especially useful, for instance when contactless use is paramount: during an epidemic, in a public area, or at any time in an isolation ward of a hospital. In other cases, they can be quite annoying, especially if we have… Read more

UX workshops in product design

by Harlan Cockburn | September 13, 2020 | 13 min read

Imagine designing a new car. There are a gazillion things to consider, including what function it will have – sporty, family run-about, off-road? How many passengers, how will it be powered, what safety features are needed, and can it be future-proofed? Such questions, plus many more, will… Read more

UX-UI collaboration: augment your team onsite, or remotely

by Harlan Cockburn | August 6, 2020 | 7 min read

Providing effective solutions How do you go about building a rocket to take you to Mars? One answer is: very carefully. Another is: check out if there’s a YouTube video. These strategies will not be enough to reach your goal however – in-depth, specialist knowledge is required. You know that… Read more

The African Fintech scene – Merging with the global mainstream

by Harlan Cockburn | July 17, 2020 | 8 min read

The African fintech scene is growing at pace, with radical and innovative offerings that increasingly place the continent in the global mainstream. Think of Africa. Big isn’t it? Thinking of Africa may bring to mind many stereotypes, depending on your own culture and age. Do you think of… Read more

What is service design and why should a banking service be designed?

by Zsuzsanna Imrei | July 6, 2020 | 10 min read

The life cycle of a service can be divided into 5 parts according to the methodology of the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library): Service strategy Service design Service implementation (implementation and conversion) Service operation Service development, optimization … Read more

Say Goodbye to the UX Agency Next Door – The Definitive’s Guide to Nearshoring

by Dr Andras Rung | June 16, 2020 | 12 min read

If your company has a UX project, and it does not have (enough) specialized designers, it’s a no-brainer to go and hire an agency or consulting firm for that work. But where do you find that agency that’s best for you? Well maybe you should look around in places you wouldn’t normally do.… Read more

Round table discussion: Can security only be increased at the expense of user experience?

by Csilla Herendy | June 1, 2020 | 3 min read

Dr. András Rung, CEO of Ergomania, led an English-language roundtable discussion on the role of UX in digital transformation projects at the eFinance & Fintech Festival 2020 in Budapest. The most interesting topics and ideas from the roundtable discussion are as follows: 25-30 people, all… Read more

A more conscious and careful choice of feature prioritization methods is needed!

by Csilla Herendy | May 18, 2020 | 9 min read

Dr. András Rung, CEO of Ergomania, gave a presentation in English titled “Choose your features with care” at the eFinance & Fintech Festival 2020 in Budapest. In the introduction, he talked about the problems possibly arising during development phase, and also about the methods companies… Read more

I’ll give it to you straight: how does it make sense to develop a voice-based game?

by Dr Andras Rung | April 27, 2020 | 9 min read

Microphones, in addition to physical input devices (keyboard, mouse, touch screen), are undeniably everywhere. Naturally, they are included in all mobile phones, but are also becoming more and more common in home computing. At the same time, speech recognition technology has also reached a level… Read more

The long awaited introduction of instant payment in Hungary, UX optimization is still missing

by Zsuzsanna Imrei | March 29, 2020 | 9 min read

At the time of instant messaging, not long ago we had to wait a whole day that the sum lands on the recipient’s account after issuing a bank transfer. Not to mention, if the time of the transfer coincided with a weekend or a public holiday, it could have been several days. To avoid this, in… Read more

Ergomania Product Design Agency Named Clutch Leader Among Hungarian Design Firms

by Dr Andras Rung | February 24, 2020 | 1 min read

Here at Ergomania Product Design Agency, we work with companies to design applications and interfaces. We look for clients all around the world, mainly Europe, the Middle East, and the East coast of the United States. The service we most often provide is UX/UI design, however, we also assist in… Read more

Revolut – What to love and what not?

by Dr Andras Rung | January 4, 2020 | 8 min read

For a long time, the big banks, the behemoths of the financial industry did not take the new financial (so-called fintech) service providers seriously. Not one bit. They were not regarded as serious competitors, they were the guide fish feeding on the scraps left by the shark in its wake.… Read more

