Making it Easy to Choose a Checking Account

Project Overview
Checking account applications had been quietly tanking for the last two years. A huge contributor was the website — our digital experience was outdated, confusing, and full of banking jargon. Time to fix it.
My Role
UI Designer, UX Researcher & Content Strategist
The Problem
The site was working against our users in three big ways:
  • A complicated, multi-step application process with high drop-off rates.
  • Account pages that failed to communicate value or differentiate products.
  • Minimal interactive elements to help users make informed decisions.
Objectives
  • Increase online checking account applications by 25%.
  • Create a more intuitive, user-friendly digital experience.
  • Clearly communicate account benefits and requirements.

Old landing pages

Here’s what users were greeted with: uninspired layouts, vague content, and zero clear reason to pick anything. Not very enticing, right?

Outdated detail pages

Unorganized, overloaded, and confusing. The previous account pages read more like internal documentation than a user experience.
Our Users
Crafting the Personas                                   
Alex Carter: Digital Devotee
Mid-40s marketing coordinator who'd rather die than enter a bank branch.
✔ Seeks advanced, tech-forward banking solutions.
✔ Values online convenience and feature-rich platforms.
Emily Johnson: The Pragmatist
24-year-old waitress who needs banking to work with her schedule, not the other way around. Has exactly 15 minutes to deposit her checks during break.
✔ Needs both digital convenience and personal banking interactions.
✔ Values quick and efficient services.
Research & Testing
In Other Words: Stop Assuming and Ask the Users
The Research Phase
I kicked things off with a stakeholder meeting, because that's what professionals do 😉. We looked at business requirements, customer expectations, and what might actually make someone excited (as much as you can be) about a checking account.
Next, I ran a design sprint with the team, where we generated ideas and voted on features. Here's a more detailed look into the sprint:
  • Problem Definition
    • Used stakeholder meeting insights.
    • Incorporated user research findings.
    • Established a clear design objective.
  • Rapid Sketching
    • 10-minute intensive sketching session.
    • Multiple team members generating concepts.
    • Focus on solving identified user pain points.
  • Dot Voting Method
    • Objective feature and concept selection.
    • Narrowed down to 2 primary design concepts.
    • Identified key feature options.
Meanwhile, I conducted a survey asking our demographic what they valued in a checking account. I also evaluated competitors to help determine a better user flow and did an analysis on comparison tables.

Design sprint sketches

Initial designs I came up with during the 10 minute session.

Low fidelity designs

After voting on ideas, I moved into Figma to start mocking up the wireframes.
Survey results: What Users Care About
Banking Priorities:
  • Great online/mobile experience
  • All the free stuff
  • Customer service (we actually have real people answering phones 😮)
  • Local presence
Must-Have Features:
  • E-transfers
  • Direct deposit
  • Simple transaction data
  • Mobile check deposit
  • Zelle
Research & Testing Continued
"Whenever I get a new checking account, I feel like if I'm paying a monthly fee, I'm just putting money away in the account and giving it away."
Usability Testing
Putting My Design in Front of Real People
The Methods
#1. Moderated Usability Study
I recruited 15 participants to test my prototypes. The key to these tests are to remain completely objective, build rapport with everyone, and never ask leading questions. Oh, and be able to go off script if necessary. Super easy.  
Pro tip: Always say "I didn't design this", that way they'll feel free to bash it.
Top Takeaways:
  • Account names and "premium" classification are confusing and meaningless to users.
  • Fees are a top priority, but users struggle to understand fee structures and what makes them avoidable.
  • Users want clearer feature explanations and easy ways to compare accounts side-by-side.
  • 40% of users completely missed the "Help Me Decide" feature; an indication that it should be moved or made more prominent.
  • 67% users thought the card order made no sense and wanted it ordered by price. (I tried to tell stakeholders this before, but would they listen? No.)

