Biometric login

[Tosin-Balogun]

What

Biometric login provides users a shortcut to the traditional username and password process for logging into digital services. It replaces them entering their details by typing it into the input with using their face or finger print to skip that process thus making it a convenient alternative

Why

Biometrics helps users by meeting one of the usability heuristics of interface design 'recognition rather than recall'.

Quite often with traditional login models, users often have to remember their user name and password combination. This can be difficult if the user has been using many digital services thus may struggle to recall which username and password combination they have used for the specific services they want to access.

Jacob Nielsen expands on recognition rather than recall

Humans have limited short-term memories. Interfaces that promote recognition reduce the amount of cognitive effort required from users."

User behaviour insights

We tested with 6 users total across mix of demographic profiles, some were low vision, colour blind and cognitive needs. Across all, there was a strong preference for using biometrics as their means to log onto the app. One user showed a strong preference for email login. What seems consistent was that users had strong preferences for their chosen login method.

P1 "It's facial recognition...yeah, its no problem" immediately puts phone close to face on biometric prompt "gone to Face ID, tick, its logged me in"

P2 "I don't know if they have it...every time I have done it, I have been annoyed...the face authentication kind of thing... it takes longer to log because my details are longer. I use it [FaceID] a lot, for logging into everything pretty much. Like, if you are paying for stuff. I just feel like its really helpful because its quick and easy

User assumed they had logged in even when presented with an error page. Later, user realised and says "usually it does a little vibration [haptics] or something to say that like, its an error or it didn't recognise it [their face] or something or it usually says FaceID, try again or something, that's what it normally does but it [prototype] didn't do that, it just switched onto the we could not log you in page"

P3 "Majority of them [how they log into apps] is just finger print...I prefer it to be honest. You end up forgetting your password a lot of the time, it just makes it easier"

Even though user is told it [prototype] won't read their face, they immediately bring the phone closer to their face on biometric prompt

P4 "You follow the screen...it ask if you for email. [On using FaceID] That's straight forward really, it was just pressing the app to open it up and it just read my face.

On trying biometrics again, user picks up the phone and brings it close to their face "I'm really sorry, I just think because it wasn't right up on my face, it didn't pick up my features.

When asked about FaceID "Its on my phone, its on some of the other apps"

Detail

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Reference

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/