Design systems, from ring binders to modular design

by Balázs Dömsödi | November 20, 2019 | 8 min read

The term design system is one of the buzzwords lately, but do we know exactly what it means and would it really be the solution to anything and everything? Millenáris Startup Campus has hosted the second workshop of Ergomania’s Product Design Talks and judging by the almost full house that… Read more

Startups and UX, Opportunities and Pitfalls

by Zsuzsanna Imrei | October 4, 2019 | 8 min read

Startup Live debuting in Budapest in October 4-6, sets its sights on no less than its slogan proposes: “Start a business over the weekend”. An international series of events bring together startups and industry-renowned professionals for a few days to help them mentor ideas into truly… Read more

The ultimate guide to creating personas and how to use them to enhance your business

by Zsuzsanna Imrei | August 15, 2019 | 3 min read

What is persona in UX? Personas are a commonly used tools in UX design. It’s a representation of the real target audience data, collected in previous research phases such as user interview. It is suggested at this point to gather information from at least 6 interviews. The information collected… Read more

Most interesting applications of blockchain technology

by Veronica Torresin | July 12, 2019 | 4 min read

When we hear the word “blockchain” we tend to associate it with the concept “cryptocurrency”. Indeed, the first practical application of the technology by Satoshi Nakamoto, was an infrastructure for the digital currency Bitcoin. Since then, however, the technology has been… Read more

How to Run a productive Design Critique

by Balázs Dömsödi | June 13, 2019 | 5 min read

What is Design Critique? Design critique is an approximately one-hour long, focused meeting intended to provide the designer with systematic and useful feedback on their design. Design Critique helps build corporate culture Design critique helps evolve an effective feedback culture. During… Read more

Top 7 Fintech and banking UX mistakes founded on the experience of a leading UX Design agency

by Dr Andras Rung | May 27, 2019 | 15 min read

Been there, done that: storm clouds are gathering above a project that started off as clear-cut and feasible from both the client and UX agency sides. The third milestone had to be postponed, because more and more interested parties were getting involved, all pushing their own agendas and needs.… Read more

How we Fixed our Dishwasher’s usability problem with 3D Printing

by Kristóf Munkácsi | May 9, 2019 | 3 min read

We found a UX problem right before us; in our kitchen As in most of the working spaces, the dishwasher is in constant use in our office. Everyone can load it, empty it, or just pick out a mug for a quick coffee. But how can you decide whether the dishes in the machine are clean or dirty? It’s… Read more

How service design optimizes passenger flow?

by Zsuzsanna Imrei | April 18, 2019 | 4 min read

What is service design and why is it important to use at airports? Service design is a process to organize people, infrastructure and communication of service to optimize its quality and the relationship between the service provider and the customer. The purpose of service design is to create a… Read more

The Top 10 Global Trends you need to follow about insurtech in 2019

by Zsuzsanna Imrei | March 21, 2019 | 4 min read

The insurance industry used to be tech lazy. It’s not true anymore. It is projected that in 2019, 2 billion USD will be injected into the emerging insurance technology industry, also known as insurtech. Nowadays, we can easily calculate an insurance quote with a few clicks, or manage our… Read more

The manifestation of Norman’s emotional design principles in 3 modern examples

by Anna Regeni | March 5, 2019 | 10 min read

Donald Norman’s world-known work ‘Emotional Design’ is one of the most famous books among UX and UI practitioners. In this book he distinguishes 3 levels of design based on the nature of the impact they have on users. These are the visceral, the behavioural and the reflective levels. These… Read more

What is PropTech and how it may Change our Everyday Life

by Balázs Dömsödi | February 19, 2019 | 5 min read

PropTech – the buzzword of 2018 seems to be staying with us in 2019 as well. This red-hot portmanteau, along the lines of FinTech, was created by journalists some time last year from the words property and technology, and refers to every technological or financial innovation that affects… Read more

