Beyond Assumptions
How research redefined personas and prioritised MVP features by challenging business assumptions in Internet Banking
Client
Virgin Money | ME Bank | Bank of Queensland
Role
Lead Researcher | Service Designer
Scope
End-to-End Concept Testing | MVP Feature Prioritisation | Service Blueprint & Discovery Research Contributions
Tools
Figma | Dovetail | Jira | Miro | Confluence | Sketch
Tools
Figma | Dovetail | Jira | Miro | Confluence | Sketch
Stakeholders
Service Design Lead | Development Lead | Product Team
/ Context
The project aimed to build a scalable, secure, and user-centric Internet Banking platform aligned with the bank's broader digital transformation strategy. We needed to replace the outdated legacy systems used by many of our customers while accommodating multi-brand capabilities.
3
Brands, Mobile-First Strategy. What features make the MVP cut? What stays on web?
2
Legacy Banking Platforms Outdated, costly, and overdue for retirement.
33
%
Customers Aged 66+ with Income < AUD 100K Accessibility and trust were non-negotiable.
215,042
Customers to Migrate with Minimal friction while maintaining their confidence and trust.
How might we replace outdated systems with a modern platform that scales across brands and feels seamless for every customer — new or legacy?
/ Discovery
What We Wanted to Learn
To design a platform that scaled across brands and user needs, we needed to validate a few key things:
What features users expected and valued most on Internet Banking (IB) vs Mobile Banking (MB)
How brand-specific personas influenced those preferences
Whether the proposed flows were intuitive and aligned with user expectations
Where feature parity was essential, and where we could lean into platform strengths
As the Lead Researcher, I:
Planned and facilitated moderated concept testing with 12 participants across brands and demographics
Created recruitment screeners and prototypes tailored to test platform-specific expectations
Set up Dovetail for efficient synthesis and created a structured playback for stakeholders
Collaborated with the service design team to inform persona refinement and MVP definition
Task-Centric Mental Models
Theme
Users preferred Internet Banking for complex, information-heavy tasks—demanding clarity and control.
Insight
Feature Expectations
Theme
Users wanted advanced tools on desktop—search, filters, personalisation—not just mobile parity.
Insight
Password-Less Login
Theme
Users favoured secure, seamless login over traditional passwords—accessibility and ease won.
Insight
Support Preferences
Theme
In-app chat beat call centers for quick help; calls were reserved for complex needs.
Insight
These insights shifted our strategy from a strict mobile-first parity model to a more context-driven design — extending advanced features for Internet Banking, simplifying Mobile Banking flows, and tailoring functionality to user behaviours and expectations.
/ Design
First to launch: ME Bank Internet Banking — with MVP features shaped by user insights and research-led prioritisation.
/ Impact
Refined Personas & Mental Models
We moved away from age- and demographic-based personas, focusing instead on users’ task mindsets. Internet Banking users valued depth and detail; Mobile Banking users preferred speed and simplicity for quick wins like alerts.
Feature Expansion vs Feature Parity
We shifted from a rigid mobile-first approach to a context-first strategy. Desktop became the hub for heavy-lift tasks; mobile stayed lean for on-the-go needs. Each platform played to its strengths.
Increased User Satisfaction
Designs grounded in real user needs led to higher confidence, reduced contact center dependency, and a smoother migration experience—without compromising trust.
/ Reflection
Reusable Research Templates
Post-project, I built standardized Dovetail templates and global tagging systems. These cut synthesis time and made cross-project collaboration seamless.
Upgraded Playback & Insights
I redesigned the playback format, adding a section for core user pain points and behavior patterns. This made findings easier to action and improved design alignment across teams.
Deeper Stakeholder Alignment
We hosted inclusive workshops that invited candid feedback and collective decisions. This nurtured trust and elevated the research culture across the org.
Beyond Assumptions
How research redefined personas and prioritised MVP features by challenging business assumptions in Internet Banking
Client
Virgin Money | ME Bank | Bank of Queensland
Role
Lead Researcher | Service Designer
Scope
End-to-End Concept Testing | MVP Feature Prioritisation | Service Blueprint & Discovery Research Contributions
Tools
Figma | Dovetail | Jira | Miro | Confluence | Sketch
Tools
Figma | Dovetail | Jira | Miro | Confluence | Sketch
Stakeholders
Service Design Lead | Development Lead | Product Team
/ Context
The project aimed to build a scalable, secure, and user-centric Internet Banking platform aligned with the bank's broader digital transformation strategy. We needed to replace the outdated legacy systems used by many of our customers while accommodating multi-brand capabilities.
3
Brands, Mobile-First Strategy. What features make the MVP cut? What stays on web?
2
Legacy Banking Platforms Outdated, costly, and overdue for retirement.
33
%
Customers Aged 66+ with Income < AUD 100K Accessibility and trust were non-negotiable.
215,042
Customers to Migrate with Minimal friction while maintaining their confidence and trust.
How might we replace outdated systems with a modern platform that scales across brands and feels seamless for every customer — new or legacy?
/ Discovery
What We Wanted to Learn
To design a platform that scaled across brands and user needs, we needed to validate a few key things:
What features users expected and valued most on Internet Banking (IB) vs Mobile Banking (MB)
How brand-specific personas influenced those preferences
Whether the proposed flows were intuitive and aligned with user expectations
Where feature parity was essential, and where we could lean into platform strengths
As the Lead Researcher, I:
Planned and facilitated moderated concept testing with 12 participants across brands and demographics
Created recruitment screeners and prototypes tailored to test platform-specific expectations
Set up Dovetail for efficient synthesis and created a structured playback for stakeholders
Collaborated with the service design team to inform persona refinement and MVP definition
Task-Centric Mental Models
Theme
Users preferred Internet Banking for complex, information-heavy tasks—demanding clarity and control.
