Patronscan
2023
Identity Verification for Age-Restricted Commerce
Patronscan has the mission to create safe environments and trustworthy relationships through online ID verification.
Overview
At a Glance
Patronscan needed a mobile-first ID verification experience for age-restricted online purchases. The goal was to help businesses verify customers securely while keeping the process straightforward for legitimate users.
My Role
I led the end-to-end design, from UX audits, user research, and stakeholder interviews through information architecture, user flows, wireframing, UI design, and design system implementation. I worked closely with Product and Engineering to validate usability and refine the experience through delivery. Without a dedicated Product Owner, I also owned the Product Requirements Document (PRD), helping define features, prioritize scope, and align stakeholders around project goals.
The Impact
Delivered a scalable verification flow for e-commerce experiences, bringing identity checks into a cohesive mobile-first journey.
Challenge
Understanding the Problem
Businesses selling age-restricted products needed reliable identity checks without making checkout unnecessarily difficult. The challenge was to support fraud detection and regulatory requirements while helping legitimate customers complete verification across different devices.
Research
Understanding the Market
To better understand user expectations and industry standards, I conducted a comprehensive review of existing mobile identity verification solutions.
The objective was to identify:
Common verification patterns
Areas of user friction
Accessibility considerations
Opportunities for differentiation
Technical limitations across mobile devices
Competitive Analysis
Onfido
Onfido’s clean, security-focused experience highlighted how clear instructions, thoughtful white space, and visual cues can improve readability and build trust.
Jumio
Jumio’s web and mobile experiences demonstrated strong onboarding and simplified flows that reduce cognitive load, although some visual patterns felt dated and less approachable.
Trulioo
Trulioo’s approach to international identity verification combined a modern interface with clear colour hierarchy, guiding users through complex requirements while balancing security and usability.
Based on research findings, we established three core product principles:
1. Accessibility First
The verification process needed to work for users with varying levels of technical proficiency and across a wide range of devices.
2. Accuracy Without Friction
Security requirements were critical, but not at the expense of user completion rates.
3. Build Trust Through Clarity
Users are often hesitant to submit personal identification online. Every screen needed to reinforce security, transparency, and confidence.
Solution
Defining the Experience
Early Concepts
I created wireframes, user flows, blueprints, and functional prototypes to validate the verification journey before development began.
Working closely with engineering throughout the process allowed us to identify technical constraints early and avoid costly redesigns later.
First Iteration
Our initial concept included custom facial guidance overlays that would help users position their faces correctly during verification.
The goal was to:
Improve image quality
Reduce verification failures
Increase completion rates
Technical Constraints
During implementation planning, we identified significant development complexity associated with building a custom facial guidance system.
After evaluating effort versus impact, we pivoted to a solution that leveraged native iOS and Android camera experiences.
This decision allowed us to:
Reduce development time
Maintain verification accuracy
Deliver a faster path to market
Second Iteration
The revised experience focused on:
Native camera interactions
Clear instructional guidance
Simplified verification steps
Reduced cognitive load
The result was a more streamlined and scalable verification flow while still meeting business and security requirements.
Final Designs
The final product delivered a mobile-first identity verification experience capable of validating government-issued identification and helping businesses prevent underage purchases.
The solution provided:
Secure ID verification
Fraud and counterfeit ID detection
Mobile-first usability
Reduced friction throughout the verification process
Seamless integration into age-restricted purchasing flows
Secure Document Capture
Guided users through accurate document submission with clear instructions and real-time validation guidance.
Identity Authentication
Verified user authenticity through biometric liveness checks, strengthening security and compliance requirements.
Verification Workflow Management
Provided a centralized view of verification progress, helping users complete requirements with confidence.
Verification Complete
Confirmed a successful verification outcome, providing users with immediate confidence and clarity on their account status.
Outcome
Key Learnings
We launched a mobile-first ID verification flow for age-restricted online purchases, guiding users through ID capture and liveness checks with clear instructions. A key decision was replacing custom facial guidance overlays with native iOS and Android camera experiences after engineering identified the development complexity. This helped reduce development time while retaining the required verification checks. The project taught me to weigh implementation effort against user value and adapt the design without losing sight of its core purpose.
