Isibanc:
Simplifying Online Bank Account Creation
Duration: January – February 2024
Context: Academic project for the Google UX Design Certificate.
Challenge: Design a seamless user flow for opening an online personal bank account.
Solution: Isibanc enables users to create a bank account online effortlessly, whether on desktop or mobile, with a streamlined and intuitive design.
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The problem:
Opening a personal bank account is often a cumbersome process. Traditional banks require excessive information, demand in-person visits, and involve lengthy procedures that frustrate users and hinder accessibility.
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Objective:
Design a fast, efficient, and secure user flow that allows individuals to open a personal bank account online—anytime, anywhere, and from any device.
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My role:
As a digital nomad, I’ve faced the challenges of opening bank accounts on the move. Inspired by these experiences and insights from the nomad community, I led all stages of the project, from research to final designs, to create a simple and efficient solution.
Let’s understand the user
In-depth interviews.
Persona.
In-depth interviews
6 individuals (2 men, 4 women) aged 23–40 from the UK, USA, Canada, and Costa Rica. 50% remote workers.
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"I'm always wary of my data security."
Users appreciate when the process stays within the same platform, without redirects to other tabs or third-party apps.
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"I want the process to be quick and immediate approval."
Waiting days or weeks for back-and-forth paperwork creates a frustrating experience.
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"I don't like when they try to upsell me so many things."
Opening a new account often involves unnecessary steps pushing users to pay for services they don’t fully understand.
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"Upfront transparency about the process."
Users want clarity on the time required and the steps involved before starting the process.
Persona
John, a software engineer
Who travels frequently, needs a secure way to manage his finances online. He wants to open and manage a personal bank account easily, quickly, and safely.
😡 Main Frustration: Concerns about data and money security, and being unable to complete formalities when the bank requires in-person visits while he’s abroad.
Starting to design
Sequential Sitemap.
Low fidelity digital prototypes.
Unmoderated usability study.
Sequential Sitemap
Low fidelity digital prototypes
Main flow:
Account creation
Secondary flows:
Home Screen & General Account Info Screen
Unmoderated usability study
65 individuals aged 30–40 in Costa Rica completed specific tasks and shared feedback on their experience.
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The duration of each step varies by user, so providing exact times per step could be misleading.
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The tone should remain professional, even for modern banks, as this is what makes me trust the bank.
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Essential vs. Optional Data: Keep the process quick and efficient, only key information is required.
Design Changes
1.
Integrate Verification Technologies:
Instead of requiring users to manually enter all their personal document details, we’ll use verification technologies to streamline the process and enable instant verification.
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Immediate Confirmation:
Instead of a confirmation code, users receive an email with their username and password to access the account dashboard instantly, eliminating waiting time.
Results
The Final Design.
The Final Design
Upfront Transparency:
Users stressed the importance of knowing requirements and duration before starting. We ensured clarity by outlining needs in each step and providing time estimates for each.
Quick Process & Instant Access:
Streamlined into 3 steps, with step 3 enabling immediate verification via ID photo upload. Access details are emailed instantly, allowing immediate account access.
Data Safety:
Security is a key concern in fintech, which is why leveraging the latest and most secure verification technologies is essential. This not only ensures data protection but also speeds up the onboarding process while fostering user trust.
Impact & Learnings
Impact.
Next Steps for Improvement.
Impact
Since this was an academic project, its impact on users or the number of bank account openings cannot be quantified.
“I love that it’s fast and so easy, because normally banks make the process too slow and you can’t use the account right away.”
—Participant D
Next Steps for Improvement
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Research the process more thoroughly:
Dive deeper into online bank account creation, overcoming limitations like country-specific restrictions.
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Conduct additional usability tests:
Use feedback to refine the design for a final iteration.
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Explore advanced security technologies:
Investigate more thoroughly innovative online security solutions for banks to enhance trust and safety.