Citibank
As a Future Product Strategist in Banking, I drove innovation by identifying emerging trends, evolving customer needs, and new technologies. I developed customer-centric solutions that aligned with business goals, regulatory standards, and the changing financial landscape. By collaborating with cross-functional teams, I translated visionary ideas into impactful, user-driven banking experiences.
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I crafted strategic roadmaps that integrated next-gen technologies with existing banking systems, enhancing personalization and competitive differentiation. Through data-driven insights and industry trends, I helped this financial institution stay ahead, delivering future-ready digital solutions.
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UX strategist contributions (2018–2020)
Here are some key UX strategist contributions I made during this period:
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Anticipated Market Opportunities: Researched fintech innovations and customer behaviors to identify emerging banking trends.
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Developed Innovative Solutions: Ideated and refined digital banking experiences and AI-driven financial tools.
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Shaped Product Vision: Defined long-term roadmaps for future product enhancements, ensuring alignment with business strategy and compliance.
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Enhanced Customer Experience: Leveraged research and insights to create seamless, personalized, and secure solutions.
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Collaborated Across Teams: Worked with product, UX, engineering, data, and compliance teams to bring concepts to life.
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Prototyped & Presented Innovations: Developed prototypes and pitched concepts to leadership for approval and investment.
Citibank case study
Ideation & strategy
In my role as a product strategic advisor, I proactively scanned both the market and internal operations to identify opportunities for innovation, disruption, and the creation of new business models. I created PowerPoint presentations that effectively communicated my high-level ideation and data-driven use cases, helping to illustrate the potential impact of proposed solutions.
I facilitated ideation workshops and design thinking sessions, bringing together cross-functional teams to generate and refine new product and service concepts, particularly in response to large, high-priority banking challenges. I evaluated and prioritized ideas based on market potential, competitive landscape, user experience, and technical feasibility, while working closely with executives, marketing, and other key stakeholders to secure buy-in and staffing resources for new ventures that deliver both short-term value and long-term growth. This holistic approach enabled me to contribute to the development of innovative products that not only met customer needs but also positioned the company as a leader in its industry.
From ideas to proof of concept
Ultimately, we refined multiple concepts to present to the stakeholders. Below is a streamlined flow illustrating payments, and transfers within a native app.
The money movement project
Assigned with envisioning the future of banking and its integration into daily life, I reflected on my own frustrations with the current system and developed a payment and transfer flow that could be seamlessly incorporated into the Citi banking app.
A collaborative and lean approach was implemented, emphasizing rapid whiteboard sketching, user flows, and wireframe mockups. This strategy fostered early team alignment, clarified the user journey, and sparked innovative ideas.
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My role: UX Strategy & Information Architecture
Timeframe: 2 month turn around
The challenge
Simplify 14 existing payment and transfer flows by leveraging the financial institution's existing user data to reduce confusion in selecting the appropriate option and minimize the steps required to complete transactions.
Users often struggled with complex banking terminology, leading to uncertainty about which payment or transfer option to choose. Additionally, the lengthy and fragmented payment or transfer flows made transactions feel tedious, increasing the likelihood of errors from selecting the wrong service at the start, resulting in frustration and delays.
Research and analysis
We conducted a comprehensive competitive analysis, examining the transactional B2C flows of several direct competitors as well as companies in related industries. This analysis involved identifying best practices, evaluating user experience strategies, and benchmarking features such as payment processes, transfer mechanisms, and user interfaces. By understanding how these organizations structure their flows and address user pain points, we gained valuable insights that informed the design and optimization of our own transactional flows. This approach ensured our solutions remained competitive and user-centered.​​
The solution
By consolidating 14 payment and transfer flows into a streamlined, predictive experience, we reduced user friction and improved transactional efficiency. This project not only enhanced usability but also demonstrated the power of data-driven UX to simplify complex financial interactions. Moving forward, these insights can be leveraged to further optimize Citi’s digital banking experience.
The UX strategy and information architecture (IA) played a pivotal role in simplifying the payment and transfer experience. The consolidation of 14 different flows required a human-centered approach that focused on:
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Reducing Cognitive Load: By minimizing the number of steps and grouping similar actions together, users could quickly recognize the right transfer or payment method without excessive mental effort.
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Optimizing Navigation: Instead of requiring users to select from multiple, often confusing, payment options upfront, the redesigned flow used progressive disclosure—presenting only the most relevant information at each stage to prevent decision fatigue.
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Enhancing Error Prevention: The new design incorporated clearer labeling, guided prompts, and inline validation to help users select the correct transaction type from the start, reducing the risk of errors that could delay payments.
One of the key improvements was the use of predictive analytics to streamline the transaction process. Instead of forcing users to manually sift through multiple payment and transfer options, the system intelligently analyzed their past transaction behavior, frequency, and recipient details to surface the most relevant choices.
For example:
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If a user frequently transferred money to the same recipient or paid a specific bill at regular intervals, the system automatically suggested the most likely transfer type at the beginning of the flow.
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The interface pre-filled recommended transfer amounts based on prior transactions, reducing input errors and speeding up the process.
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Users received contextual guidance—for instance, if they selected a method that incurred a higher fee or longer processing time, they were given real-time feedback and alternative recommendations to make more informed decisions.
By integrating data-driven insights with UX best practices, the new experience eliminated unnecessary complexity, making transactions faster, more intuitive, and error-resistant while maintaining user confidence in the process.
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While the redesigned payment and transfer flow significantly improved usability by reducing cognitive load, optimizing navigation, and leveraging predictive analytics for a more seamless experience, the business ultimately decided not to move forward with implementation due to regulatory constraints. Compliance requirements and financial regulations introduced complexities that prevented certain optimizations from being deployed as intended.
Despite this, the insights gained from this project remain valuable. The research and design strategies explored can inform future iterations when regulatory conditions allow, ensuring that Citi continues to enhance its digital banking experience while maintaining compliance.
