Wells Fargo — A Groundbreaking Journey in UX Innovation
Wells Fargo tasked the team with redefining its credit card experience to drive conversion and active usage. Ryan led the end-to-end UX process — a mobile-first design that scaled across devices and made activating and using cards noticeably easier for customers.
Role: UX Lead
Overview
Wells Fargo tasked the team with redefining the credit card user experience to drive conversion and encourage active usage among both new and existing customers. To achieve this, the team used advanced design thinking to map the customer journey and create a seamless, user-centered experience across multiple digital channels. Ryan was responsible for designing a mobile-first solution that would scale across diverse devices, ensuring a holistic experience tailored to user needs.
Role
As the UX leader, Ryan navigated the complexities of the financial services space and worked closely with both internal stakeholders and external collaborators. He led the end-to-end User Experience Design process for the project, aligning the team's work with both the client's business goals and the needs of end users.
Process
To address the challenge of low engagement and underutilization of credit cards, Ryan led a strategic process that combined research with design to inform design decisions. The team relied heavily on internal feedback from cross-functional teams to validate the approach.
- Generative research: in the initial phase, the team focused on gathering insights from internal teams, including stakeholders from design, product, and engineering. They conducted informal workshops and brainstorming sessions, allowing team members to share their perspectives on pain points and opportunities. Additionally, they reviewed existing user data to identify patterns and user needs that would shape design decisions.
- Design phase: armed with insights from generative research, Ryan led the creation of wireframes, journey maps, and interactive prototypes. The design was optimized for mobile and desktop, adaptable across various screen sizes to improve engagement. A core focus was on simplifying credit card usage by making key tasks easy to complete. The team also implemented a quick design system to ensure visual and functional consistency throughout the user experience.
- Evaluative research: the team conducted internal evaluations — usability reviews where the design team, accounts, and other key stakeholders walked through the designs, identifying areas for improvement. Feedback was gathered through collaborative discussions to refine the user flows and ensure the design aligned with user needs and business goals.
- Support: throughout the process, UX support focused on collaboration with the visual design team and agency account team, ensuring that visual elements — from typography to iconography — aligned with the broader brand guidelines and user experience goals. Regular feedback loops between UX and visual design ensured that both functional and aesthetic requirements were met.
Challenges
The most significant challenge was coordinating with various stakeholders, especially given the accelerated pace and timeline. Working within the large framework of Wells Fargo, it was crucial to manage multiple moving parts and ensure that everyone was aligned. Ryan used his skills in communication and collaboration to ensure a cohesive design vision that was understood and implemented effectively across all teams.
Results
The project's success was reflected in the positive feedback received from both client and stakeholders. The redesigned interface was seen as a significant improvement. Users reported that the new design made it easier to activate and use their cards, which helped boost their satisfaction and ability to complete tasks more efficiently.
The design helped the project meet its business goals by reinforcing a commitment to delivering user-centric solutions. It aligned with the broader vision of making Wells Fargo's credit card offerings more accessible and usable for customers, ultimately contributing to high customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
This project demonstrated the power of a user-centered design approach in the financial services industry. By integrating usability heuristics and leveraging insights from generative research, the team was able to design an innovative, intuitive experience that addressed both business and user needs. This experience reinforced Ryan's ability to create impactful, user-friendly solutions within complex, highly regulated industries.