Preview of Kiva Redesign

[Guest]

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[JohnR]

Nothing new to add, just want to express agreement with the comments above, especially getting rid of the "2. Get Feedback" step.  And thanks, John and Paul, for giving us the preview and your quick responses to the feedback.

There was one comment I don't fully agree with:

Any chance you could take this opportunity to change "Your funds will be used to backfill this loan." to "Your funds will reimburse the Field Partner."?

Personally, I'm okay with the way it is now.  But if there's a better way to phrase it, maybe "Your funds will reimburse the Field Partner" isn't the best one.  Although accurate, it makes it sound like the loan is going to the field partner and not to the borrower.  How about something like, "Your funds will be credited to the loan to this borrower."   Or, "You are lending to this borrower, but with an intermediary step."  Would something along those lines be better?

[David2051]

I've always considered that I am purchasing the particular loan from the field partner.  That makes me sense to me, but who knows, maybe it doesn't make sense to others.  Backfilling sounds to me like something you would do with maybe a bulldozer?

[Amy-in-PHX]

Personally, I'm okay with the way it is now.  But if there's a better way to phrase it, maybe "Your funds will reimburse the Field Partner" isn't the best one.  Although accurate, it makes it sound like the loan is going to the field partner and not to the borrower.  How about something like, "Your funds will be credited to the loan to this borrower."   Or, "You are lending to this borrower, but with an intermediary step."  Would something along those lines be better?

I, also, am not comfortable with "reimburse the Field Partner," but it sounds like several KFs have discussed that phrase in the past and agreed to back it.  I think what my funds do, is "replenish the Field Partner's capital available for lending" - but I don't know if that would be better to put on the page or not, to be honest.  "Reimburse the Field Partner" just does not move me to part with my money.  I want to think of my funds getting to borrowers.  "Capital available for lending" keeps a spotlight on that a little bit better, I think.  But there is probably some even better way to say it.

[JohnAtKiva]

Great feedback above!  Truly - fantastic stuff, and hugely appreciated.

Let's start a separate thread for the wording of the backfill phrasing... or maybe resurrect the old one floating around?  It'd be great to focus this thread on the redesign effort!

John

[Amy-in-PHX]

I agree with Amy in so far as that a prominent link to answer the question 'How do I redeem my Kiva gift card" should be added to the home page somewhere.  Whether it goes into the quick and easy process list is less important in my opinion than putting it somewhere easily accessible to those logging in for the first time with their Kiva Gift Card in their hands and no idea of what to expect.  The more prominent the better.  Ideally it could open into a new browser window which could then be left open for them to follow the steps as they went through the process on the original Kiva window.

-Kerry-

I would put a "gift card" link and language in the box where the Charity Navigator language is now.  And move the Charity Navigator notation down, either making a new, wide box for it below the current "How It Works" and "What's New" boxes -- or making it a line just above the risk disclosure line at the bottom of the page.  I think the "gift card" box should say something like:  Have a gift card to redeem?  We'll help you with that!  Click here  -- And then link to a step-by-step process.  The language in the "gift card" box should also be "lend button orange" instead of Kiva green, IMO.  To catch the attention of the newbie right away, before they give up.

I read a previous discussion of unredeemed gift cards on this forum, not long ago, and resolved right then not to buy any Kiva cards because it sounded as if people were having real trouble figuring out how to use them without spending a lot of time on the site.  I'd rather see a process for gift card redemption I had confidence in.

I don't think the Charity Navigator button is quite as important as the size of its current box suggests it is.  Charity Navigator is cool as far as it goes, but they don't look at the whole lending process, Field Partners, etc, where the real risks are with the Kiva model, do they?  The Charity Navigator 4-star rating really only applies to funds that get donated to Kiva, and not to funds that get loaned through Kiva, right?  The tiny risk disclosure line at the bottom of the page should probably be closer to equal in prominence with the Charity Navigator line.

[JohnAtKiva]

I have one slight reservation about the way the basics are expressed for the benefit of new users.  At #2, "Get Updates" is as we all know from experience more of an aspiration rather than a nailed-on certainty.  It would be more accurate to say, "Maybe Get Updates".  So perhaps it would be better to save the possibility of updates for somewhere other than the front page? - and make the simple pitch simpler still by changing it to....

1. Make a loan 2. Get Repaid 3. Relend

Individual partner pages do after all reveal that the overall "journaling rate" for all partners is (today, currently) 41.11%  - which kind of proves that more often than not, an update / journal on an individual loan will not be forthcoming.

