A complete redesign of the ABSA banking app focused on usability, modern aesthetics, and accessibility. Took a 3.1-star app and rebuilt it for users who'd nearly switched to competitors.
yes, banking can
be pretty ✿
A complete redesign of the ABSA banking app to improve user experience and align it with modern banking expectations. Built for the SUAFI 2024 hackathon — three weeks from research to handoff, scoped tight, shipped end-to-end.
ABSA's app held a 3.1 rating while competitors like KCB and Equity sat above 4. Users complained of poor usability, outdated design, and inefficient customer support — and many had already started migrating away.
Identify pain points, address them surgically, and align the app with what users actually expected from modern banking — without overhauling the underlying systems the engineers had to live with.
Before redesigning anything, I needed to understand why users were leaving — not just that they were.
Built from interviews with ABSA customers aged 18–60. Sophia represents the user we were closest to losing.
if sophia wins, retention wins.
“I want a banking app that is intuitive, secure, and makes transactions seamless without unnecessary hassle.”
A young professional who prefers digital banking over physical branches. Values efficiency, accessible support, and modern aesthetics. Finds the current ABSA app outdated — and is actively considering switching.
Translating Sophia's frustrations into a tight, prioritised build sheet. Functional first, then the constraints the engineers had to live with.
Two rounds. First a high-fidelity exploration to test the visual direction, then a fully interactive prototype validated in user testing.
High-fidelity mockups exploring the new visual system — typography, color, balance card hierarchy. Tested with five users for first impressions and learnability.
Fully interactive prototype with the complete user flow — login, balance toggle, transactions, support chat, debit card controls. Validated with eight more users before handoff.