DH Retail App - Marc López

Project information

Goal

Create a white-label application that would allow small banks to have a modern app in a short time.

Rol

Product Designer

Duration

Approximately 1 year and 3 months

Design team

3 product designers + 1 design system designer

Competitive benchmarking and user-centered design

The project started with a research and benchmarking phase of European banking apps to understand which features were standard and which could differentiate us. From there, we defined a modular system that covered basic features (accounts, transfers, payments) while allowing each bank to customize the app to its needs. We worked iteratively, with two-week sprints in which we designed, validated with stakeholders, and refined before moving to development. In parallel, we built a shared design system based on tokens and reusable components, ensuring visual consistency and accelerating implementation. We collaborated hand in hand with the UI development team to create flexible templates and components that could be easily adapted to different clients without duplicating work. This ensured scalability and reduced technical effort in each deployment. Finally, we prepared navigable prototypes and conducted user tests, which allowed us to validate key interactions, adjust flows, and confirm that the final experience met real market expectations.

Project challenges

Creating a product on par with major European banks

One of the main challenges was designing a competitive application that could measure up against established apps from large European banks.

To achieve this, we conducted extensive benchmarking and prioritized critical features, ensuring the solution met usability, security, and scalability standards.

It was also key to validate that the solution addressed the real needs of end users.

To that end, we carried out interviews and testing with clients, which helped us refine flows and identify improvements early on.

Image of Creating a product on par with major European banks

Breaking away from the traditional seriousness of banks

During research, we found that users perceived the banking sector as too formal, rigid, and distant. We decided to take a more approachable and human visual and communication tone, differentiating ourselves from direct competitors.

This translated into the use of illustrations, microcopy, and visual resources that added freshness to the experience without losing credibility or rigor.

As a result, we created an app that was more accessible and appealing to a diverse audience.

Image of Breaking away from the traditional seriousness of banks

Design flexibility for varied banking flows

The greatest value of a white-label app is its ability to adapt to different banks without compromising the quality of the experience.

That’s why we designed a flexible system with parameterizable components and flows that could easily adapt to different contexts.

This not only ensured visual consistency but also simplified implementation and technical integration.

The idea was that each bank could customize the application according to its specific needs, without compromising the user experience or duplicating design efforts.