I really like the 3-step Kiva explanation ("1: Make a Loan. 2: Get Repaid. 3: Relend."), and I like Kerry's suggestion about adding a prominent link to info on redeeming gift cards.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of the updates which are provided don't really offer meaningful information, many of them seem to be pro forma to comply with what the MFIs understand to be a Kiva requirement for providing updates.  It may be time to let go of the fantasy of expecting updates: when one is provided, it can be a wonderful surprise.  Seems to me that when refreshing the look of the site, it may also be time to stop creating a situation where new lenders expect updates, and are then let down when they realize that updates don't actually happen very often.

I don't think most people understand it that way, in light of what is contained under the "Updates" button on the site.  In the sequence,
1.Make a loan  2.Get updates  3.Get repaid  4.Relend
If "get updates" means repayment notices, then there is no need for point #3.  But I think it is better to say #3 than to say #2. 

I quite agree.  Kiva has come in for criticism from experienced lenders before for the failure to provide promised updates in the sense of reports of how the borrowers are doing.  ... Under-promise, over-deliver, is a good motto for any enterprise.

Hey guys - I agree with the suggestion to remove #2 from this list:

1) Make a Loan
2) Get updates
3) Get repaid
4) Repeat!

But it kind of feels weird to have three items on a list, when one of the items just says, "Repeat!".  So we're leaning towards this instead:

1) Choose a Borrower
2) Make a loan
3) Get repaid
4) Repeaat!

I think that's much better - thanks for all the feedback!

Listening,
John

[waywardcats]

Great feedback above!  Truly - fantastic stuff, and hugely appreciated.

Let's start a separate thread for the wording of the backfill phrasing... or maybe resurrect the old one floating around?  It'd be great to focus this thread on the redesign effort!

John

Here is a link to the early parts of the original thread Backfill - should this term be used on Kiva loan pages?

backfill
 - 2 dictionary results

back⋅fill    [bak-fil]
–noun
1.    material used for refilling an excavation.
–verb (used with object)
2.    to refill (an excavation).

back·fill    (bāk'fĭl')   
n.  Material used to refill an excavated area.
tr.v.   back·filled, back·fill·ing, back·fills
To refill (an excavated area) with such material.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/backfill
      

[David2051]

... we're leaning towards this instead:

1) Choose a Borrower
2) Make a loan
3) Get repaid
4) Repeaat!

I think that's much better - thanks for all the feedback!

Listening,
John

I think choosing a borrower is really the most fun and engaging part of the process, and certainly where you can get hooked and spend time with Kiva, so this really feels like a good change! 

It's also very satisfying to see our feedback result in improvements to the final product!  Thank you, John!


 

[Amy-in-PHX]

Hey, John, I just discovered lendwithcare.org - a microlending website that works a lot like Kiva, only it's set up in the UK so the loans are in 15-pound increments.  In general, I have to say that Kiva's site is WAY BETTER designed - they have too much clutter, in my opinion.  But, on the subject of making gift card use easier for newbies, Kiva could learn from them.  Their homepage has a box, about halfway down the page on the right side, that says this:

"Gift Vouchers
A lendwithcare.org gift voucher
makes the ideal gift! Give one
today or redeem a voucher."

(Without the quote marks, of course, and the underlined parts are links to new pages.  The page that you get to if you click "redeem a voucher" says what I have reproduced below.)


Congratulations, on receiving a lendwithcare gift voucher!
Lendwithcare is a revolutionary way for you to help people in the developing world transform their future. It enables you to make a LOAN to someone who wants to work their own way out of poverty though their own small business. Once funded, you'll be paid back, enabling you to re-loan, withdraw or donate your investment, the choice as they say, is yours.

To get started you will need to create a new lendwithcare account or sign into an existing account, you can do both below.

New Lenders: Create a lendwithcare account and redeem your Gift Voucher

Existing Lenders: Sign into your lendwithcare account and redeem your Gift Voucher


Please do consider a donation to CARE when making your loans. This site is supported entirely through your donations.

Thank you for lending with care,



The lendwithcare.org team

[Amy-in-PHX]

I think choosing a borrower is really the most fun and engaging part of the process, and certainly where you can get hooked and spend time with Kiva, so this really feels like a good change! 

It's also very satisfying to see our feedback result in improvements to the final product!  Thank you, John!


 

I agree with David - we all seem to love the borrowers and their stories - I know I do!  The idea to keep four parts to the list is a good one, when the last step is "repeat," and "choose a borrower" is a great way to keep it four parts.