I lead the design team responsible for Absa’s banking app. We work closely with product leaders, engineers, business partners and our other channels to design and ship financial services to customers. Our design work covers everything from discovery, through concept development, validation and delivery.
In 2018 I initiated and led a full redesign of the app as part of an overall bank rebrand. We improved the information architecture and implemented a design system for the app. This provided the fundamental framework for the growth of the app since. At the same time, I led the design of the first WhatsApp-based banking solution (in the world, at the time).
Since 2018 the App Store rating of Absa’s app has improved from 2.7 to 4.7 out of 5, on both iOS and Android. The number of active customers using the app has grown by approximately 60% year-on-year, to 1.8m active users today.
I've also shaped the design organisation at Absa. I created a skill development framework for designers to work with their mentors to grow their design skills. I also helped develop our grad program which was in response to a lack of high quality design skills in South Africa. We take graduate-level designers through a 1 year programme of accelerated learning.