U.S. BANK Online Applications
In 2011, online banking was accelerating fast — and U.S. Bank needed its digital application experience to keep up. I was brought in as the sole Information Architect to redesign and standardize online application flows across the bank's full consumer product portfolio, delivering a unified platform under tight deadlines through an offshore development team.
PROBLEM
Each product flow had been built independently — no consistent structure, no progress indicator, no save state. Every product felt like a different website. On top of that, the live site had five documented usability failures affecting customers mid-application.
SOLUTION
I designed the Apply Platform — a single templated framework giving every product application the same four-step structure: About You, About Account, Review & Submit, and Results. Product-specific fields and compliance requirements were applied within that consistent shell. Every screen included a full Interface Specifications panel, giving the offshore development team a specification document as complete as the wireframe itself.
IMPACT
244 wireframe screens across 12 application flows, delivered over 12 months. Five documented usability failures resolved. A consistent application experience across every major consumer financial product the bank offered online.
That work landed at a genuine inflection point. A Gallup poll shows the average American visited a bank branch 1.7 times per month in 2011 — by 2014 that had dropped to 1.0 times per month, while online and mobile banking climbed steadily over the same period. U.S. Bancorp reported record earnings and new customer acquisition growth in 2012, driven in part by deepening digital capabilities. The application flows we built that year had to work as customer behavior shifted toward digital-first — and getting the design right at that moment mattered more than it might have appeared at the time.
KEY LEARNINGS
Consistency is a trust mechanism — especially when customers are making high-stakes financial decisions. The templated framework was an IA decision, not a visual one. Designing the shared structure first was what made everything else deliverable at speed.
Carol Brenner
Content Strategist
"I worked with Alex at US Bank on highly technical and complex projects involving analyzing use cases and creating wireframes for a better user experience. Alex designed and created all wireframes carefully and meticulously. He typically worked on several simultaneously and somehow managed to keep them all straight. As a writer and on the more creative side of things, I asked questions frequently for clarification. Alex always listened and made adjustments if necessary. He knows how to collaborate and helps people get the information they need to make better choices."