The Astra Mobile Banking App is built upon a foundation of user research, ensuring a user-centric experience. My design process began with defining the target audience: millennials, young adults, and anyone seeking a user-friendly platform to manage their finances. • Developing a User Persona: To gain a deeper understanding of this audience, I created a user persona. This persona served as a guiding light throughout the design process, helping me empathize with user needs and frustrations. • Competitor Analysis: With a clear target audience in mind, I shifted my focus to the competitive landscape. I conducted a thorough analysis of four prominent European banking apps: N26 (Germany/Europe), Revolut (Europe), ING Bank (Netherlands), and Starling Bank (UK). This analysis provided valuable insights into current industry trends, user pain points, and potential areas for differentiation with Astra. • Interviews and Surveys : Following the competitor analysis, I delved deeper into user needs through qualitative and quantitative research methods. First, I conducted user interviews with friends and family, asking targeted questions about their current banking app experiences and features they'd find most beneficial. This initial exploration gave me a springboard for developing a comprehensive online survey. Distributed to a wider audience, the survey gathered a wealth of quantitative data on user preferences, behaviors, and pain points when it comes to mobile banking. Key Pain Points Identified: • Limited Human Support: Users expressed frustration with the lack of readily available human assistance. They desired options like live chat or phone support to address complex issues and receive personalized help when needed. • Complex Referral Programs: The current referral systems were found to be overly complicated and discouraged users from inviting friends and family. Participants craved a simple, user-friendly way to share the app and earn rewards for successful referrals. • Slow Identity Verification: A significant pain point was the lengthy verification process. Users reported waiting a week or more for simple ID verification, hindering their ability to use the app seamlessly. • Insufficient Transaction Awareness: Many users felt out of the loop regarding their account activity. They lacked timely and informative notifications, leading to confusion and difficulty tracking transactions within the app.