zdash Banking
Effortless banking for the modern generation
Throughout my journey in the digital world, I’ve had the pleasure of exploring numerous banking apps, each with its unique features and interfaces. The experience was enjoyable and enlightening. Recently, I’ve embarked on a new adventure with zdash, a fresh face in the banking app landscape. They’ve welcomed me aboard as a temporary Design Lead, entrusting me with the task of elevating their wireframes to final.
Type
Mobile App
Client
zdash Bank (Poland)
Site & Credits
Project canceled :(
" We want you to make it feel fresh and exciting! "
An old friend of mine moved back to his home country, Poland. One day, I received an email from him asking if I would be interested in doing the UI design for a new banking app.
"We want you to make it fresh and exciting," was the subject of that email. Having worked for bank clients in Switzerland in the past, and being a user of Revolut, Wise, and other similar services, I was excited to bring in the experience I had acquired over the past years.
UX always before UI
The extensive sitemap provided by the UX researcher gave a comprehensive overview of all the necessary pages. Subsequently, we created a more detailed version of the sitemap to identify the required elements, components, and patterns for the design system. I'm a person that needs to see the user flow, to be able to further optimize navigation and content. Thus, together, we worked on a high-level flow map to visualize what sections are on the pages and how users navigate from page to page.
Wireframes and Prototypes
While most of the wireframes were already provided by the UX researcher, I had the opportunity to offer feedback on the information architecture and further refine them. Interviews revealed that sending money to a new beneficiary is something people do frequently (myself included), so I wanted to make this as easy as possible and tweaked it. I was able to reduce the flow by four taps. Below, you can see the flow to do that, starting from the home screen.
- Create new vault ( top row )
- New payment to new beneficiary ( bottom row )
User first, business needs, also first...
My favorite part is UI design. I love creating a nice look and feel, something I would want to use myself. Of course, it's not always possible to create something entirely new or to experiment with a completely new approach in user experience, because users have certain expectations when it comes to apps or any product. Additionally, I need to consider business needs. It is always a balancing act, and design is very subjective. It's part of the job, and even though I don't always get what I wish for, compromising is also part of the job and I don't mind it.
Figma Components & Design System
I created a small design system to make sure that the design can by scaled up in the future. I usually take inspiration from other websites and apps, to get a grasp of all the common components we need. While working on the design itself, I'm figuring out all the colors, and typefaces. Components are made as soon as there are at least two of the same UI elements needed. Then, during the refinement phase, things usually change a little, until the whole system falls in place and settles.
More UI Examples
Conclusion
The task of transforming wireframes into a fully functional, user-friendly interface was no small feat. It required a deep understanding of the user’s needs and expectations, as well as a keen eye for detail. Balancing aesthetics with functionality was a constant tug-of-war. Ensuring the app’s design was intuitive and easy to navigate, while also being visually appealing, was a challenging. Furthermore, the need to incorporate advanced security features without compromising the user experience added another layer of complexity to the design process. Despite these challenges, the experience was incredibly rewarding, pushing me to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions.