How chatbots improve user experience in online banking

by Veronica Torresin | February 7, 2019 | 6 min read

In the recent years, chatbots have evolved and improved significantly and penetrated areas where customer focus has a strategic importance, such as banking. In this article, we are going to present the main reasons behind the broader adoption of chatbot services from a customers’ as well as… Read more

Where are the Hungarian banks in digitalization?

by Zsuzsanna Imrei | January 23, 2019 | 5 min read

Where do Hungarian banks stand in the region in terms of digitalization? Currently 13 Hungarian banks have mobile applications with great difference in quality. It is worth to know thorough international research to see the Hungarian market. Deloitte has investigated 248 banks in the EMEA… Read more

How to Improve your UX Writing Skills?
5 tips for Designers

by Balázs Dömsödi | January 7, 2019 | 3 min read

The importance of UX writing can be and has been expressed in many ways in the recent years. In this article, we claim that UX writing is important because it connects the visual elements of your design with the mindset and the vocabulary of the user. Also, words play a crucial role in the… Read more

13 essential UX principles to build a great chatbot

by Anna Regeni | December 7, 2018 | 10 min read

Chatbots have become mainstream recently. Today, the majority of stores and services have chatbots. Among these the simplest is what Facebook provides. We can easily put together our own chatbot without any programming skill. This type of chatbot has the advantage that it is easy to set up,… Read more

Digital money applications

by Anna Regeni | November 12, 2018 | 15 min read

Digital money trading and managing tools have improved significantly since 2009 when released. At the beginning, we hardly had any possibilities to buy cryptocurrencies for traditional (or as it is called within the crypto society, fiat) money. If anyone wanted to purchase any, they could choose… Read more

Eye tracking in practice

by Csilla Herendy | September 26, 2018 | 10 min read

Eye tracking which is the process of measuring the point of gaze, is a widespread research method enabling accurate monitoring of the visual efficiency of any internal space or screen, including virtual reality and games. Its main benefit is that the results are unquestionable: you can precisely… Read more

Key UX Principles to Design Great Dashboards

by Zsuzsanna Imrei | August 17, 2018 | 7 min read

The term dashboard comes from automobile dashboard, it has evolved during the decades and it is now also used in the digital world. Dashboards are a dynamic way to visualize data,s track statistics and demonstrate key performance indicators. The data management tool’s objective is to help… Read more

The best examples how to use microinteractions to enhance your ux design

by Anna Regeni | August 1, 2018 | 5 min read

Microinteractions are functions that are able to do one thing but one thing well. Microinteractions feel natural and thus remain uncovered; they’re making people feel delighted without making them realize how much thought went into one single step. Microinteractions are focusing on one task and… Read more

Face and mobile screen recording tools

by Anna Regeni | July 9, 2018 | 5 min read

What was the task we had to complete? We had a remote UX researcher and an assistant on one side and a tester on the other side. So we had to be able to stream the tester’s face and screen in real-time and additionally, due to post production purposes we also needed to be able to record the… Read more

What we get and could get from the Internet of Things?

by Szabolcs Szilagyi | June 5, 2018 | 13 min read

Still invisible to most of us, a huge revolution is unfolding: the Internet of Things, or IoT is exploding, with an increasing number of devices connecting to it, supplying data that is later assessed based on various aspects. According to Gartner’s estimate, by the end of this decade the… Read more

Blockchain interfaces that match users’ needs

by Dr Andras Rung | April 17, 2018 | 1 min read

Rung András’s presentation at “Ebanking Summit” conference. Find below the excerpt of the presentation. You can download the presentation here. FEAR OF THE UNKOWN Unclear benefits Non-matching mental models Terrible UX WHAT ARE MENTAL MODELS? Relatively precise mental image of… Read more

Improve your research with mental models to have a user centered design strategy

by Anna Regeni | April 3, 2018 | 14 min read

About Indi Young Indi Young started her career as a software engineer, with a Computer Science B S graduating in 1987, in her early projects, she realized that there was a gap between what computer scientists knew about the users, as engineers and creators, and what people were trying to… Read more

