Fintech · Mobile · FNBO · 2021–2024
Rescuing a banking app: 2.3 to 4.7 stars
An outside agency built FNBO's mobile banking app, and it landed badly: dated, and missing basics like autopay, real-time alerts, and self-serve disputes. I led the redesign, shaped by 18 months of listening to users.
Role
Senior Product Designer
Company
First National Bank of Omaha
(FNBO)
Platforms
iOS & Android
Team
PM, UX researcher, mobile development leads
+48%
increase in iOS star rating
+42%
increase in Android star rating
+16%
increase in user engagement
Before
After
The Problem
The first version was contracted to an outside agency and poorly received at launch. It looked dated for a brand-new app and lacked key features. My goal was to improve the overall experience and add the features customers expected.
Research & Insights
18 months of listening
I gathered feedback in the app and from app store reviews, and compared other large banks' apps to find patterns.
Tested early
Prototypes were tested with a UX researcher on my team: hundreds of surveys and dozens of interviews.
What users told us
Accounts were hard to tell apart and money movement was hard to find. Autopay for cards and loans, real-time notifications, and disputes without calling the call center were missing.
Aligned with the business
I met with key stakeholders so the redesign would be prioritized and not collide with other efforts.
Key Decisions
01
Make accounts easy to tell apart
Grouped and color-coded accounts by type for quick scanning and context switching.
Research showed it was hard to visually differentiate account types.
02
Rebuild navigation around what people actually do
Refactored the bottom navigation so Deposit and Zelle® transfers are easy to find, and consolidated common actions into a quick-actions pulldown.
Money movement features were hard to find. Mobile deposit inflows nearly doubled after the redesign.
03
Let people fix problems without calling the bank
Added autopay for cards and loans, real-time push and text alerts, lock and unlock for cards, transaction disputes, and digital wallet onboarding.
Security, peace of mind, and fewer reasons to call the call center.
04
Speed up everyday tasks
Transaction search, a personalized login with quick Face ID access, and a clearer account summary with a dedicated payments section.
Small time savers on the screens people use most.
The Result
The redesign got positive feedback and a 16% increase in engagement. Mobile deposit inflows nearly doubled, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in additional assets for the bank.
Ratings climbed on both platforms:
