U.S. Bank — Bank Smartly Checking | MVP

UX / Visual Designer

Designing a Clear MVP to Launch Bank Smartly Checking

Helping customers understand tier benefits and make
confident banking decisions

OVERVIEW

U.S. Bank introduced Bank Smartly® Checking, a new product combining everyday banking with a tiered rewards program.

The challenge: the value of Smart Rewards was difficult to understand, and the initial experience risked overwhelming users at launch.

I designed and delivered an MVP landing experience that simplified rewards, clarified benefits, and helped customers quickly understand what they qualify for—supporting a successful product launch.

Role: Lead UX & Visual Designer, Client: U.S. Bank, Timeline: Q3 2021 – Q2 2022 Team: PM, UXR, 2 Engineers

OPPORTUNITY

Customers were inundated with information and struggled to interpret how rewards scaled with their banking relationship.

Key issues:

• Rewards tiers were complex and hard to compare
• Content was dense and not easily scannable
• No interactive way to estimate rewards
• Users had to manually interpret benefits

PROBLEM

Complex information created friction instead of motivation

The existing experience created multiple points of friction:

• Large comparison grids increased cognitive load
• All tiers were visually equal → no sense of progression
• Key actions (like opening an account) were unclear
• Navigation paths to Rewards were limited

This led to:

At the same time, the Rewards page:

• Lower understanding vs. branch interactions
• Reduced engagement with the program
• Missed opportunities to drive account growth

OBJECTIVE

Design a clear, scalable MVP that:


• Simplifies the Smart Rewards program
• Helps users quickly identify their rewards tier
• Presents information in a highly scannable format
• Encourages application and engagement

ROLE

As the sole UX & Visual Designer, I:

• Owned the end-to-end design of the MVP experience
• Led UX strategy, structure, and visual design
• Partnered with product, research, engineering, and content
• Wireframes, User flow, illustration design, art direction
• Helped implement new U.S. Bank brand guidelines

RESEARCH & INSIGHTS

I worked with UXR and CX data (Qualtrics, Quantum Metric, internal analytics) to understand behavior and pain points.

Key insight

• Users don’t read financial programs—they scan, compare, and look for quick validation.

Core pain points

• “I don’t know what tier I qualify for”
  
• “This is too much to read”
•  “I have to do the math myself”

DESIGN APPROACH

Simplify the rewards system

I translated a complex tier structure into a clear, scannable framework:


• Move Tier hierarchy (Bronze → Platinum+) to “NEW” Rewards Page
• Consistent benefit mapping
• Progressive disclosure for deeper details

Improve scannability

I created a modular rewards grid:


• User clarity
• Clear visual hierarchy
• Reduced cognitive load

Structure for decision-making

I designed the page flow to guide users:


• Overview → Benefits → Calculator → FAQs → Apply
• Strategic CTA placement
• Content optimized for quick scanning

Apply new brand system

This MVP helped introduce updated:


• Typography
• Color system
• Iconography

SOLUTION

A simplified, user-centered MVP designed for clarity and action

• Improved clarity and usability across browsing and comparison
• Established a scalable component system
• Enabled ongoing experimentation through Test & Learn

IMPACT

Improved understanding, engagement, and conversion at launch

• Improved clarity and comprehension of rewards tiers\
• Increased engagement with key content areas
• Supported application intent and conversion goals
• Led the way to have future teams learn about user needs

WHAT I LEARNED

Designing for clarity in complex financial experiences

• Clarity is critical in financial products
• Interactive tools outperform static explanations
• Scannability drives engagement
• Early accessibility alignment avoids rework

NEXT STEPS

Scaling and optimizing the experience beyond MVP

• Expand calculator with personalized account data
• Introduce deeper comparison across financial products
• Continue A/B testing content hierarchy and layouts