Smartwatch applications for Fintech

by Anna Régeni | March 21, 2018 | 8 min read

Since the introduction of the first AppleWatch, fintech applications are present for smartwatches, for instance, fintech applications developed for brokers and investors to help them greatly in monitoring and following constantly the change in stock and rate fluctuations without making them take… Read more

How can we get to know the “unknown”?

by Csilla Herendy | March 13, 2018 | 3 min read

Design Thinking (which refers to creative strategies designers use during the process of designing) is a technique that we should definitely pay attention to. It is becoming increasingly popular in business, and it is used for example by Apple, Google, Samsung and GE. It certainly owes its… Read more

Experience of use, patient’s satisfaction

by Dr Andras Rung | February 20, 2018 | 1 min read

Rung András’s presentation at “Nagy Magánpraxis” conference – download the presentation in English (pdf). Find below the excerpt of the presentation: WHAT IS UX? User experience design means planning and visualising functions which offer value to user business needs leading to a… Read more

Business Model Canvas: Complete business model on a single sheet of paper

by Csilla Herendy | February 8, 2018 | 8 min read

Many years ago business plans were documents that spanned tens of pages. They were later cut down to 3-5 pages. But as our environment changes- so does the business environment. Startups come and go, they may or may not survive one year, so the business plans also have to be revamped. Because… Read more

4 Innovative FinTech Apps that Changed Digital Banking in Hungary

by Szabolcs Szilagyi | January 23, 2018 | 6 min read

When the first microchips were created, no one assumed that the IT industry would invade the markets of almost every sector. The 21st century saw an acceleration of this trend with the advent of Fintech in addition to a number of other changes. The intertwining of the financial and technology… Read more

Sketching ideas without restrictions: what is Design Studio?

by Bence Horváth | January 9, 2018 | 2 min read

Design Studio is one of the best and easiest methods of Design Thinking, and essentially consists of participants making various drawings of the interface that they consider adequate and relevant. This allows them to think and find common ground without any restrictions, which is not necessarily… Read more

Big data visualisation

by Dr Andras Rung | December 19, 2017 | 1 min read

Rung András’s presentation at Data-driven Leadership Bootcamp. Find below the excerpt of the presentation. You can download the presentation here DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE What do colours mean? Which direction the reader used to reading? Which icons is the user familiar with? Readers are inside or… Read more

BEHIND-THE-SCENES: DESIGNING INTERFACES FOR THE SIMPLE APPLICATION

by Dr Andras Rung | December 5, 2017 | 4 min read

We were requested to redesign the Simple application in spring of 2016 after having won a tender up against Hungary’s two leading mobile UX agencies. Read more

Practical tools for measuring websites and identifying flaws

by Csilla Herendy | November 22, 2017 | 13 min read

For many people, the premise that an interface should be tested and undergo comprehensive research is no longer surprising. Larger, more conscious organisations (such as OTP eBiz) are starting to supplement the development process with strings of interviews (including interviews to assess mental… Read more

Fintech UX trends – The time of voice first is here

by Dr Andras Rung | November 16, 2017 | 1 min read

Rung András’s presentation at the FinTechRadar on the 18th of October 2017. Find below the excerpt of the presentation. You can also download the presentation here. PRIORITY FOCUS POINTS IN FINANCIAL UX Business perspective In-depth knowledge of processes and issues Insight on trends… Read more

Design of Everyday Things – why it is a great resource for UX-ers and everybody else

by Anna Régeni | November 6, 2017 | 4 min read

Read moreDonald A. Norman was born in 1935 in America. He graduated from MIT in electrical engineering and from the University of Pennsylvania in electrical engineering and mathematical psychology.

