PickTrace: MiVista App

MiVista: Financial Inclusion for Agricultural Workers

Overview

MiVista (“My View”) is a comprehensive mobile banking solution designed specifically for underprivileged and underbanked individuals in the farming and agricultural community. The app provides free online banking, money management tools, financial literacy education, and services otherwise unavailable to many farm laborers and their families.

Financial Exclusion in the Fields

User Demographics

Our research revealed key characteristics of our target users:

• Majority are 30-60 years old
• 90% own smartphones (with WhatsApp being the primary use case)
• Have some familiarity with workplace technology (e.g., PickTrace)
• Diverse financial planning horizons (H2A workers tend toward long-term goals; domestic workers often focus on immediate needs)
• Limited awareness of financial products and services
• Strong community and family ties that influence financial decisions

The Underbanked Agricultural Workforce

Agricultural fieldworkers face significant barriers to financial inclusion:

• Less than 25% have a bank account
• 90% are paid by check rather than direct deposit
• 50% of the domestic workforce is undocumented
• Check cashing fees range from 2-6% of earnings
• Up to 60% of earnings are sent internationally to support families
• Hidden costs include missed work hours to cash checks and transportation expenses
• Fear of digital systems due to privacy and documentation concerns

For these workers, predatory financial services are often the only option, resulting in lost wages and limited financial growth opportunities.

Uncovering Financial Barriers Through Research

Field Research

To truly understand the financial challenges faced by agricultural workers, I conducted in-depth interviews with 12 field workers across different farm operations in the region. The interviews focused on their experiences with:

• Payment processes and preferences
• Check cashing routines and challenges
• Money transfer habits for supporting family
• Banking history and perceptions
• Technology usage patterns
• Financial goals and concerns

Interview Questions

My interview guide included questions such as:

1. Payment & Check Cashing:
   • “Walk me through what happens on payday from receiving your check to having cash in hand.”
   • “How much time does it typically take to cash your paycheck, and how far do you need to travel?”
   • “What fees do you encounter when cashing your check, and how do they impact your finances?”
   • “Have you ever faced challenges accessing your money when you urgently needed it?”
2. Money Transfers:
   • “Do you send money to family members? How often and through what methods?”
   • “What has been your experience with the cost and reliability of these transfers?”
   • “How do you track or confirm that the money reached your family?”
3. Banking Experience:
   • “Have you ever tried to open a bank account? What was that experience like?”
   • “What concerns do you have about traditional banking services?”
   • “What documentation requirements have presented challenges for you?”
4. Technology Usage:
   • “How do you currently use your smartphone for financial activities, if at all?”
   • “What apps do you feel comfortable using, and why?”
   • “Who helps you when you encounter technology challenges?”
5. Financial Goals:
   • “What are your short-term and long-term financial goals?”
   • “How do you currently save money, if at all?”
   • “What financial concerns keep you up at night?”

Understanding Our Users

Through these interviews, I gained rich insights into our target users:

• Demographics & Access: Majority are 30-60 years old, with 90% owning smartphones primarily used for WhatsApp communication with family
• Technology Comfort: Many have familiarity with workplace technology like PickTrace, but varying levels of comfort with financial applications
• Banking Status: Less than 25% have traditional bank accounts, with documentation requirements being the primary barrier
• Financial Behaviors: Diverse financial planning horizons (H2A workers tend toward long-term goals; domestic workers often focus on immediate needs)
• Knowledge Gaps: Limited awareness of financial products and services that might be available to them
• Community Dynamics: Strong family and community networks that influence financial decisions and create informal lending systems
• Trust Concerns: Significant wariness about providing personal information to digital systems based on past experiences

Key Pain Points

Through interviews and contextual inquiry with agricultural workers, we identified several critical pain points:

1. Documentation Barriers: Traditional banking requires identification that many workers cannot provide
2. Language & Literacy: Limited English proficiency and varying literacy levels
3. High Fees: Significant earnings lost to check cashing and money transfer services
4. Limited Financial Tools: Lack of access to credit, savings mechanisms, and financial education
5. Privacy Concerns: Fear that personal information might be used against undocumented workers
6. Time Constraints: Banking hours conflict with work schedules

Competitor Analysis

We analyzed existing financial services targeting underserved populations, identifying gaps where MiVista could provide unique value:

• Most alternatives still required substantial documentation
• Few services addressed the specific needs of agricultural workers
• International transfer options typically charged high fees
• Limited integration with agricultural employment systems
• Limited customer support for Spanish speakers led to hesitation to call for help or service

Design Goals

Based on our research findings, we established five primary design goals:

1. Create an inclusive platform accessible regardless of documentation status
2. Design an intuitive interface for users with varying technical and language abilities
3. Deeply integrate with PickTrace’s Field and Office application to offer views and insight into current and historical production tracking data
4. Prioritize privacy and security to address fears of digital systems
5. Provide tools addressing specific challenges like check cashing and international transfers
6. Incorporate contextually relevant financial education

Design Strategy

User Personas

We developed three primary personas to guide our design decisions:

Design Principles

1. Inclusive Design: Create pathways for users of all literacy and technical ability levels
2. Cultural Relevance: Address specific needs and contexts of agricultural workers
3. Transparency: Clear information about all features and fees (or lack thereof)
4. Education Through Use: Embed financial literacy within the natural flow of app use
5. Community Connection: Facilitate family and community financial support systems

UI Design & Key Features

Visual Language

The visual design employs:

• A bright, vibrant blue color palette conveying trust and accessibility
• Large touch targets for workers who may be using devices in field conditions
• Visual iconography that complements text for varied literacy levels
• Consistent navigational patterns to build familiarity
• Simplified data visualization for financial information

Key Screens & Features

Secure and Accessible Login

The login screen balances security with accessibility:

• Multiple authentication options when account created (PIN, fingerprint, pattern)
• Minimal personal information requirements
• Clear language toggle options
• Privacy-forward approach to data collection

Design insight: Because many of our users may not have an email address, or share an email address with family members, using a phone number as a primary identifier was the most inclusive option.

Home Screen & Main Navigation

The home screen provides immediate access to critical information:

• Upcoming scheduled work and view of weekly schedule
• Current balance and production data prominently displayed when on the job
• Quick access to most-used features
• Harvest production tracking integrated with PickTrace

Design insight: We are able to display information we gather from PickTrace’s field app, when the field worker’s work profile is synced with collected production records, the user sees real-time updates and much more information than they would get from a daily print-out (work receipt).

Secondary Navigation

The secondary navigation is designed as an intuitive gateway to the app’s broader functionality:

• Organized access to account settings for personalization and language preferences
• Banking features including transfers, deposits, and financial management tools
• Document repository for storing and accessing important paperwork
• Seamless integration with additional PickTrace products and services for a unified work-finance experience
• Clear visual hierarchy that prioritizes frequently used functions

Pay & Transfer

The Pay & Transfer features streamline financial transactions through modern technology:

• NFC (Near Field Communication) tap-to-pay functionality using virtual payment cards
• No physical card required, reducing potential for loss and fees for replacement
• Simple interface for sending money to friends and family both domestically and internationally
• Saved recipient list for frequent transfers to family members
• Real-time transaction notifications and confirmation
• Lower transfer fees compared to traditional wire services
• Ability to schedule recurring transfers for regular family support
• Transaction history with clear categorization between payments and transfers

Paystubs and Earnings History

Comprehensive payment tracking:

• Digital access to complete earnings history
• Integration with employer payment systems
• Verification tools for housing and services (income verification)
• Visual earnings trends over time

Design insight: using PickTrace’s Payroll solution, we are able to integrate comprehensive earning and payout information. Unlike traditional banking services, we can offer much more information on a person’s pay tied with their production tracking history.

Production Tracking & Rewards

This feature connects work performance with financial outcomes:

• Comprehensive view of current and historical production records
• Transparent display of performance-based pay calculations
• Visualization of bonus opportunities set by employers
• Achievement tracking for incentive programs
• Comparative metrics across locations by team
• Integration with PickTrace data for accurate performance measurement

Design insight: Pay Transparency is a pain we often heard about in the agriculture harvesting industry, historically, production tracking was done on paper, which was easily manipulated resulting in short pay. PickTrace’s mission was to create services that benefit the workers. I wanted to continue that mission by making sure production and pay could easily be connected reducing frustration and fear.

Prototype

Impact & Outcomes

While this is a concept, I treated it (mostly) like it was a product we’d design, build and ship. I wanted to make sure that I also included my thinking about potential impact.

Potential User Benefits

MiVista delivers substantial benefits to agricultural workers:

• Elimination of check cashing fees (saving 2-6% of earnings)
• Reduced cost for international transfers
• Secure storage of important documents
• Financial education tailored to their specific context
• Banking services accessible without traditional documentation

Business Outcomes

For agricultural employers and the financial ecosystem:

• Simplified payroll payment processing
• Reduced administrative overhead
• Increased worker satisfaction and retention (workers who used PickTrace services over traditional methods)
• More comprehensive financial inclusion
• Potential for ethical profit through scale rather than fees

Social Impact

The broader societal benefits include:

• Greater financial inclusion for underserved populations
• Reduced vulnerability to predatory financial services
• Improved financial literacy in agricultural communities
• Strengthened economic foundation for agricultural workforce
• Dignified financial services regardless of documentation status

Learnings & Next Steps

Key Insights

Throughout the MiVista design process, I gained valuable insights:

• Trust must be established before gathering user information
• Financial education needs to be contextually relevant (in this case, tied to a work product)
• Community and family networks play crucial roles in financial decisions
• Digital tools must accommodate varying levels of technical literacy
• Privacy concerns can be addressed through transparent design

Future Development Wishlist

Planned enhancements included:

• Expanded community lending features
• Integration with additional agricultural management systems
• Enhanced credit-building options
• Financial wellness scoring and recommendations
• Expanded educational content

Conclusion

MiVista demonstrates how thoughtful user experience design can address complex social and economic challenges. By deeply understanding the unique context of agricultural workers, we created a digital banking solution that provides meaningful financial inclusion for an underserved population.

The project illustrates how digital products can be forces for positive social change when designed with careful attention to users’ specific needs, constraints, and aspirations.