Where’s the balance?

A UI design journey to simplicity

Ever opened a banking app and found yourself hunting for your account balance? It’s supposed to be simple, right? Yet, for many users, this fundamental task feels unnecessarily complicated. That frustration became the spark for my project: redesigning a disruptor banking app to make balance visibility clear, trustworthy, and even a little playful.

A responsive user interface designed for seamless usability across wearable, mobile, tablet, and desktop devices.

Balancing life and ambition

Picture this: juggling family responsibilities, work commitments, and an intensive online project undertaken as part of the UX Design Institute Professional Certificate in UI Design. Add a three-week deadline and a brief to create the user interface for a disruptor banking app that would make balance visibility clear, trustworthy and playful. Design three screens (home, account, and insights) across three device formats (mobile, tablet, desktop). It already seemed ambitious, but I decided to raise the stakes, designing a custom font, and screens for the Apple Watch and horizontal mobile orientations as well. Why? Because challenges satisfy my curiosity and fuel growth.

A banking world full of friction

To understand the problem, I dove headfirst into the world of online banking using HSBC, NatWest, Monzo, Revolut, and Starling as references for competitive benchmarking. What I discovered was a mix of innovation and frustration:

• Information overload: Too much clutter made finding the balance difficult.

• Hidden features: Essential elements like the balance display were buried in menus.

• Broken flows: Apps requiring re-authentication which interrupted the experience.

• Missed opportunities: While some apps nailed playful design, they missed the mark on usability.

Research insights laid the foundation for my redesign—one where clarity and functionality would lead the way.

Designing for clarity and simplicity

Armed with inspiration and frustration, I set out to solve the “What’s my balance?” problem. My approach blended research, experimentation, and feedback:

• User insights: From casual chats with friends and family (including my 12-year-old son!) to scouring TrustPilot and app store reviews, I gathered real-world pain points.

• Competitive analysis: I documented what worked and what didn’t across major apps and drew inspiration from any design systems I could access.

• Accessibility focus: Fonts, colours, and layouts were tested to ensure inclusivity.

The design process wasn’t without challenges. My first iteration felt cluttered—a "best of" collection of features borrowed from competitors. Mentor feedback pushed me to simplify, prioritising whitespace, accessibility, and thoughtful typography.

Designing inclusive data visualisations: adding playfulness and reducing intimidation to support diverse cognitive styles.

Iterating toward an intuitive solution

By the third iteration, the design finally clicked. The interface showcased:

• Prominent balance display: The balance was bold, front, and centre.

• Whitespace for breathing room: Strategic padding kept the design clean.

• Tailored typography: I customised the Ubuntu font to reflect the brand’s personality and connect with users.

The Bank brand took inspiration from the 'Currency' Unicode symbol (U+00A4), Ubuntu font, and the values of clarity, trust, and playfulness.

Experimenting with light and dark modes added depth, and I ensured consistency across devices. Though static prototypes limited the ability to test interactions fully, the result was a design ready for real-world validation.

Light and dark modes: tailoring user interfaces to match diverse preferences and enhance inclusivity.