From Friction to Flow: Improving the Brightside Experience
Brightside, a financial wellness app by ATB Financial, aimed to attract users wary of traditional banks and appeal to younger demographics. Despite a strong foundation, user feedback revealed engagement and usability challenges. This case study explores how we reimagined the experience for a more intuitive and seamless product.
Role
Senior Product Designer UX / UI Design | User Research | User Testing | Information Architecture
Company
Brightside by ATB
Year
2019-2022
The Challenge
Brightside faced the challenge of attracting and retaining users in a competitive market. To boost engagement and reduce drop-offs, we aimed to streamline onboarding and introduce intuitive savings tools.
User research revealed key issues:
Users wanted more control over savings goals.
Unclear onboarding led to underused saving features.
Lack of gamification reduced motivation.
Many dropped off during sign-up.
Approach & Contributions
1
Mapping the Customer Journey
I worked with another designer to map the full customer journey, highlighting key pain points. Using user interviews, surveys, and tests, we uncovered key insights:
Users wanted faster, clearer onboarding.
A goal-based approach made budgeting more engaging.
Personalized insights and nudges boosted retention.
2
Refining Saving Features
I improved two key tools to boost engagement:
💰 Round-Ups – Rounds up purchases, saving the difference.
📂 Saving Buckets – Helps users organize savings by goals.
Clearer visuals on total savings, deposit dates, and transactions increased user motivation and app engagement.
3
Redefining the Onboarding Experience
User activation was key to Brightside’s success. I helped refine onboarding by:
Using progressive disclosure to avoid overload.
Adding personalized setup questions.
Offering a quick-start mode for minimal setup.
Allowing flexible exit points for users to return anytime.
4
Designing the ‘Back Up’ Borrowing Feature
We explored a new lending feature, Back Up, to prevent declined transactions and ease financial stress with a fee-free borrowing solution.
As the lead designer, I collaborated with research to map user journeys, refine wireframes, and create high-fidelity mockups, ensuring feasibility with product and engineering teams.
5
Enhancing the Website
I optimized Brightside’s website to clearly communicate product value and improve the onboarding experience.
Impact & Results
🚀 30% increase in account openings within six months due to onboarding refinements. 📉 55% reduction in user verification costs by streamlining onboarding. 💰 Users saved 25% more on average using Round-Ups and Saving Buckets. 📊 Customer journey mapping became a key decision-making tool for the company. 🌐 Website improvements increased conversion rates and enhanced the onboarding experience.
Final Thoughts
By combining user insights, intuitive design, and iterative testing, our team transformed Brightside into a more engaging and effective financial platform. Through close collaboration with researchers, product managers, engineers, and marketers, we created a seamless user experience that empowers financial well-being.
This project reinforced my belief in the power of UX and cross-functional teamwork, and I continue to apply these principles in my work today.