People First Bank

Mobile-friendly banking experience for millennials and Gen Z, from browsing the homepage to opening a bank account

timeline

Jun - Aug 2024 (7 weeks)

My role

UI design, usability testing, competitor analysis

target audience

Gen Z: 18-25 years old
Millennials: 25-40 years

context

People First Bank (PFB) is a new mutual bank formed from the merger of Heritage Bank and People’s Choice in Australia. Since the bank has shifted their focus to a younger audience, which is quite different than their existing customer segment. My role was to design a homepage and sign-up process from scratch, tailored to this demographic.

what's a mutual bank?

A mutual bank is owned by its customers. When you have an account, you're part-owner, and the bank's profits go back to customers through better services or lower fees.

at a glance

My design proposal focuses on browsing through sections like "Why choose People First Bank", "About People First Bank", and the account-opening process, specifically in mobile view.

Homepage - hero image

Homepage - menu

Homepage - about PFB

Login for new PFB customers

existing research methodology

Prior to my involvement in the project, People First Bank collaborated with 6 user researchers to study the banking behaviour of young people in early 2024.

Methodology

Goal

103 respondents from 3 surveys

1. Gain understanding of mutual banks
2. Explore current banking habits
3. Identify preferred user experience and technology

32 user interviews

1. Gain first hand perspective on banking preferences
2. Understand the motivations of switching to a new bank

Secondary research

Understand existing bank services and general financial behaviour

existing research findings

Lack of understanding of mutual banks: find ways to clearly and simply highlight the differences and benefits of mutual banks.
Fees and rates drive decision-making: find ways for the audience to compare products/rates in real terms (e.g., How much money am I saving/does it cost?).
Millennials are interested in budgeting, tracking, and transfers.
Over 60% of Gen Z and millennials browse banking services on mobile.

defining the MVP

PFB had a clear proposition and captured abundant research insights, but their design was still in an exploratory phase with only a basic landing page.
After discussions with stakeholders, we agreed that the homepage and sign-up process would be the top priorities.

hmw statement

How might we make users feel comfortable using a mutual bank like People First Bank?

How might we make the sign-up process easier and quicker?

How might we educate Gen Z about mutual banks?

ideation

I sketched a handful of ideas addressing the needs of young people who mainly seek price-competitive banking services and credible financial information for their banking practices.

design focus

PFB initially considered broad directions, such as highlighting why users should join PFB and enabling online account sign-up. I then expanded on these features, using my judgement based on the research, to tailor them more specifically to the target audience.

final prototype

Why PFB

Objective
To boost customer confidence to sign up with PFB

This was added to the homepage, as the research indicated that fees and rates are crucial decision-making factors.

Before sign up

Objective
To give new PFB customers a clear message

I proposed a document checklist so that users could review before opening an account.

Before signing up with People First Bank

During sign up

Objective
To enable applicants to keep track of account opening progress

A progress indicator was introduced to guide users through the account-opening process, which helps increase the conversion rate from casual browsing to becoming a PFB customer.

After sign up

Objective
To provide applicants with follow up and support

I proposed having a reference number and account verification to ensure applicants know what to do post-application.

usability testing

Within 2 weeks, I spoke with 7 people and collected 25 responses from preference tests related to UI and content. All participants were based in NSW and VIC, aged between 20-40.

what test users validated about my design

Homepage

Detail

Just the right amount of information

Most users found the content neither too long nor too short and could easily scroll through.

Eye-catching hero banner

50% of users found the hero banner eye-catching, encouraging them to scroll further.

Easy-to-spot account opening

5 out of 7 believed the design felt authentic for a bank, with some asking, “Is this live already?”

Loved quotes like “Full transparency, no hidden fees”

Users resonated with the statement, “Full transparency, no hidden fees,” as it aligned with the research findings.

Easy-to-read icons and text

Users found the 'Why People First Bank' section easy to scan, as they could quickly associate the icons with the headings. This saved them time from having to read through the full body text.

Sign up

Detail

Easy account opening

All participants found the account opening process straightforward and easy to follow

Clear navigation

Clear navigation with a back button and progress indicator

what test users expected more of in the design

Homepage

Detail

Infuse more Gen Z elements to make the website more playful to young people

Example. illustrations, GIFs, short videos, 3D animations

Include visuals of relevant banking products because that’s what drives them to open a bank account

Example. monthly statements, mobile banking app previews

Provide information about security, reassuring users that their money is safe with PFB

Example. tips on avoiding scam calls and how to handle fraudulent transactions

Sign up

Detail

Create a more realistic and detailed sign-up process

Example. address potential issues if sign-up fails

Allow users to upload multiple documents at once

Example. upload an ID document and proof of address simultaneously

Reduce wordiness on the confirmation page to avoid confusion

Not applicable

next steps

Identify preferred styles and design elements

Younger users tend to pay more attention to illustrations, iconography, animations, and shorter phrases. Which approach should we take so that PFB not only conveys its competitive edge but also stays aligned with the target audience?

Understand key content users are most interested in on the homepage

How can we maximise user interest to incentivise them to become clients of PFB?

Map out the sign-up process with different scenarios

A more complicated process with less favourable scenarios, for example: How can people seek assistance? How can we help users resume where they left off?

client feedback