The seven cardinal sins in UX – How not to mess up your financial project?

by Dr Andras Rung | October 26, 2017 | 1 min read

Rung András’s presentation at the E-banking summit on the 11th of October 2017. Find below the excerpt of the presentation. You can also download the presentation here. WE ARE NOT YET IN THE PROMISED LAND Only buzzwords Lack of integration No strategy 1. PRIDE The risks of partial… Read more

Lego serious play usage in UX design

by Csilla Herendy | October 24, 2017 | 3 min read

LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) is a great methodology that uses and builds on team thinking and equal communication. It allows the team to clarify and understand current situations, ambitions and objectives, and how they can be implemented. It is an excellent tool for organisations to define their… Read more

First place at the Hungarian fintech competition – Simple app

by Dr Andras Rung | October 19, 2017 | 1 min read

The first Hungarian Fintech contest organised by FinTechRadar, the newshub for innovative financial and insurance services has granted “The most userfriendly Fintech Solution” award to the Simple mobile payment application. This is the first award in Hungary to specialize in financial and… Read more

An in-depth insight on users’ real and recurring issues

by Csilla Herendy | September 13, 2017 | 10 min read

How should we start a diary study? We want to know what users do when we are not there with them: what are their recurring problems, what are the actual situations they experience. Ask them to take notes of what they do (preferably in digital form, for example in a private blog, Google Docs,… Read more

Tips and tricks to design better date pickers

by Bence Horváth | August 22, 2017 | 6 min read

The date picker can simplify the entry of dates in an input field. Indicating the date may seem like a small, negligible item in an application or a website. Everyone has already seen and used a date entry field…. But if we dig deeper, it turns out that the solution we use does matter.… Read more

UX: The key to your succes for your projects – presentation

by Dr Andras Rung | July 5, 2017 | 2 min read

Rung András’s presentation at the E-banking summit on 30th May 2017 – download the presentation in English (pdf) or download in Spanish (pdf). Find below the excerpt of the presentation: WHAT IS UX? Designing the user experience means designing and visualising functions that offer value to… Read more

What do we like about Asana?

by Dr Andras Rung | May 12, 2017 | 3 min read

We have been using Asana since 2013 to manage both UX and web development projects and to keep record and manage general company-related tasks. We are convinced that every company needs some sort of online project management tool, as projects cannot be efficiently managed using only emails and… Read more

How can we motivate people to leave reviews?

by Szabolcs Szilagyi | May 4, 2017 | 3 min read

Comfort is what most internet users strive for in almost every regard. If giving a review or rating is or appears to be too complicated, it will scare off all users besides the most committed ones, which are the ones typically ready to give a negative review. The willingness of satisfied… Read more

Voice-based interface design – presentation

by Dr Andras Rung | March 16, 2017 | 1 min read

Rung András’s presentation at the NLP meetup on 22th February 2017. Find below the excerpt of the presentation. You can download the presentation here From whom is this relevant? 16% illiterate 14% younger than the age of 6 years 2% visually impaired 10% dyslexic When? Occupied hands Cheap… Read more

Paper prototype fidelity

by Dr Andras Rung | February 2, 2017 | 5 min read

Prototypes are the representation of a design concept which we prepare in order to communicate or test our ideas. Paper prototyping is a technique that involves quick hand drawn sketches of interfaces which are valuable assets for user testing. The paper prototype test session also requires a… Read more

We are seeking a UX-centric frontend developer

by Dr Andras Rung | January 3, 2017 | 1 min read

Why us? We have 15 years experience in designing, testing websites, applications and presentations on the topic. We are considered the leading agency in Hungary. Our client roster includes many foreign companies (from the US, Belgium, Malta, etc.). We are advisors as well and have redesigned the… Read more

“Mental images”, mental and conceptual models 2.

by Csilla Herendy | August 26, 2016 | 2 min read

What are conceptual models? The mental model of the interface or website currently being used is referred to in psychology as the conceptual model. This conceptual model is shaped by the mental model of the designer who created and designed the interface. But what happens when the user and the… Read more

“Mental images”, mental and conceptual models 1.

by Csilla Herendy | August 26, 2016 | 2 min read

What are mental models and why should every development start by mapping out the user’s mental model of the attitude object (the service, application, topic, etc.)? What are mental models? For centuries, the central question investigated in not only psychology, but also philosophy and… Read more

