BMO Redesign
Category
App Design
Client
BMO
Year
Jan,2023 - April,2023
Introduction
The BMO Learning project aimed to attract newcomers to Canada as banking clients. As a team, we discovered that newcomers are often budget-conscious and unfamiliar with Canadian banking. To address this, they developed a gamified app that rewards users for learning about banking through tutorials. The app helps newcomers understand BMO's services, showcasing its advantages over competitors, with the goal of converting them into clients.
My Role
Problem
Newcomers to Canada often face challenges navigating the banking system. The existing BMO learning platform was overwhelming, with complex information and limited personalization, leading to reduced engagement and frustration. This highlighted the need for a more accessible and user-friendly solution.
Difficult Navigation
Users found it difficult to use the platform and had trouble finding the information they needed.
Too much information
The content was too much and confusing, making it frustrating for users to understand financial topics.
Lack of Personalization
The platform wasn’t tailored to users, making it less engaging and the learning resources less helpful.
Goal
The primary goal was to create a seamless, intuitive learning experience that simplified complex financial topics for users. The focus was on enhancing navigation, providing personalized learning paths, and presenting information in a more digestible manner. By doing so, BMO aimed to improve user engagement, boost financial literacy, and empower users to make better financial decisions with confidence.
Impact
The improved BMO learning experience significantly enhanced newcomers' understanding of Canadian banking. Simplified navigation, digestible content, and personalized learning paths made the platform more user-friendly. These improvements fostered greater trust and loyalty towards BMO, with users feeling more confident in their banking decisions.
Design Process
The design process involved several key stages:
Research
Ideation
Launch
Interviews
To ensure that the solution was user-centric, we developed two key user personas, Amir and Sophia.
These personas helped us understand the unique needs and goals of newcomers and kept our focus on creating a solution that addressed their challenges effectively.
Learning From Interview
The design process involved several key stages:
Comfort with Banking
Participants had varying familiarity with the Canadian banking system, which informed our decision to create tutorials for different experience levels.
User Goals
Participants' goals varied, with students focusing on budgeting and professionals prioritizing investments, leading to tailored learning paths.
Awareness
Many participants struggled with financial products, so we created simplified, step-by-step tutorials to enhance understanding.
From Insights to Innovation
Based on user research, we identified key challenges with the platform: overwhelming content and poor mobile accessibility. We realized that a dedicated mobile app could provide a more intuitive and engaging experience, ultimately meeting newcomers' needs in a more effective way.
Lo-Fi Wireframe & Flows
The lo-fi wireframes served as a blueprint to quickly test and iterate design ideas, ensuring they aligned with user needs before moving on to high-fidelity prototypes.
User Testing
We conducted user testing with newcomers to validate our design. We used a feedback grid to gather insights, which helped us refine navigation, simplify content, and enhance personalization, making the app more engaging and accessible.
In summary, we identified the essential features that should be included in the app to meet user needs effectively.
Final Design
Reflection
Frequent usability testing helped me understand how different user skill levels impact interactions with financial platforms. Iterating based on real feedback ensured the design remained intuitive and accessible.
Designing for financial literacy requires more than just aesthetics—it demands a deep understanding of user needs. I learned that simplifying content and providing clear navigation significantly improves comprehension and engagement.
Working with stakeholders, developers, and designers taught me how to balance business objectives with user needs. Leveraging team strengths and aligning on a shared vision played a crucial role in creating an impactful experience.
Every design element, from word choice to interaction flow, contributes to how much users trust the platform. Ensuring clarity and reducing friction in key tasks helped build a sense of security and reliability in the experience.
