Quick setup, recruitment, and results: How a lead UX researcher at Klarna leverages UsabilityHub

Klarna, a leading fintech company, operates across 22 countries and extends its reach to 45 countries globally. Fuelled by a diverse workforce of 5,000+ individuals representing 100+ nationalities, Klarna is dedicated to meeting the financial needs of an impressive 150 million consumers globally.

With over a decade of experience in user research, Sonal Malhotra, User Research Lead at Klarna, set out to find a versatile solution for their research needs.

Sonal supports a team of 400 people focused on optimizing Klarna's core payment methods and is part of a 10-person research team that serves the entire organization's research needs. Given the extensive, international nature of the team, the new research tool had to be user-friendly and provide easy access to research participants, with swift response times.

After a recommendation from a fellow UX researcher, UsabilityHub ticked all of the boxes. We spoke with Sonal about how Klarna’s research team uses UsabilityHub to develop their product and maintain a strong alignment with user expectations and perceptions.

Challenge

Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and spanning operations across 22 additional countries, the need for rigorous testing is paramount to Sonal’s UX research team. 

The organization's core research responsibilities revolve around medium-length surveys that address critical subjects, including:
- Evaluating their value proposition
- Conducting preference tests for designs and illustrations
- A/B testing
- Assessing how users perceive features
- Verifying naming and terminology

Sonal relied on Decipher for extensive surveys and Iterate for in-app surveys. However, Decipher's complexity and limitations for screen-specific questions and Iterate's focus solely on brief in-app surveys posed significant challenges in conducting comprehensive and versatile user research.

Sonal’s team found themselves in need of a research tool that could give them the flexibility to craft different surveys.

Solution

When Sonal started the search for a more versatile solution, there were several top priorities that emerged, including:
- A user-friendly UI/UX 
- The ability to design simple, medium-length surveys with ease
- The flexibility to conduct preference tests 
- The ability to recruit participants from a research panel, with fast turnaround of results

The outstanding UI/UX of UsabilityHub enhances my work experience on the platform.

Sonal Malhotra

UX Research Lead

After a thorough comparison with alternative options, UsabilityHub emerged as the leading choice. Attest was one of the options considered, however it lacked a substantial participant base in the US, reinforcing UsabilityHub as the preferred selection.

“Using UsabilityHub, I've experienced remarkable efficiency in creating short to mid-length surveys, especially those involving screens. The process is seamless and free of hurdles when detailed screeners aren't needed. 

“The quick turnaround time for results from US participants has been a game changer,” shares Sonal.

I consistently receive responses on the same day or the following day, greatly aiding my interactions with various stakeholders.

Sonal Malhotra

UX Research Lead

Results

By integrating UsabilityHub into the research workflow, Sonal and the Klarna UX research team have witnessed many notable impacts.  

“We conducted a survey to comprehend user expectations and perceptions of payment terminology across Klarna's offerings. This effort enabled us to fine-tune the naming of various concepts and products company-wide, leading to standardized naming conventions and improved brand coherence,“ shared Sonal.

Continuing with another survey that focused on evaluating Klarna's value proposition, Sonal explains, “Through this, we gained insights into which Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) were most relevant to our users. This informed our strategy of showcasing the top three USPs during initial encounters with our brand at merchant checkouts.”

According to Sonal, "the experience of crafting surveys with UsabilityHub is truly a joy. Its swift and user-friendly interface not only brings comfort to the process but also makes it a delight.”

This is why UsabilityHub has become my go-to tool for quick surveys.

Sonal Malhotra

UX Research Lead