Insight
Feature Expectations
Theme
Users wanted advanced tools on desktop—search, filters, personalisation—not just mobile parity.
Insight
Password-Less Login
Theme
Users favoured secure, seamless login over traditional passwords—accessibility and ease won.
Insight
Support Preferences
Theme
In-app chat beat call centers for quick help; calls were reserved for complex needs.
Insight
These insights shifted our strategy from a strict mobile-first parity model to a more context-driven design — extending advanced features for Internet Banking, simplifying Mobile Banking flows, and tailoring functionality to user behaviours and expectations.
/ Design
First to launch: ME Bank Internet Banking — with MVP features shaped by user insights and research-led prioritisation.
/ Impact
Refined Personas & Mental Models
We moved away from age- and demographic-based personas, focusing instead on users’ task mindsets. Internet Banking users valued depth and detail; Mobile Banking users preferred speed and simplicity for quick wins like alerts.
Feature Expansion vs Feature Parity
We shifted from a rigid mobile-first approach to a context-first strategy. Desktop became the hub for heavy-lift tasks; mobile stayed lean for on-the-go needs. Each platform played to its strengths.
Increased User Satisfaction
Designs grounded in real user needs led to higher confidence, reduced contact center dependency, and a smoother migration experience—without compromising trust.
/ Reflection
Reusable Research Templates
Post-project, I built standardized Dovetail templates and global tagging systems. These cut synthesis time and made cross-project collaboration seamless.
Upgraded Playback & Insights
I redesigned the playback format, adding a section for core user pain points and behavior patterns. This made findings easier to action and improved design alignment across teams.
Deeper Stakeholder Alignment
We hosted inclusive workshops that invited candid feedback and collective decisions. This nurtured trust and elevated the research culture across the org.
Beyond Assumptions
How research redefined personas and prioritised MVP features by challenging business assumptions in Internet Banking
Client
Virgin Money | ME Bank | Bank of Queensland
Role
Lead Researcher | Service Designer
Scope
End-to-End Concept Testing | MVP Feature Prioritisation | Service Blueprint & Discovery Research Contributions
Tools
Figma | Dovetail | Jira | Miro | Confluence | Sketch
Tools
Figma | Dovetail | Jira | Miro | Confluence | Sketch
Stakeholders
Service Design Lead | Development Lead | Product Team
/ Context
The project aimed to build a scalable, secure, and user-centric Internet Banking platform aligned with the bank's broader digital transformation strategy. We needed to replace the outdated legacy systems used by many of our customers while accommodating multi-brand capabilities.
3
Complex Products, 3 Brands, 2 Platforms
2
Legacy Banking Platforms Outdated, costly, and overdue for retirement.
33
%
Customers Aged 66+ with Income < AUD 100K Accessibility and trust were non-negotiable.
215,042
Customers to Migrate with Minimal friction while maintaining their confidence and trust.
How might we replace outdated systems with a modern platform that scales across brands and feels seamless for every customer — new or legacy?
/ Discovery
What We Wanted to Learn
To design a platform that scaled across brands and user needs, we needed to validate a few key things:
What features users expected and valued most on Internet Banking (IB) vs Mobile Banking (MB)
How brand-specific personas influenced those preferences
Whether the proposed flows were intuitive and aligned with user expectations
Where feature parity was essential, and where we could lean into platform strengths
As the Lead Researcher, I:
Planned and facilitated moderated concept testing with 12 participants across brands and demographics
Created recruitment screeners and prototypes tailored to test platform-specific expectations
Set up Dovetail for efficient synthesis and created a structured playback for stakeholders
Collaborated with the service design team to inform persona refinement and MVP definition
Task-Centric Mental Models
Theme
Users preferred Internet Banking for complex, information-heavy tasks—demanding clarity and control.
Insight
Feature Expectations
Theme
Users wanted advanced tools on desktop—search, filters, personalisation—not just mobile parity.
Insight
Password-Less Login
Theme
Users favoured secure, seamless login over traditional passwords—accessibility and ease won.
Insight
Support Preferences
Theme
In-app chat beat call centers for quick help; calls were reserved for complex needs.
Insight
These insights shifted our strategy from a strict mobile-first parity model to a more context-driven design — extending advanced features for Internet Banking, simplifying Mobile Banking flows, and tailoring functionality to user behaviours and expectations.
/ Design
First to launch: ME Bank Internet Banking — with MVP features shaped by user insights and research-led prioritisation.
/ Impact
Refined Personas & Mental Models
We moved away from age- and demographic-based personas, focusing instead on users’ task mindsets. Internet Banking users valued depth and detail; Mobile Banking users preferred speed and simplicity for quick wins like alerts.
Feature Expansion vs Feature Parity
We shifted from a rigid mobile-first approach to a context-first strategy. Desktop became the hub for heavy-lift tasks; mobile stayed lean for on-the-go needs. Each platform played to its strengths.
Increased User Satisfaction
Designs grounded in real user needs led to higher confidence, reduced contact center dependency, and a smoother migration experience—without compromising trust.
/ Reflection
Reusable Research Templates
Post-project, I built standardized Dovetail templates and global tagging systems. These cut synthesis time and made cross-project collaboration seamless.
Upgraded Playback & Insights
I redesigned the playback format, adding a section for core user pain points and behavior patterns. This made findings easier to action and improved design alignment across teams.
Deeper Stakeholder Alignment
We hosted inclusive workshops that invited candid feedback and collective decisions. This nurtured trust and elevated the research culture across the org.