/ Main Assumptions
Opti — Multichannel Credit Application Platform
The main goal of the Opti application was to enable customer advisors to flexibly tailor credit products to customers’ needs across different sales channels while ensuring a consistent customer experience throughout the credit application process.
The primary users were customer advisors from the bank’s credit sales teams, including call centers, bank branches and partner outlets.
The solution supported an Optichannel approach, allowing credit applications to move between sales channels. For example, a customer could start an application through online banking and complete it with an advisor in a call center or branch. Similarly, an advisor could start an application for a customer and pass it to online banking for completion and signing.
The solution also included mechanisms for flexible configuration of credit product conditions and pricing.
/ Business Impact
The product was deployed across all bank branches, partner branches and customer service centres.
It replaced several systems previously used by customer advisors, which reduced customer service time and increased both the number and value of credit products granted.
Customer service time across all locations was reduced by approximately 20–30%.
The number of credit products sold increased by 14–20%, while the value of granted loans increased by 18–25%.
Sales of credit-related insurance and additional products increased by 20%.
/ OPTI APP
The process of designing a product
/ My role
I joined the project while the application was already in development, taking over UX/UI responsibilities from a colleague who was leaving the organization.
My work included UX/UI design, usability testing, prototyping, collaboration with business analysts and developers, and working with the Flame Design System.
/ Discovery
I started with a kick-off workshop with the business team, where I learned about the project’s goals, assumptions, target users, needs and pain points. I also reviewed existing design canvases, qualitative and quantitative research findings, and the marketing strategy behind the Optichannel approach.
I participated in competitive analysis focused on how financial institutions handle credit product sales and transitions between sales channels. The findings helped us identify potential functionalities and understand the competitive landscape.
/ Develop stage
Because my predecessor was a UX researcher rather than a designer, I first audited the components used in the application against the bank’s design standards. I corrected inconsistencies with the Flame Design System and updated the mockups.
As several new features had been introduced since the previous usability tests, I conducted moderated usability testing with customer advisors. I prepared the test scenario and interactive prototype, moderated the sessions, analyzed the recordings and notes, and presented the findings and recommendations to the product team.
I then implemented usability improvements into the mockups and handed them over to developers, explaining the intended behavior of the features.
/ Credit calculator
One of the main functionalities I designed was the credit calculator, which allowed advisors to configure credit product parameters.
I worked with Product Owners, customer journey specialists, business analysts and sales representatives to define requirements, business needs and technological constraints. We also planned and conducted a survey with customer advisors to clarify areas that required further understanding.
I analyzed the survey results and discussed the insights with the product team. I also collaborated with business analysts to prepare user stories describing specific system functions.
Before designing the calculator, I conducted desk research of industry sources and market solutions to identify best practices for advanced product and service calculators.
I started with low-fidelity mockups to explore different solutions before creating final views using components from the Flame Design System. When suitable components were missing, I created new ones using design tokens and consulted them with the Design System team.
The designs were reviewed with the product team and validated through usability testing with customer advisors. Based on the results, I updated the mockups and handed them over to developers.
I used the same approach for other functionalities, including the second and third steps of the application process, promo code handling and the price competency module.
Some features required additional iterations because business requirements changed or technical limitations were identified during development. In these situations, I organized alignment meetings with business analysts and developers, updated the mockups and user stories, and continued the design process.
At the end of each functionality design phase, I also consulted the final mockups with plain language specialists.
/ Design System
The application was designed using the Flame Design System. During the project, I audited existing components, corrected inconsistencies and created new components when required.
I worked with the Design System team to ensure that new components followed established rules and standards.
When handing designs over to development, I also conducted a short training session for developers on how to use the Flame Design System documentation.
/ Delivery
After the MVP was released to test environments, I worked with developers and testers to identify and fix implementation issues and maintain consistency with the mockups and Flame Design System.
A key part of the delivery stage was a real-use simulation designed to test the application as if it were already being used independently by advisors.
We created a realistic scenario in which a customer started a cash or consolidation loan application through online banking, abandoned it, and then continued the process through a call center with an advisor.
I prepared the test scenario, recruited advisors, and worked with developers and testers to configure the test environment. I moderated the application tests combined with interviews, analyzed the recordings and notes, prepared a report with insights and recommendations, and presented the findings to the product team and UX guild.
The results led to a workshop where we assessed the feasibility of proposed improvements. Some of the changes were implemented in the final mockups and handed over to developers.
I was involved in the project until the MVP implementation phase, when another designer joined the team and I handed over the project.
In addition to UX/UI design and research, I worked on graphic assets, promotional materials, charts and presentations supporting the internal promotion of the solution.
/ Summary
The Opti project gave me experience designing a complex digital product for the financial sector in a dynamically changing business environment.
Frequent changes in business requirements and technical constraints taught me to iterate quickly and remain open to changing previously designed solutions.
The project also strengthened my collaboration with Product Owners, Business Analysts and developers, as well as my ability to document and explain design decisions during handoff.
Working with the Flame Design System gave me practical experience in applying existing components and creating new ones according to established rules.
Conducting usability research with customer advisors allowed me to validate designs with target users and use the findings to improve the product.