Affinity diagramming marathon

Here's where I organized all the sticky note comments into clusters that represent themes. The idea is to group notes with similar ideas, issues, or functionality.
#2. Comparison Table Preference Test
I didn't want to reinvent the wheel on this one, so I did a competitor analysis as a quick tool for determining the design direction.  
After feedback from the team and a few iterations, I had 2 viable versions. I then ran a preference test to pick the winner. 93% of users preferred Option 2, possibly the largest majority in user testing results ever. (You'll see the 2 options below).

Competitor analysis

I conducted a competitor analysis to get familiar with the best practices in designing comparison tables.

Preference Test

I ran an internal test to compare these 2 versions of a comparison table. I used fake table data unrelated to banking to eliminate brand bias.
#3. Combo Test – Preference + Usability
These results were significantly less significant:
  • Design One: 52% preferred it, 2% loved it, 19% had negative reactions
  • Design Two: 48% preferred it, 25% loved it, 11% had negative reactions
  • Impressions of the page were extremely positive overall.
  • The biggest concern was page length, which was a concern for 10% of testers.
The results were so close that there was still no clear decision we could make. My recommended solution: A/B test it live and let real-life user behavior decide.

Usability test data

Sorting and coding responses for 100 testers. This test was a combination of usability and preference, in order to get more feedback on the designs after they had been updated based on feedback from the previous usability test.
#4. Account Features Survey
I asked users to rank our checking account features from the most to least important. I also asked which banking terms confused them because, let's face it, banking jargon is not common knowledge. I feel like most of my job is trying to figure out what the names of our products even mean, and translating that into normal language.
Top 10 Features:
  • Double Credit Card Rewards
  • Credit Score & Monitoring
  • Identity Theft Protection
  • Shopping Rewards
  • Free ATM refunds
  • Interest Bearing
  • Free Checks (surprising)
  • Automated Bill Payment
  • Free Stop Payments
  • Free Gift Cards
What Users Hated = What I Fixed
Problem 1: Confusing Account Benefits and Unclear Value Proposition
Are there even benefits to this account?? (What most users say, probably). A lack of compelling evidence that our accounts add any value to your life was a huge problem. My solution:
  • Created a clear, visual hierarchy highlighting value to the customer.
  • Stripped out all the banking jargon and explained what things meant in human language.
From Research to Reality
Making Changes Based on User Research
Problem 2: Hidden Fee Information
Hiding fees does not make people wanna buy it more. You know that feeling when a website says "Inquire for details" about price? Exactly. My solution:
  • Developed clear, upfront sections for account details.
  • Made requirements clear.
  • Stopped playing hide-and-seek with important information.

Clear Fee Description

I used clear language, "How to avoid the fee", to link users to the modal that describes exactly what it says it will. I updated mobile screens to a sheet style modal for better usability.
Problem 3: Disconnected Pages
Our site had users jumping around between different account pages, coming from different places. It was inefficient and confusing. My solution:
  • Created a logical user flow.
  • Connected related information.
Problem 4: Unclear Account Differentiation
Other than the names, users couldn't tell our accounts apart or why they should choose one over the other. (Let alone why they should choose one over the competition). My solution:
  • Revamped the comparison tool for mobile-friendly design.
  • Added more user controls for easy and quicker comparison.
  • Improved readability and ease of comparing account features.
next steps
I plan to run an A/B test to determine the optimal version of the cards layout.
Expected Impact
We're aiming for a 25-30% increase in conversion rates, which seems reasonable given the total renovation of these pages. I'm basing this on:
  • Showing fees upfront
  • A comparison tool that works like a dream on mobile
  • A user journey that makes sense
  • Clear value propositions
What I Learned from this project
Data is your friend when dealing with stakeholders. The more tests backing up your point, the harder it is for them to say no. User testing footage is particularly effective - it makes a more compelling case and builds empathy for the users.
Current Status
Design phase: Complete ✓
Development: Pending...
What's Next
From Design to Launch and Beyond
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