Case study · Enterprise UX

Redefining Banking Essentials with US Bank

A new digital and human experience for Business Banking — one snapshot view of the money, clear navigation to the tools, and outside apps brought into a single interface.

Role: Senior UX Designer
Client: US Bank × Publicis Sapient
Launched: February 2023

Outcome

Feb 2023

US Bank moved forward with the vision and launched the Business Essentials Dashboard.

In short

Small business owners use banks for transactions but run the business somewhere else — QuickBooks, Square, an accountant they trust. They do not expect their bank to offer relevant advice.

As Senior UX Designer I led the design of a Business Banking experience built around that gap: one snapshot view of the money, clear navigation to the tools, and outside apps integrated into a consistent interface. We tested the vision with nine small business owners, learned where it was still unclear, and refined it into the concepts US Bank took forward.

Read the full case study

U.S. Bank and Publicis Sapient collaborated on a new digital and human experience for Business Banking. The vision aimed to better align with business owners' needs, provide a snapshot view of information, and offer clear navigation to tools. It also integrated tools into a more consistent interface and validated the vision with customers.

Role

Senior UX Designer

Overview: I led the design of a transformative Business Banking experience. Aligning with business owners' needs, I ensured clarity, consistency, and customer-validated excellence in information display and tool navigation.

Problem

Small business owners use banks just for transactions but run their business elsewhere. They don't expect relevant advice from their bank.

Our Business Essentials Opportunity

Small business owners use banks for transactions, yet they run their business through services like QuickBooks and Square. Business owners do not expect their bank to offer relevant advice — preferring guidance from their network and trusted partners like an accountant or lawyer who understands what is unique about their business or industry.

The U.S. Bank Business Essentials framework — Pay & Receive, View & Manage, and Plan & Grow — beside a matrix placing Bank of America, Chase, TD Bank, Revolut, Gusto, Xero and QuickBooks across digital-only and digital-plus-in-person offerings

Process

Activities:

Workshops (w/ US Bank Team)
Competitive Analysis
Card sorting sessions (Navigation)
User Interviews
Wireframes
Visual Design
Concept Testing

Ideation

Invoicing wireframe with a static left-side navigation grouping Banking, Expenses, Sales, Projects, Workers, Reports, Taxes and Accounting, and All, Drafts, Outstanding and Overdue modules

Uses a delineated grouping navigation (similar to QuickBooks and Talech)
Static left-side nav. For easy navigation
Expands as you click : drop-down
Easy access to Apps hub to install internal and external apps

Tailored modules and tools suited for the selected task tab (i.e., Invoicing)
Support Hub as a part of global nav
Nav recommended for ease of use, simplified hierarchy and delineated structure to better support a task-oriented experience

One place for all apps and integrations
Users want to be integrated with their accounting, payroll, and other business applications
Manage all → integrated apps
If you click on one, each has a dedicated product page. This way users know exactly how the app will help them Onboarding Dashboard

Apps hub wireframe showing a dedicated US Bank Invoicing product page with key features, an about section and a Try US Bank Invoicing Now button

Failing forward

Feedback received from our initial first phase:

Wireframe aesthetics are nice, clean
App integration is interesting, but may confuse users who have to navigate back and forth.
We may need to rethink the nomenclature in the menu
“It's a banking app.” The modules shouldn't have the same weight as the main transactions on the screen.

Three overlapping first-phase wireframes — the Invoicing list, a Good morning dashboard with to-dos and charts, and the Apps product page

Concept Testing

We recruited 9 participants based on U.S. Bank's key personas across the micro business and Tier 1 segments.

Nine research participants grouped into Micro, Tier 1 and Tier 2 segments, alongside the banks and apps they use — Chase, Security Bank, US Bank, Bank of America, QuickBooks, Square, Shopify, Zelle, Venmo and PayPal

Testing Objectives

Key Findings

Concepts tested well, participants got the key ideas - and they are valuable to them. Now, we need to move into more refined designs to enhance the areas that were not clearly understood and provide some additional thinking.

Two columns of findings — what worked well, and what to address in next steps including vague navigation categories and cashflow clarification

Concepts / Solutions

Designs successfully allowed participants to envision what an integrated and one-stop small business accounting experience may look like.

Concepts address participants' key issue of having their banking information spread across many sources
Many commented on the streamlined ways to look at their accounts and reduces their “current pain” of looking at too many financial institutions and accounts

Business Essentials dashboard showing all accounts in one view, recent activity, a weekly cashflow chart, scheduled payments, a to-do list and app integrations

Business Essentials dashboard cashflow view with a forecast snapshot warning of a shortfall, recent transactions, top expenses and recommended tools

Impact

Overall concepts tested well and customers responded positively. Identified key areas for refinement in navigation, cashflow specifics, and app integration.

Reflections / Obstacles

Unable to design outside of the box due to a design system
Too much emphasis on apps/tools than the banking experience (wireframes)
Main obstacle was unclear navigation categories and cash flow data specifics, which concepts testing helped uncover.

Success Stories

The client (US Bank) moved forward for the new vision for Business Essentials Dashboard

Participants liked the integrated account views and detailed workspace concepts, showing the vision resonates.

Business Essentials Dashboard was launched in February 2023

https://www.usbank.com/about-us-bank/company-blog/article-library/us-bank-upgrades-digital-experience-for-small-business-clients.html

US Bank Business Essentials Dashboard demo

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Our Business Essentials Opportunity

Failing forward

Feedback received from our initial first phase:

Wireframe aesthetics are nice, clean
App integration is interesting, but may confuse users who have to navigate back and forth.
We may need to rethink the nomenclature in the menu
“It's a banking app.” The modules shouldn't have the same weight as the main transactions on the screen.

Concepts / Solutions

Designs successfully allowed participants to envision what an integrated and one-stop small business accounting experience may look like.

Concepts address participants' key issue of having their banking information spread across many sources

Many commented on the streamlined ways to look at their accounts and reduces their “current pain” of looking at too many financial institutions and accounts

Success Stories

The client (US Bank) moved forward for the new vision for Business Essentials Dashboard

Participants liked the integrated account views and detailed workspace concepts, showing the vision resonates.

Business Essentials Dashboard was launched in February 2023