Banking  —  The Missing Dots.

The banking sectors of today have realized that "Customer Experience" is the combination of multiple “Dots”.  The process starts by opening an account with the bank and then the so called valuable customer chooses to visit a branch for all his banking needs or use the technology platforms like ATM’s, Deposit Kiosks, Phone Banking, Net Banking and Mobile Application.

During this overall process, if one “Dot” goes missing or blurred, the entire experience leaves a bad taste.

Over the last few years, Private Banking seems to have understood the importance of all the "Dots" being in place and had started working on improvising the infrastructures and services. In my opinion, especially ICICI Bank and Axis Bank are focusing a lot nowadays on the net banking and mobile banking arena. Website and mobile application updates are pushed more often from these banks in comparison to the other competitors in the banking domain.

Designing for banking products has always been challenging for designers, but I being a designer by passion, it has always excited me. The problem statements in the banking industry is product designing which could be challenging, has a giant user database and considering the  complexities of security and UI, it’s always hard to achieve satisfaction. It looks like banks have built mobile apps just for the name sake and not with the primary focus on satisfying the end customer, there seems to be nearly no strategical approach for building the mobile application. The moment you look at the build out applications they look to be the veteran and never updated to keep up with the pace of the mobile industry. It gives an indication that banks are not bothered what the end user experience.

Do I fail to understand  - Why can't banks focus on creating Banking Experience seamless and easy?

How hard is it to design a beautiful and functional banking app?

Year on year, companies who are regulators of mobile OS industry like Apple & Google spend a huge amount of time, effort, and money on building flawless mobile OS, their focus is not only to improvise visual language but to great extent experience of end users i.e. consumers. The expectation of the OS regulators is companies across the diversified industry, who are focussed on the mobile application to follow similar consumer experience. I have been checking nearly 19 banking apps but couldn’t find one app that follows proper design guidelines.

Now the biggest question which I am trying hard to figure out.

Why banks and their designing houses are not able to follow these design guidelines?

Why it’s hard for them to understand that software industry changes every year and so does the design?

I am guessing the problem is they need people who can make app, do branding and design strategy for them.

Not sure what's stopping them!

I am sharing this experience after dealing with 3 well known public financial institutions of India where I had to visit for getting some of my personal work done on one fine morning.

If I am asked to share my experience the odds are obvious.

• Bank of India - Overall experience was like "Cycle Rikshaw"
• Axis Bank - Overall experience was like "Auto"
• Standard Chartered - Overall experience was like travelling in “Uber”

I agree Axis Bank's current mobile app must be doing its job but there is still a big difference between “Auto” and “Uber”. What Say?

Probably that’s what all banks need to understand. I’m sure these screenshots will explain what my point is :)