Zenus is a global digital bank that is building the next generation of cross-border embedded finance. Founded in 2019 with a mandate to enable banking beyond borders, today the organization enjoys a global presence and is recognized in the industry as a forefront innovator. Zenus Bank operates at the intersection between traditional finance and cutting-edge technological innovation.
How Zenus builds financial products that customers can trust
My role and responsibilities
B2B (Commercial) and B2C (Retail) platform
As a Senior / Lead UX Designer for Zenus Bank, I was responsible for the complete redesign of the Retail mobile application which included the onboarding journeys, KYC workflows, Terms and conditions, regulatory information forms, the homepage, dashboard, virtual digital cards, payment workflows and support screens.
For the Commercial banking platform my role included building the platform from ground up. Few responsibilities included mapping workflows for payment screens (ACH, SWIFT transfers, International Wire transfers, Zenus transfers etc) , designing the complex admin management platform and reporting screens.
Additionally I was also responsible for the UX Research activities, Wireframing, UI Designing. Usability testing, creating design libraries and to other tasks assigned to me.
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The Challenge
The Retail mobile app journey was overly complex and extended across ten different steps, making it cumbersome for users. A major issue was the inclusion of redundant processes, such as voice verification, which needed to be eliminated to streamline the experience. The redesign focused on simplifying the journey by removing unnecessary steps and introducing essential new screens to enhance clarity and user engagement. This included incorporating dedicated screens for terms and conditions, Onfido terms, and a segmented application process to guide users more intuitively through the necessary steps without overwhelming them.
To improve the user experience, the new design consolidated steps where possible and implemented a clear, step-by-step progression with a visual progress indicator. The journey now begins with a welcome screen and proceeds through account creation/sign-in, personal information input, and acceptance of terms and conditions. Following this, users encounter Onfido's verification terms before moving through a clearly defined application process broken into manageable parts. The process culminates in a review and confirmation screen, ensuring users can easily verify their details before final submission. This structured approach not only reduces the complexity of the journey but also ensures compliance and transparency, significantly enhancing the overall user experience.
We began building a design library for the mobile app redesign after realizing the challenges of scaling.
Being small allowed us to quickly bring products to market and ship rapidly, but as we expanded, we lacked a design system and a streamlined way to collaborate and communicate, making a common space and shared language crucial. As a UX Designer I started by introducing components, icons, typography, visual elements and interactions.
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I began building a design library for the mobile app redesign after realizing the challenges of scaling.
I helped build a trusted design system that was easy to understand and navigate, aligning our developers and design team to speak the same language and move products forward. Once approved, the design components were used to define the UI design.
Understanding the as-is journey as its challenges
The current experience lacked clarity on the number of steps needed to complete onboarding, the required documents, the details of each step, how the information would be used, and how to access help and support. There were significant gaps in the system, such as missing terms and conditions, document uploading, and newly introduced forms. As a UX designer, I carefully addressed these issues to create a more user-friendly and comprehensive experience.
The reimagined user experience . . .
The reimagined UI was meticulously developed by integrating insights from UX research, stakeholder feedback, and Hotjar analytics data. This comprehensive approach ensured that the new design not only met user needs and expectations but also aligned with strategic business goals. UX research provided a deep understanding of user behaviors and pain points, while stakeholder inputs ensured that the design supported broader organizational objectives. Hotjar analytics offered valuable data on user interactions and areas of friction, guiding refinements to enhance usability and engagement. As a result, the new UI offers a streamlined, intuitive experience that effectively addresses user needs while supporting the overall vision of the product.
