I led a 3-month UX case study for a challenger bank MVP, conducting research and usability testing that raised task success from 68% to 84%, cut transfer time by 40%, and was preferred by 60% of users over their current app.
Prototyping
Usability Testing
Branding
Visual Design
THE CHALLENGE
The Challenge: Designing a Challenger Bank MVP to Build Trust and Retention
I was tasked with developing an MVP for a challenger banking app concept. The goal was to redesign the mobile banking experience back to what it should be: simple, fast, and trustworthy.
The premise was straightforward: check your balance, move your money, get on with your day.
I approached this challenge under conditions that mirror early-stage product work: no research budget, no design system, and no brand identity. I led the full UX process from the ground up, conducting research, synthesizing insights, prototyping, testing, and refining every step along the way.
High-level goals were to:
Make core tasks feel effortless and immediate
Reduce friction by eliminating visual and cognitive noise
Build trust through clarity, personalization, and intentional design
SNEAK PEEK AT RESULTS
Impact at a Glance
Key results from usability testing and iterations:
Task completion improved: 68% to 84%
Avg. time on task reduced: ↓12% overall | ↓40% transfers
Ease-of-use rating: 3.8 to 4.6 / 5
User preference: 60% preferred prototype over their current app
RESEARCH
Understanding Mobile Banking Users
Before designing anything, I needed to know what users were actually experiencing. I created a multi-phase research study to uncover user priorities and pain points. Each research phase built on the last, ensuring that design decisions were both informed and user-centered, even without access to a live product or research budget.
The study focused on three simple questions:
What do users actually use their banking apps for?
Where do they struggle most?
What do they wish was better?
Phase 1
Desk Research
Using Gemini’s AI search and manual review, I analyzed:
150+ App Store reviews (SoFi, Chase, Citi)
Reddit threads and fintech articles
Independent studies on digital banking usability
Phase 2
User Survey
Surveyed 30 active mobile banking users to:
Spot patterns and prioritize features for the prototype.
Evaluate user satisfaction with: checking balance, sending money, transferring funds.
Uncover missing capabilities users expect.
Phase 3
User Interviews
Conducted 5 remote interviews to:
Dive deeper into user habits and expectations.
Understand mental model.
Validate insights from previous research phases.
USER INSIGHTS
Where Are Users Getting Stuck?
Research uncovered a clear gap between what users want to do and how banking apps are designed to work. Instead of helping users accomplish quick, everyday tasks, many interfaces create friction and confusion.
These issues significantly impacted user satisfaction and potentially, user retention. For branchless banks like SoFi, this is especially concerning, as the app serves as the sole touchpoint between the customer and the brand.
Three recurring pain points stood out:
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
What Are Existing Solutions Doing Well?
Before I could jump into designing, it was important to define success and understand what mobile banking apps were getting right.
My goal was to pinpoint specific usability problems with popular banking. I conducted a heuristic evaluation to systematically identify design weaknesses and uncover targeted opportunities for improvement.
I focused on SoFi, Chase, and Citi for this evaluation.
SoFi
Strengths 💪: Personalized insights, modern branding.
Weaknesses ❎: Visual clutter, overwhelming home screen.
Chase
Strengths 💪: Robust features
Weaknesses ❎: Complex navigation, too many deep links
Citi
Strengths 💪: Consistent branding, clean UI
Weaknesses ❎: Key actions hidden, limited shortcuts.
ITERATIONS
UI Decisions & Iterations
I aimed to create a modern, sleek interface that reflects the app’s intuitive and seamless user experience.
To achieve a playful yet sophisticated style, I explored both light and dark mode designs paired with bright accent colors.
Initially, I tested a predominantly blue palette a color often associated with trust. However, it felt too similar to other banking apps like Chase and SoFi, which rely heavily on blue as a primary accent.
To differentiate the brand, I shifted to a dark mode foundation accented with yellow and purple, a complementary pairing that adds vibrancy while evoking a sense of exclusivity.
I experimented with multiple gradient treatments, adjusting color intensities and pairings across several iterations of each screen. This process helped refine the balance between aesthetic appeal and usability.
USER FEEDBACK
Overall feedback indicated a smoother, more intuitive experience compared to the initial round of testing, Users quickly adapted to the interface with no prompting needed. After testing users were asked to rate the experience on ease of use. The average score came in at a 4.6/5.
"It was pretty straight forward, I thought it was really easy to use"
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
In summary, 60% of users ranked this prototype as being “easier to use” than their existing mobile banking app.
Testing showed a clear improvement with a decrease in average time spent on task of 12%. Users overall rated the experience as positive and intuitive, a key measure of success which would save users time and reduce friction.
