Vision Bank
Cutting edge SME banking
- Industry
- Fintech / Banking
- My role
- Experience Strategist, Lead Designer
- Year
- 2024
Vision Bank Cutting edge SME banking
Industry
Fintech / Banking
My role
Experience Strategist, Lead Designer
Year
2024
Challenge
Vision Bank set out to reinvent SME banking in the Gulf, addressing the limitations of traditional apps that lacked proper digitalization, ease of use, access to financing, and adaptability to growing business needs.
Flight Plan
PHASE 1 - DISCOVERY RESEARCH
I brought together human-centered insight, market analysis, feasibility checks, and business input to pin down the real user needs and opportunities — a data-driven foundation that bridged what users wanted with what the business could practically build, while keeping risk low.
Highlights
Aligned with stakeholders, we identified and prioritized high-level market opportunities to guide strategic focus and resource allocation
Synthesized user insights and created detailed personas through extensive UX and marketing research activities to accurately represent target audience needs and behaviors
Addressed SME financial challenges by identifying pain points and framing clear value propositions centered on simplicity, fast credit access, and scalable financial tools
Defined and mapped 3 key use cases and 20 product offerings, leveraging market and competitive analysis to ensure comprehensive SME support and solution fit
Established a standout positioning strategy in SME banking by benchmarking against competitors and highlighting unique product differentiators and innovation drivers
Provided actionable local and global market insights to validate SME banking focus, leveraging comparative frameworks and industry benchmarks to inform strategic decisions
PHASE 2 - FUTURE VISION
Aspirational Vision Creation & Prototyping
Here I defined the future product vision and made it real as a bold prototype — concentrating on the highest-value uses and refining the experience against user feedback as it developed.
Highlights
Facilitated a 5-day strategic workshop with experts and stakeholders, generating over 240 ideas and refining them into prioritized concepts, driving innovation and team alignment
Designed and validated product concepts for 4 main use cases, combining stakeholder-driven innovation, Al-powered features, and flexible credit to address SME needs in expense management and loan accessibility
Established a vision focused on proactive customer engagement and personalized banking, leveraging deep expertise to deliver differentiated financial solutions and value beyond traditional banking
Ideated advanced features (customizable dashboards, actionable insights, gamification) to foster user engagement and operational clarity, enabling SMEs to make informed decisions, streamline workflows, and benefit from tailored notifications and automation
Selected screens from the aspirational prototype:
Highlights
Al-powered actionable insights & forecasting
Stream view with proactive Al business assistant
Gamified engagement and operational clarity
Flexible credit options & direct financial applications
Multi-user access & permissions
Embedded invoicing & tooling ecosystem Integration
MVP Scoping & Roadmapping
In MVP scoping I made sure the product was rooted in authentic user needs and aimed at clear opportunity areas — anchoring it in what the prototype and research had surfaced to give it a real shot at product-market fit.
PHASE 3 - CONTINUOUS DISCOVERY
I kept two tracks tightly linked — continuous product discovery feeding ongoing user research into the design, and MVP delivery turning that feedback into live, incremental releases off a prioritized backlog — so discovery and delivery kept refining each other.
Examples of mobile prime user journeys, tailored for different device experiences:
PHASE 4 - AGILE PROTOTYPING
The work ran in two streams: agile innovation prototyping for rapid build-and-test of new features, then growth and scaling to move the MVP toward a full rollout — expanding capabilities, automating, and tuning performance as demand grew.
Read about one of the projects in this phase:
Outcomes
Streamlined SME onboarding
Redesigned the digital onboarding flow for SMEs to shorten time-to-first-transaction by simplifying document verification and KYC.
Clearer cash-flow management
Engineered a high-density dashboard that consolidated fragmented financial data into actionable insights, aimed at reducing the time spent by business owners on daily liquidity management
Cross-Platform Consistency
Designed a responsive framework for feature parity across desktop and mobile, so users keep context when switching devices mid-task.
Summary
Successful delivery and scaling of MVPs, leading to full product rollouts with expanded capabilities and optimized performance for sustainable market impact
Clearly defined and prioritized market opportunities, aligning stakeholders and setting a focused strategic direction for product development
Deep understanding of user needs through synthesized insights and detailed personas, ensuring solutions are user-centric and aligned with real behaviors
Rapid prototyping and iterative validation of innovative features, allowing for quick adjustments and reduced development risks through continuous feedback cycles
Vision Bank Cutting edge SME banking
Industry
Fintech / Banking
My role
Experience Strategist, Lead Designer
Year
2024
Challenge
Vision Bank set out to reinvent SME banking in the Gulf, addressing the limitations of traditional apps that lacked proper digitalization, ease of use, access to financing, and adaptability to growing business needs.
Flight Plan
PHASE 1 - DISCOVERY RESEARCH
I brought together human-centered insight, market analysis, feasibility checks, and business input to pin down the real user needs and opportunities — a data-driven foundation that bridged what users wanted with what the business could practically build, while keeping risk low.
Highlights
Aligned with stakeholders, we identified and prioritized high-level market opportunities to guide strategic focus and resource allocation
Synthesized user insights and created detailed personas through extensive UX and marketing research activities to accurately represent target audience needs and behaviors
Addressed SME financial challenges by identifying pain points and framing clear value propositions centered on simplicity, fast credit access, and scalable financial tools
Defined and mapped 3 key use cases and 20 product offerings, leveraging market and competitive analysis to ensure comprehensive SME support and solution fit
Established a standout positioning strategy in SME banking by benchmarking against competitors and highlighting unique product differentiators and innovation drivers
Provided actionable local and global market insights to validate SME banking focus, leveraging comparative frameworks and industry benchmarks to inform strategic decisions
PHASE 2 - FUTURE VISION
Aspirational Vision Creation & Prototyping
Here I defined the future product vision and made it real as a bold prototype — concentrating on the highest-value uses and refining the experience against user feedback as it developed.
Highlights
Facilitated a 5-day strategic workshop with experts and stakeholders, generating over 240 ideas and refining them into prioritized concepts, driving innovation and team alignment
Designed and validated product concepts for 4 main use cases, combining stakeholder-driven innovation, Al-powered features, and flexible credit to address SME needs in expense management and loan accessibility
Established a vision focused on proactive customer engagement and personalized banking, leveraging deep expertise to deliver differentiated financial solutions and value beyond traditional banking
Ideated advanced features (customizable dashboards, actionable insights, gamification) to foster user engagement and operational clarity, enabling SMEs to make informed decisions, streamline workflows, and benefit from tailored notifications and automation
Selected screens from the aspirational prototype:
Highlights
Al-powered actionable insights & forecasting
Stream view with proactive Al business assistant
Gamified engagement and operational clarity
Flexible credit options & direct financial applications
Multi-user access & permissions
Embedded invoicing & tooling ecosystem Integration
MVP Scoping & Roadmapping
In MVP scoping I made sure the product was rooted in authentic user needs and aimed at clear opportunity areas — anchoring it in what the prototype and research had surfaced to give it a real shot at product-market fit.
PHASE 3 - CONTINUOUS DISCOVERY
I kept two tracks tightly linked — continuous product discovery feeding ongoing user research into the design, and MVP delivery turning that feedback into live, incremental releases off a prioritized backlog — so discovery and delivery kept refining each other.
Examples of mobile prime user journeys, tailored for different device experiences:
PHASE 4 - AGILE PROTOTYPING
The work ran in two streams: agile innovation prototyping for rapid build-and-test of new features, then growth and scaling to move the MVP toward a full rollout — expanding capabilities, automating, and tuning performance as demand grew.
Read about one of the projects in this phase:
Outcomes
Streamlined SME onboarding
Redesigned the digital onboarding flow for SMEs to shorten time-to-first-transaction by simplifying document verification and KYC.
Clearer cash-flow management
Engineered a high-density dashboard that consolidated fragmented financial data into actionable insights, aimed at reducing the time spent by business owners on daily liquidity management
Cross-Platform Consistency
Designed a responsive framework for feature parity across desktop and mobile, so users keep context when switching devices mid-task.
Summary
Successful delivery and scaling of MVPs, leading to full product rollouts with expanded capabilities and optimized performance for sustainable market impact
Clearly defined and prioritized market opportunities, aligning stakeholders and setting a focused strategic direction for product development
Deep understanding of user needs through synthesized insights and detailed personas, ensuring solutions are user-centric and aligned with real behaviors
Rapid prototyping and iterative validation of innovative features, allowing for quick adjustments and reduced development risks through continuous feedback cycles
Vision Bank Cutting edge SME banking
Industry
Fintech / Banking
My role
Experience Strategist, Lead Designer
Year
2024
Challenge
Vision Bank set out to reinvent SME banking in the Gulf, addressing the limitations of traditional apps that lacked proper digitalization, ease of use, access to financing, and adaptability to growing business needs.
Flight Plan
PHASE 1 - DISCOVERY RESEARCH
I brought together human-centered insight, market analysis, feasibility checks, and business input to pin down the real user needs and opportunities — a data-driven foundation that bridged what users wanted with what the business could practically build, while keeping risk low.
Highlights
Aligned with stakeholders, we identified and prioritized high-level market opportunities to guide strategic focus and resource allocation
Synthesized user insights and created detailed personas through extensive UX and marketing research activities to accurately represent target audience needs and behaviors
Addressed SME financial challenges by identifying pain points and framing clear value propositions centered on simplicity, fast credit access, and scalable financial tools
Defined and mapped 3 key use cases and 20 product offerings, leveraging market and competitive analysis to ensure comprehensive SME support and solution fit
Established a standout positioning strategy in SME banking by benchmarking against competitors and highlighting unique product differentiators and innovation drivers
Provided actionable local and global market insights to validate SME banking focus, leveraging comparative frameworks and industry benchmarks to inform strategic decisions
PHASE 2 - FUTURE VISION
Aspirational Vision Creation & Prototyping
Here I defined the future product vision and made it real as a bold prototype — concentrating on the highest-value uses and refining the experience against user feedback as it developed.
Highlights
Facilitated a 5-day strategic workshop with experts and stakeholders, generating over 240 ideas and refining them into prioritized concepts, driving innovation and team alignment
Designed and validated product concepts for 4 main use cases, combining stakeholder-driven innovation, Al-powered features, and flexible credit to address SME needs in expense management and loan accessibility
Established a vision focused on proactive customer engagement and personalized banking, leveraging deep expertise to deliver differentiated financial solutions and value beyond traditional banking
Ideated advanced features (customizable dashboards, actionable insights, gamification) to foster user engagement and operational clarity, enabling SMEs to make informed decisions, streamline workflows, and benefit from tailored notifications and automation
Selected screens from the aspirational prototype:
Highlights
Al-powered actionable insights & forecasting
Stream view with proactive Al business assistant
Gamified engagement and operational clarity
Flexible credit options & direct financial applications
Multi-user access & permissions
Embedded invoicing & tooling ecosystem Integration
MVP Scoping & Roadmapping
In MVP scoping I made sure the product was rooted in authentic user needs and aimed at clear opportunity areas — anchoring it in what the prototype and research had surfaced to give it a real shot at product-market fit.
PHASE 3 - CONTINUOUS DISCOVERY
I kept two tracks tightly linked — continuous product discovery feeding ongoing user research into the design, and MVP delivery turning that feedback into live, incremental releases off a prioritized backlog — so discovery and delivery kept refining each other.
Examples of mobile prime user journeys, tailored for different device experiences:
PHASE 4 - AGILE PROTOTYPING
The work ran in two streams: agile innovation prototyping for rapid build-and-test of new features, then growth and scaling to move the MVP toward a full rollout — expanding capabilities, automating, and tuning performance as demand grew.
Read about one of the projects in this phase:
Outcomes
Streamlined SME onboarding
Redesigned the digital onboarding flow for SMEs to shorten time-to-first-transaction by simplifying document verification and KYC.
Clearer cash-flow management
Engineered a high-density dashboard that consolidated fragmented financial data into actionable insights, aimed at reducing the time spent by business owners on daily liquidity management
Cross-Platform Consistency
Designed a responsive framework for feature parity across desktop and mobile, so users keep context when switching devices mid-task.
Summary
Successful delivery and scaling of MVPs, leading to full product rollouts with expanded capabilities and optimized performance for sustainable market impact
Clearly defined and prioritized market opportunities, aligning stakeholders and setting a focused strategic direction for product development
Deep understanding of user needs through synthesized insights and detailed personas, ensuring solutions are user-centric and aligned with real behaviors
Rapid prototyping and iterative validation of innovative features, allowing for quick adjustments and reduced development risks through continuous feedback cycles