2022

UX Audit / UX & UI Design / Design System

as Mid/Senior Designer within VMLY&R, for Bank Muscat

From friction to autonomy: redefining the banking experience

UX and UI revamp of the Banking App and Online Platform: from a more user-centric approach to a scalable product.

Designing within constraints: UI & UX revamp for Bank Muscat’s digital platforms

The product department detected that, although they promoted the use of their digital products and implemented new functionalities to decongest the influx of queries in the branches, they had a high rate of abandonment of the processes.

The objective of this project was to audit and provide user experience improvements in their retail platforms (App & Web) in addition to designing new functionality flows.

As the main and leading Designer of the project team, I worked for Bank Muscat, the leading financial institution in Oman, on the revamp of their mobile app and online banking platform.
The project required navigating an ecosystem of strict development constraints, regulatory requirements, and legacy systems — all while enhancing the user experience.

Composition of mobile banking application screens showing dashboard and card page
composition of banking application desktop screens showing web page and login page

As the main and leading Designer of the project team, I worked for Bank Muscat, the leading financial institution in Oman, on the revamp of their mobile app and online banking platform.
The project required navigating an ecosystem of strict development constraints, regulatory requirements, and legacy systems — all while enhancing the user experience.

Despite these challenges, I led the UI redesign, modernizing the visual language to reflect the bank’s status and credibility. In parallel, we introduced UX improvements focused on simplifying key flows, improving accessibility, and reducing friction for everyday users, without disrupting compliance or backend limitations.

#project tasks

UX audit / Concept design / UI kit / Design thinking & Agile mentoring / UX consulting / UI revamp / B2C Mobile App & Web

process⤵︎

Project Overview

Bank Muscat, the leading financial institution in Oman, sought to improve the performance of its digital banking platforms. Despite ongoing efforts to promote mobile and web usage, the product department identified a significant issue: a high abandonment rate across key user journeys. The challenge was clear: users were starting processes but not completing them.

The objective was twofold:

  1. Audit and enhance the user experience across both the mobile app and the web banking platform.
  2. Design new functional flows to improve conversion and reduce dependency on physical branches.

My Role

As the Lead Designer on this project, I was responsible for driving the design vision and execution from discovery to delivery. This included leading the UX audit, facilitating stakeholder collaboration, and crafting an updated UI system aligned with both user expectations and technical realities.

Graphic composition featuring different phases of the UX audit process: including project planning, ux analysis, wireframes and high fidelity prototypes

1. Discovery & UX Audit

We began with an in-depth analysis of existing digital journeys. Using a combination of user data, heuristic evaluations, and stakeholder interviews, I identified pain points that were causing friction, confusion, or abandonment.

Key findings:

  • Redundant steps in high-priority flows (e.g. money transfers, bill payments)
  • Lack of clarity in error handling and feedback messages
  • Inconsistent interaction patterns between App and Web platforms
Graphic composition showing elements of the UX audit performed on existing screens, and generating wireframes of ux improvements.

2. Regulatory & technical constraints

Working within a complex ecosystem of legacy systems, strict compliance rules, and development limitations meant that many ideal solutions had to be adapted or rethought creatively. I collaborated closely with business analysts and developers to align proposed changes with what was realistically implementable.

3. UX Strategy & flow redesign

I restructured core user journeys to reduce cognitive load and remove unnecessary steps, prioritizing intuitive navigation, consistency, and task clarity. Particular attention was given to high-impact flows such as login, transfers, account opening and request.

User flow extract for the bank transfer process

4. UI redesign & visual system update

In parallel with the UX improvements, I led a full UI redesign. The visual language was modernized to better reflect the bank’s reputation and credibility while remaining accessible and functional. The new design system introduced:

  • A modular UI library for responsive use across Web and App
  • Updated color palette and iconography that passed accessibility standards
  • A more human-centered visual tone, aligning with user expectations and brand evolution

5. Testing & Iteration

Prototypes were tested internally and iterated based on user feedback and technical feasibility. All changes were documented for developer handoff, with a component-based approach to simplify integration and ensure consistency.

The redesigned experiences laid the foundation for improved usability, reduced abandonment, and higher user satisfaction. While long-term performance metrics are owned by the client, the project successfully unlocked critical insights into user behavior and operational inefficiencies, positioning the platforms for more scalable digital adoption.

Your digital product is outdated & needs a refresh ?

I help and advise you with your product revamp process. Because the conversion winner goes to easy, intuitive and beautiful products ☺

Let’s work together