Tax Tech Revolution: Designing HubSync's user-centric website and innovative mobile app
Mission
Our project with HubSync, a leader in tax automation SaaS platforms, had several dimensions. But our key focus was the development of a user-friendly mobile app and creating engaging marketing materials which truly resonate with their audience. From websites to videos, we injected a consistent visual style that epitomizes HubSync's ethos.
Outcome
Working closely with HubSync, we were able to create an engaging and highly informative website. The design incorporated a cohesive brand language across all platforms. And then we took it up a notch, designing an intuitive mobile app. This wasn't just any app, it was custom-designed from the ground up to simplify the often daunting task of filing a 1040 tax return.
Impact
With features such as document uploading, scanning, and seamless messaging capabilities, we've bridged the gap between clients and their CPAs, making tax return processes a breeze. We are truly proud of this innovative, user-friendly solution that is making waves in the tax industry.
Highlights
- HubSync is a SaaS company focused on tax automation.
- Founded in 2019 by an ex Global CIO of KPMG.
- Counts some of the largest 20 CPA firms in the US as clients.
- Has raised $6.4m funding over 2 rounds.
- More than 50 employees.
Objectives
- To design a user-friendly mobile app for HubSync from the ground up.
- To develop a design which simplifies the process of filing a 1040 tax return.
- To enable easy document uploading and scanning, improving user experience.
- To create engaging and informative marketing materials for HubSync.
- To design a website for HubSync that is as engaging as it is informative.
- To follow a consistent visual style across the website, videos, and mobile app.
Our client, HubSync, is a leading provider of tax and audit preparation software for accounting firms. Their mission is to revolutionize the tax industry with a modern, digitally transformed CPA world. And this mission is backed up by great expertise in the field. The founder and CEO of the company has more than three decades of experience in building tax software for accounting firms, having previously been a key technology executive at Deloitte and KPMG. And HubSync is the industry’s first fully digital, end-to-end productivity platform for top CPA firms.
HubSync approached Tenscope to create a modern and user-friendly mobile app to complement their tax preparation platform and enable their users to access their services on-the-go. HubSync also needed a new website design. So Tenscope designers rolled up their sleeves and joined our client’s mission to create a digital and intuitive tax organizer.
Approach
With HubSync's high standards as our benchmark, we started our work process by hosting collaborative workshops with the product team to establish the project's parameters. We also communicated with the development team to ensure a smooth transition and created a roadmap for a design project.
Our goal was to design the mobile iteration of the app from the ground up, ensuring it not only mirrors the HubSync web platform but also enhances it with an even more user-friendly and modern aesthetic. We analyzed the client's reference materials to ensure that the design was consistent with their brand.
The app aims to connect individual taxpayers and accountants from CPA firms, allowing them to collaborate and fill in the IRS 1040 form quickly and easily. We had this target audience and product vision in mind when designing the consumer version of the app.
Mobile App
UX Functionality
We took the functionality of the tax preparation platform as a base, tailoring it to mobile devices and making it clearer and more precise. The mobile app designed for HubSync has easy onboarding log-in pages and a home screen featuring a progress bar.
A personalized tax checklist guides users through the tax preparation process step-by-step. We worked closely with our client's tax experts to ensure that the checklist was accurate and easy to follow.
We also designed a scanner feature which enables users to upload their tax documents directly from their mobile devices, making it easy for them to access their information and track their progress in real time.
Users simply take a photo of the document and upload it to the app. The documents collected are stored automatically in HubSync for easy retrieval. Filters indicate which documents had been uploaded and which still need to be scanned.
Clients can answer a questionnaire to ensure that the documents are accepted by the tax office. The app also has a messaging feature which allows clients to communicate directly with their accountants.
This app’s functionality allows users to snap, send, and sort tax documentation in no time.
In addition to the HubSync mobile application, we also designed a contemporary website for our client.
Website design
We undertook the task of designing HubSync's website, ensuring that the design was consistent with the app and its overarching brand identity.
The web design provides a minimalistic contemporary look and a more user-friendly website which effortlessly guides the user.
The landing pages effectively convey the company's mission and the team's proficiency, as well as the advantages of the product, all through well-designed call-to-action elements. Moreover, the design astutely steers visitor attention towards scheduling a demo of the product, courtesy of a prominently displayed call-to-action button.
Collaboration
Our team worked closely with the product owner and the development team to ensure that the design was aligned with the client's requirements. Together with the client, we created a roadmap for the project, and in three months, we finished designing the app.
Communication was key throughout the project, with regular updates and feedback provided by the client. The HubSync team shared with Tenscope their rich tax expertise and extensive research into the needs and preferences of their users. By integrating this invaluable information with established UX best practices and our expertise in digital product design, we crafted a truly user-centric design.
Results
This productive collaboration gave rise to a sleek, digital platform which empowers clients to upload tax documents directly from their mobile devices with ease. The user interface design is clear and intuitive, making it easy for users to navigate the app. We made sure that the app was foolproof and could be used by anyone, regardless of their experience with tax preparation software.
The project was a resounding success. The app is now in use by thousands of users, and we continue to have an exceptional working relationship with the client. The result was a digital platform that truly revolutionizes the tax industry, cementing HubSync's position as a trailblazer in the field.
Tenscope was able to successfully design a mobile app that complements HubSync's tax preparation platform. The app isn't just an add-on, but an integral, user-friendly part of the tax preparation process - simplifying tasks for CPA firms and taking the edge off tax-related anxieties for individual taxpayers.
Designing a mobile app for a tax platform is a complex process which requires careful consideration of the needs of different user groups. If you're sitting on a project idea and need the aid of seasoned UI/UX professionals experienced in the product field, we're just a message away. Don't hesitate to contact us and let's bring your idea to life together!