Content strategy

by Dr Andras Rung | April 25, 2016 | 2 min read

“What great content strategy this website has.” Has any user ever uttered this phrase? Certainly not. But why should they? If the information they are looking for is easily, quickly and simply accessible, and even up to date, and if this brings satisfaction to the user, then it is synonymous… Read more

The Price of Interaction

by Dr Andras Rung | March 27, 2016 | 1 min read

The supposition that the fewer the clicks required to reach something, the better the design is ubiquitous. But anyone familiar with UX knows better. We know that this premise can lead to overly complicated screens, an onslaught of way too many options for users that prevents them from choosing.… Read more

Aristocratic UX

by Dr Andras Rung | March 22, 2016 | 2 min read

When designing new and innovative interfaces, we are trying to predict where we are headed and what the future will bring. What will the new user expectations be, and how will be able to best meet them? Josh Clark has pertinently said that UX does not necessarily bring in new ideas, but… Read more

Lets fulfill the business goals

by Dr Andras Rung | October 13, 2015 | 1 min read

When designing or redesigning products we frequently face the situation when stakeholders provide an already finalised concept for UX experts and digital designers to work with. Nevertheless, this process does not support efficient business. If we wish to implement a rigid and finalized business… Read more

Advice to stakeholders

by Dr Andras Rung | October 13, 2015 | 4 min read

Difficult to imagine the problems and issues the predecessors of today’s usability experts, the architects thousands of years ago had struggled with. It wasn’t easy to build up science and art from nothing, to figure out how things work and how to achieve practicality and beauty. And design… Read more

Join our UX team and make the world greater

by Dr Andras Rung | January 29, 2015 | 1 min read

Do you finally want to create something of lasting value? Join our UX team. Don’t miss this truly unique opportunity! What you will do: Devise the UX strategy and concept Create detailed, high-standard wireframes and prototypes Create personas Fine-tune and visualise business ideas from a UX… Read more

Smart paper prototype

by Dr Andras Rung | October 25, 2012 | 2 min read

We all have seen projects wasting money and time for unnecessary developments and features based on totally wrong design concepts. Good news is we can avoid this with a cheap and easy method. Paper prototype testing prevents projects to go to astray. What is paper prototype testing? Paper… Read more

Five things to get more out of your online shop

by Dr Andras Rung | July 9, 2012 | 3 min read

Even if you own a successful webshop there is always room for improvement in order to reach higher conversion rates: helping the user to achieve her goals by removing obstacles from her way or at least not hinder the user in her activity. Here are five tips to try on your website. Emphasize… Read more

Wireframes and colors

by Dr Andras Rung | June 11, 2012 | 2 min read

A graphic design mock-up and a high fidelity wireframe share several characteristics which makes difficult to see where the work of the UX expert ends and the graphic designer’s starts. Not yet prevalent in Hungary, smart project planning beyond the waterfall model makes possible for the UX and… Read more

Unity in design

by Dr Andras Rung | April 12, 2012 | 2 min read

The concept of unity is an essential principle in design. Today, we cannot imagine a quality web page without carefully applied typography, color unity and other look and feel elements. Although, less emphasis is put on the unified and well-designed working mechanisms of the page, it has equal or… Read more

Raiffeisen mobile banking app, a nice try

by Dr Andras Rung | March 27, 2012 | 3 min read

Today, a large company without a mobile page or application is embarrassing. Raiffeisen might as well felt the shame so the Raiffeisen mobile banking app was born. Recently, we shared a great article on mobile app design on our facebook page. Raiffeisen mobile banking app feels as if a couple of… Read more

Wireframing tips

by Dr Andras Rung | September 28, 2010 | 3 min read

For beginners it is often difficult to decide whether pen and paper or digital wireframing is the most efficient and what are the necessary steps that one should consider. Now, let’s have an overview of the basics of wireframing. Digital wireframing Digital wireframing guarantees all the… Read more

Say Goodbye to the UX Agency Next Door!