BECU
Client:
BECU
Date:
2025
Role:
UX/UI designer
Everyday banking shouldn't require digging. I took on BECU's mobile app as a personal redesign project, focusing on two pain points: the accounts section and the deposits section. Both felt cluttered and made it harder than necessary to find the information users actually care about.
Research & Discovery 🔎
As a BECU member, I was often frustrated with the app's layout and scannability. Curious to see if others felt the same I checked BECU's App Store reviews. Despite a decent overall rating, recent reviews told a different story-the score was dropping fast.
After analyzing dozens of reviews I identified recurring themes: users complained about difficulty finding account balances, confusing navigation, and unclear deposit statuses. Many mentioned having to tap through multiple screens just to check basic information.
To understand how other banks solved these problems, I conducted a competitive analysis of Banking apps such as Chime, Apples Card + wallet, and Chase bank. Focusing specifically on how they structured account overviews and displayed transaction information.
Key Insights 💡
Through my research, four major pain points emerged.
Hidden balances Users couldn't see their account balance at a glance. The current design buried this critical information below the fold, requiring scrolling to find what should be immediately visible.
Unclear deposit status Checking whether a deposit had cleared required navigating three levels deep into the app. Users reported confusion about pending vs. available funds, with no clear visual indication of deposit progress.
Poor visual hierarchy The original design treated all information with equal visual weight. Account numbers, routing numbers, and balances all blended together, forcing users to hunt for what they actually needed.
Competitor advantage Apps like Chime and Ally surfaced critical information immediately on the home screen with clear visual hierarchy. They used progressive disclosure—showing essential details first, with secondary information available on tap.
Design Decisions 🎨
Based on the research insights, I made several key changes:
Clear account categorization I separated accounts by type—checking, savings, and credit cards—each in its own distinct section. This improves scannability and reduces cognitive load by grouping related information together.
Progressive disclosure for details Tapping on any account category now reveals relevant details specific to that account type. For example, selecting a credit card displays the due date and available credit—information users need to avoid late fees. This follows the pattern I observed in Chime and Ally, where critical details are one tap away instead of buried in menus.
Balance front and center Account balances are now immediately visible on the home screen without scrolling. This directly addresses the most common complaint from user reviews—having to hunt for this essential information.
Unified transaction view At the bottom of the home screen, users can now see recent transactions across all accounts in one place, with clear indicators showing money in, money out, and the resulting balance. This eliminates the need to navigate into individual accounts just to check recent activity.
Improved visual hierarchy I used typography, spacing, and color to create clear information hierarchy—making critical details like balances and due dates stand out while secondary information (like account numbers) recedes into the background.
Outcome 📱
This redesign streamlines the BECU mobile experience by surfacing critical information immediately and reducing the number of taps needed to complete common tasks. Account balances are now visible at a glance without scrolling, deposit status is accessible in one tap instead of three, and transaction history is unified across all accounts on the home screen. Account-specific details like credit card due dates are now contextually displayed where users need them most.