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I never thought about the importance of app accessibility until I realized I was having trouble zooming in on every app I used. Whether I was reading the fine print in my banking app or confirming my identity for a flight, the lack of accessible design was a constant frustration.
This personal experience convinced me that user interface and user experience are critical. I started investigating how we could improve our customers' experiences during the identity verification process.
Mobile applications today allow users to check in for a flight, access a bank account, apply for a visa, and more. The user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) determine how smoothly these processes run.
While UI and UX are crucial, they still need improvement, especially when it comes to identity verification. Improving these aspects is critical for companies looking to optimize user experience and operational efficiency.
The Remote Identity Verification (IDV) process now serves as the starting point for many important activities, so it is critical that these systems – from completing financial transactions to interacting with government services – are accessible to everyone.
Remote verification from home helps people with special needs to participate in many activities. However, this is only possible if the interface and design of IDV systems are truly inclusive. What does this mean in practice?
Related: How to navigate the digital identity landscape
Dealing with customer frustration
A poor identity verification experience can significantly increase customer frustration and lead to abandonment. It's intuitive: lengthy, complex verification processes that require extensive user engagement are more likely to discourage participation.
This is reflected in both companies' and customers' expectations of IDV processes. According to Regula's survey, 28% of respondents representing digital nomads, people who deal with probably the most diverse range of different ID verification processes, are frustrated because the user interfaces are poorly designed. At the same time, one in three companies participating in the survey value a user-friendly interface and clear instructions in their IDV workflows.
Related: 7 Ways All Dating Apps Lie to You
What can be done now
Everything from the logic and usability of the interface to the speed of response and the choice of fonts and colors significantly affects the user's perception and willingness to continue using the solution.
As an IDV provider, we have tried different approaches to creating an inclusive interface. Over time, as we received feedback from our customers and started to better understand use cases, we have identified key principles that we adhere to in our solutions:
- Keep clutter to a minimum. Keep the interface clean and uncluttered, avoiding too many elements, long instructions, tiny icons, etc. Nothing should overwhelm or confuse users.
- Consider color perception. People perceive colors differently and some cannot distinguish them at all. Therefore, it is important to make sure that important cues do not depend on color alone. In addition to colors, use geometric shapes or other indicators to convey information.
- Rely on other senses too. Enable tactile feedback, such as vibrations, or auditory signals, such as jingles, to confirm user actions. This is crucial to reassure users and guide them through the process.
- Don't give preference to text over images and vice versa. There are always those who prefer text instructions and those who prefer images. In our experience, the ratio is about 50:50, so it's important to incorporate both text and visual support.
- Adjust the interface to user preferences. Always. For example, if a person has increased the font size in their phone settings, the IDV application should automatically display the text in the same larger size.
Ideally, IDV solutions should not require instructions at all. The user interface should be intuitively clear and each step of the identity verification process should be smooth, logical and immediately recognizable. However, if an instruction is required and it is quite extensive, it is better to split it into several consecutive screens than to cram everything onto one screen in a small font.
Ultimately, automating the ID verification process greatly improves the user experience for everyone by simplifying complex steps and reducing the need for manual input. For example, automated document scanning and optical character recognition (OCR) simplify data extraction from ID documents and reduce the need for manual input. Facial recognition technology further streamlines the process by matching a user's face with their ID photo. Automatic error detection and real-time feedback help prevent and correct errors, while integration with existing databases enables rapid validation of information. These advancements make the ID verification process overall more accessible and less intimidating for those who may not be as tech-savvy.
Related: Why executives need to learn about digital IDs
Benefits for companies
One billion people, or 15% of the world's population, suffer from some form of disability. Making digital services, including ICT, accessible to them is becoming a legal and ethical obligation for companies, and there are already policies regulating accessibility on the web or mobile devices.
However, addressing accessibility in IDV also expands market opportunities for companies and improves the user experience for everyone. Online IDV systems are designed to accommodate users with different needs, from visual impairments to cognitive impairments, and offer numerous benefits that go beyond accessibility.
First and foremost, such well-planned, inclusive interfaces expand the audience reach by providing everyone with equal access to IDV. Consequently, companies benefit from greater market differentiation and can attract new customers.
Second, simplified navigation, clear instructions and the ability to easily adjust settings make for a more straightforward, smooth and enjoyable user experience with minimal frustrations and errors during critical IDV steps. As a result, users tend to have more trust and loyalty to the brand as they feel that their needs and preferences are taken into account.
Finally, by focusing on designing accessible and user-centered interfaces, companies are inevitably encouraged to promote continuous improvement and innovation. Such companies can respond more flexibly to user feedback and evolving needs, resulting in better products and services.
Including user interface for the brand
Let's not forget that IDV solutions are rarely used standalone (unless they are for cross-border purposes). With so many services now being conducted digitally, IDV has become an integral part of a wide range of scenarios, from banking to airplane check-in to e-marketplaces and so on. In terms of interface, this means that an IDV provider should strive to adapt to the UI requirements of a company deploying their solution.
IDV providers should be flexible in changing graphic and text elements and incorporating customer branding into the camera view interface used for ID verification to maintain consistency with their brand identity and improve user familiarity. For those who prefer a standard user interface, options should be available to customize basic elements such as colors and fonts.
Additionally, a solution that supports localization in multiple languages simplifies global deployment and makes identity verification more accessible and convenient for users worldwide. As technology and user expectations evolve, continuously improving these solutions can ensure that identity verification remains efficient and reliable across different applications.
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