Sebastian Hernandez is a Senior User Experience Specialist in the FinTech Research Department at the Bank of Canada. His research interests include accessibility of digital currency and payments.
Prior to joining the Bank he worked in the Aerospace and Defense field as a Human Factors Specialist on various projects including the Canadian Maritime Helicopter Project.
He received his M.Sc. In Applied Ergonomics and Human Factors from the University of Nottingham and a B.A.Sc. of Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo.
Offline functionality is a key consideration for a potential CBDC. We describe the different types of offline functionality based on their duration outside of network connection—either intermittent (for short periods) or extended (for longer periods). We discuss the advantages and drawbacks of each and consider implications for end-user devices, system resilience and universal accessibility.
We explore the consumer value proposition of a hypothetical Digital Canadian Dollar, adoption considerations and the users who would benefit most from this potential new payment method. We employ a design-thinking consultation methodology, allowing participants to interact with research prototypes of increasing complexity to reveal user preferences, constraints and adoption influences.
We propose a framework for designing cognitively accessible payment and banking interfaces through design guidelines, testing and proposed measures to optimize system learnability and user workload. We include, as a case study, the results of testing this framework with users with cognitive disabilities, using a prototype system for voice payments.
We explore quantitative and qualitative information about Canadians who face barriers to making digital payments. We also consider the implications of ongoing digitalization for modern financial inclusion and a potential central bank digital currency.
