Sustainable banking for a greener future
Case Study | Award-winning UX/UI design
Client:
Ecolytiq (in partnership with Visa)
Role:
Senior Product Designer (cross-functional team: product, engineering, design, research)
Deliverables:
Redesigned user journey, prototypes, SDK design specs and assets
Timeline:
5 months
The challenge
Bank users want to make greener choices — but often feel overwhelmed, sceptical or unsure how.
-
Make environmental impact data more intuitive and trustworthy
-
Shift focus from guilt or offsetting to achievable behavioural change
-
Tailor content across 4 European markets
Cross-functional collaboration
I collaborated closely with a design colleague, Ecolytiq’s product and engineering teams to ensure our designs covered key features and aligned with backend logic — including how carbon emissions are estimated per transaction (based on spend category and estimated CO₂ output per currency unit).
We also worked closely with a research agency to ensure market relevance and localisation.
Research and insights
Methods: UX audit · User interviews · Market benchmarking · 2 rounds of RITE testing and iterations
Key insights:
-
Confusion around CO₂ scores: Users didn’t know what 95kg CO₂e meant without context.
-
Scepticism: Confusion around technical terms, concern about where donations go and the effectiveness of carbon offsetting.
-
Tip fatigue: Generic, irrelevant tips led to disengagement.
-
Cost anxiety: People feared that being sustainable was expensive.
-
Cultural differences: eco tips must be relevant to specific markets – e.g. rural Polish users lacked access to public transport, whilst Spanish users generally don’t use tumble dryers
Design approach
Design principles
-
Progressive disclosure: start simple, reveal more if needed
-
Plain language: Remove jargon, use analogies
-
Local relevance: Tailored tips by region
-
Build trust: Straightforward definitions, transparent donation impact and verified partners
Activities
-
Market landscape desk research
-
Moodboard collation for UI/UX inspiration
-
Iterative prototyping and RITE testing
-
Final dev-ready SDK with design guidelines
RITE testing and iteration
We conducted two rounds of RITE testing across four markets. Feedback directly shaped rapid design optimisations:
Example 1: Carbon offsetting explained
-
V1: Users struggled to understand how CO₂ estimates were calculated and found the “change category” option unclear.
-
V2: Simplified comparison with a clear side-by-side view per €30 spend and added explanatory context. A visual cue below guided users to refine their data
-
Result: Improved user comprehension and trust.
Example: Tip Relevance
-
V1: “Take public transport” — unhelpful in rural areas
-
V2: Localised: “Try carpooling” with fuel and cost savings in Polish markets
-
Result: Users found tips more relatable, actionable and trustworthy
Outcomes
Deliverables
📲 Redesigned user journey with scalable, localised content
🎨 Software Development Kit (SDK with production-ready assets, style guidelines and annotations for partner banks)
Results/impact
🏆 2024 Sustainability Payments Award (Visa, HSBC & Ecolytiq)
📉 5% average drop in carbon emissions per user
📈 +13% transaction volume, +15% spend
✅ Improved user understanding, confidence and satisfaction
🌍 SDK now adopted by Italian e-money provider Numia
Key learnings
Everyday comparisons build confidence
CO₂ scores alone felt abstract to most users. Everyday comparisons (e.g. “this is equivalent to a 57 minute 40ºC washing cycle” helped make data more relatable.
Local context matters
For example, public transport wasn’t feasible in rural Poland, so we suggested carpooling instead — a more feasible, relatable and economical alternative.
The power of deeds over donations
Users are often sceptical of carbon offsetting and don’t want to just ‘pay off’ guilt. Focusing on practical, achievable habits made the experience feel more empowering and credible.
