Remote Account Opening
App Design
Project Overview
We designed a fully digital mobile app for an international bank aiming to enable remote account opening anytime in Hong Kong and China. This would utilise real-time electronic know-your-customer (e-KYC) verification and facial recognition technology
Role
UX Designer
Type
Banking
Year
2019
Design Process
Research > Interview > User Stories > Flowchart > Wireframe > Design System > User Flow > Design Critique > UI Design
Challenge
The existing app lacked the capability for remote account opening.
Integrating advanced features like e-KYC, biometrics and one-time-passwords (OTP) would require close collaboration between technical and business teams.
Services were restricted to branches only operating within limited hours, not accommodating users' schedules.
The traditional in-person process resulted in long wait times and processing, creating inconveniences, especially for older people or persons with disabilities.
Essential documents needed to be physically presented by the customer at the branch during office hours only. Missing a required document would mean having to visit the branch again, causing further inconvenience.
Guiding Question
How to facilitate discussions across departments with varying priorities?
How to conceptualise and prototype ideas with limited precedents?
How to address technical integration constraints in workflow design?
How to provide clear, simplified guidance at each step for all users?
How to meet organisational standards while innovating?
How to design an accessible, inclusive experience for vulnerable audiences?
Project Management
An inclusive and iterative process was adopted utilising Sketch for wireframing. Frequent collaboration sessions refined proposed flows based on input from key teams like IT, marketing and operations. This ensured designs addressed both business and technical requirements accordingly at each stage.
The Solution
Through research interviews, we identified several issues with the traditional account opening process such as reservations being required but not accommodating clients’ schedules, vulnerable groups like the disabled and elderly facing long wait and processing times, all documents needing to be presented in person during office hours only, and clients reviewing printed forms without pre-filling options.
Leveraging new technologies adopted by the bank, we devised an effective remote account opening workflow utilising identity scanning and verification through HKID/China ID, location services for address verification, camera and facial recognition capabilities, email/mobile OTP verification, document scans with optical character recognition, capture of address, occupation, and regulatory data, login biometrics, password recovery features, and account balance management.
To generate solutions, we began by sketching concepts on paper, where prior discussion and research aided in contextualising ideas, allowing us to create varied concepts. We then transitioned to wireframing, collaboratively refining flows with IT and business input through an iterative process to meet user and system needs within current paradigms. Refinements continued across numerous reviews, ultimately improving the attached wireframes. An ongoing, stakeholder-inclusive approach helped further develop the designs at each stage.
