Company:
Banorte
Year:
2013
Duration:
1 year
Overview
In 2013, I was hired as IBM Mexico's first UX/UI designer to work on an exciting project: Banorte's comprehensive digital transformation. Banorte is one of Mexico's largest banks, and they needed to modernize how customers interact with their services online. Our team worked on making their website, mobile app, and ATMs easier to use. The project was so successful that it led IBM Mexico to create the IBM Studio, bringing more digital innovation to the Latin America.
Challenge
Banorte needed a complete digital overhaul of their customer-facing platforms to meet modern banking needs and expectations. Our mission was to transform:
Corporate website and online banking platform
Mobile banking applications
ATM user interfaces
Internal banking systems
This global initiative united an interdisciplinary team from the USA, Europe, India, and Mexico.
We began with several Enterprise Design Thinking workshops that brought together stakeholders to identify the bank's key pain points and potential solutions. Following this, we conducted extensive research across our user segments, including personal banking customers, corporate clients, bank staff and operators, as well as ATM users across different demographics.
Our research revealed several critical needs, particularly given that the bank's digital solutions were outdated and falling behind customer expectations:
Users needed simpler, more intuitive navigation for online banking
Mobile banking features were essential for younger customers
ATM interfaces needed to be more user-friendly and accessible
Corporate clients required robust security features while maintaining ease of use
Solutions
Corporate Website
We implemented:
Clear information architecture
Responsive design for all devices
Improved product discovery and comparison tools
Online Banking Platform
Key features included:
Streamlined authentication process
Customizable dashboard
Enhanced transaction workflow
Mobile Banking App
As this moment, Banorte didn't have a mobile banking app yet, which put them behind other banks. Our team created new apps for both iPhone and Android phones that were secure and easy to use.
One of our best innovations was a simple drag-and-drop system for moving money between accounts. This was the first time any Mexican bank offered this feature. Instead of filling out complicated forms, customers could just drag money from one account to another on their screen, making transfers much easier to do
ATM Interface
Improvements included:
Simplified menu structure
Reduced transaction steps
Enhanced accessibility features
Lessons Learned
Key takeaways for me from this transformation were:
The importance of cross-cultural collaboration in global projects
The value of thorough user research in different markets
The need for scalable design systems
The critical role of change management in digital transformation
