JunaBank

A Responsive Digital Banking Experience for a New Generation

Created as part of the Google UX Design Certificate

My role: I was responsible for the entire UX process — from research and user personas to wireframes, prototyping, usability testing, and final UI design.

Project Goal

Design a modern, responsive banking platform that appeals to Millennials and Gen Z—generations with rising financial influence who demand user-friendly, digital tools that help them manage money without stepping into a physical branch.

Banking Reimagined for Digital Natives

Most banks still build their products for older generations—using dated language, cluttered interfaces, and rigid processes. But Gen Z and Millennials are quickly becoming the most powerful consumers

60%

of global purchasing power will be held by Millennials and Gen Z by 2030. (BCG, 2023)

71%

of Gen Z prefer managing finances through mobile apps—yet many find traditional banking apps hard to understand or outdated. (EY Future Consumer Index, 2024)

52%

of Millennials feel financial platforms don’t speak their language or reflect their goals. (Deloitte Millennial Survey, 2023)

1 in 4

Gen Z users rate their bank's app as “intuitive” — leaving a huge opportunity for clearer, smarter design. (Forrester Research, 2024)

Understanding the user

Drawing from generational research and user behavior patterns, I crafted three personas to represent the core needs and frustrations of younger banking users. Each persona embodies specific goals, habits, and emotional drivers that guided key design decisions.

The Finance Hacker

Pedro (32, Designer, Valencia)

Pedro checks his accounts daily. He wants control, clarity, and no wasted time. He’s tech-savvy and expects a bank to be just as agile and frictionless as his favorite productivity apps.

The First-Timer Abroad

Laura (21, Student, Seville)

Laura is living abroad and managing money for the first time. She wants to learn without feeling overwhelmed. Her ideal app should educate, not intimidate.

The Young Entrepreneur

Daniel (28, Startup Founder, Bogotá)

Daniel runs a business and manages finances solo. He needs clear transaction history, fast transfers, and zero confusion when managing personal and business banking in one place.

Understanding their journey

To capture the real experience of users like Pedro, I mapped a typical journey—from searching for a bank to managing money daily. This highlights key actions, feelings, and where design can simplify and empower the user experience.

Competitive Audit

A short competitive audit helped identify what younger users felt was lacking in traditional banking apps. Traditional banks: Often cluttered, feature-heavy, and visually outdated. Most of them assume users already understand banking systems. Fintech challengers: More visually appealing, but often lack depth for users needing robust tools beyond simple transfers.

Common gaps identified:

🏦 Over-reliance on financial jargon

📊 Complex dashboards with little guidancelity

🔄 Friction when switching between account types or managing more than one user

🎯 Lack of personalized insights or goal-tracking tools

Sitemap Overview

The sitemap defines the core structure of the banking platform, offering a clear overview of its primary screens and navigation flow. It serves as a foundation for organizing financial tasks—such as viewing balances, transferring money, or managing cards—into an intuitive and accessible experience. This structure was designed to help users quickly find what they need, whether they’re checking daily transactions or planning long-term savings, especially for those new to managing finances independently.

Wireframes

From Paper Sketches to a Responsive Banking Experience

Starting with low-fidelity sketches, I mapped out essential user flows—like viewing transactions and making transfers—to prioritize clarity and ease of use. I first focused on the desktop experience to support users managing complex tasks, then adapted the structure to mobile for users on the go. This desktop-first, responsive approach ensured that both versions felt intuitive and native to their respective devices, not just resized replicas.

Once the strongest sketch concepts were selected, I translated them into digital wireframes, starting with the desktop version to provide maximum visibility and control for users handling complex financial tasks. Since the project was designed as a fully responsive experience, wireframes for both desktop and mobile were developed in parallel—ensuring that each version felt native to its device rather than a simple resize. The goal was to create an intuitive, human-centered interface with clear navigation, minimal cognitive load, and thoughtful visual cues that adapt seamlessly to the needs of different users, from on-the-go students to detail-focused entrepreneurs.

Desktop Wireframes – Full-Width View

Mobile Wireframes – Compact Responsive View

Testing and iterating

Testing the wireframes with users uncovered several areas for improvement, leading to design refinements that made the experience clearer, more engaging, and easier to navigate:

Completed transfer flow – Added additional screens to visually confirm completion and make it instantly recognizable.
Shareable transaction details – Introduced a copy-and-paste text option alongside image sharing.
More entry points – Integrated additional access paths to the transfer section and other key areas.
Most-used actions screen – Added a dedicated view for quick access to frequent features.
Clearer component states – Improved differentiation between selected and inactive elements for better recognition.
Interactive transaction details – Added mock text to detail views to encourage tapping and exploring.

Addressing challenges

1. Visual Language and Branding

Challenge: Many financial platforms feel generic, with visual systems that lack warmth or relatability.

Solution: Developed a distinct color palette, typography, and iconography that modernized the experience and grouped categories in a more natural, user-centered way based on how people actually manage their finances.

2. Confusing Navigation

Challenge: Ordering a transaction often required navigating through multiple, unclear steps, which frustrated users and slowed them down.

Solution: Simplified the flow to reduce the number of steps, added clear entry points, and provided visual indicators to guide users from start to confirmation.

3. Simplifying Financial Information for Digital Natives

Challenge: Banking platforms typically present financial details in dense, formal formats that are hard for digital natives to scan and process efficiently.

Solution: Streamlined the presentation of data by simplifying language, structuring content for faster reading, and using visual cues—without removing essential financial details.

Test the prototype

Conclusion & Takeaways

Designing this responsive banking platform was an opportunity to reimagine how Millennials and Gen Z interact with financial tools—moving away from outdated, rigid systems toward an experience that is clear, adaptive, and visually engaging. By refining navigation flows, simplifying financial information for digital natives, and introducing a distinct visual language and branding, the design bridges the gap between functionality and relatability.

This project reinforced that creating trust in banking is not only about security and features but also about presenting information in a way that feels approachable, intuitive, and relevant to each user’s lifestyle.

What I Learned:

UI matters for trust – Thoughtful branding, cohesive visual language, and natural grouping of categories make the platform feel modern and approachable.

Simplification is key for digital natives – Presenting financial data in a format that’s easy to scan without removing critical details improves engagement and confidence.

Navigation impacts efficiency – Reducing steps in high-frequency flows, like ordering a transaction, directly improves user satisfaction.

Adaptability drives relevance – Responsive design and dashboard customization ensure the experience fits different user types, from students to entrepreneurs

Next steps:

Expand adaptive features – Introduce more customization options so users can tailor the dashboard and navigation to their specific goals and habits.

Refine key flows further – Continue simplifying high-frequency tasks like transfers and payments, ensuring they remain quick and intuitive across devices.

Enhance visual guidance – Add more contextual cues, such as microinteractions and animations, to guide users through processes without overwhelming them.

Broaden accessibility testing – Test with a wider range of users, including those with varying levels of financial literacy and tech experience, to ensure clarity for all.

Explore goal-based insights – Implement personalized financial tips and summaries to keep users informed and motivated in managing their money.

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