Virgin Money
Challenger
Virgin Money
Challenger
Virgin Money
Challenger
Overview
Designing a challenger bank built for modern money habits
Virgin Money Australia set out to challenge traditional banking by creating a digital-first bank designed for younger, tech-savvy customers. As Product Design Lead at Deloitte Digital, I took a six-week proof of concept and helped evolve it into a live, app-based banking experience that was intuitive, habit-forming, and rewarding to use.
Our goal was to reframe banking as something engaging and supportive, while still delivering the security, performance, and compliance required of a fully regulated financial institution.
Brand
Virgin Money Australia
Agency
Deloitte Digital
Role
Product Design Lead
Overview
Designing a challenger bank built for modern money habits
Virgin Money Australia set out to challenge traditional banking by creating a digital-first bank designed for younger, tech-savvy customers. As Product Design Lead at Deloitte Digital, I took a six-week proof of concept and helped evolve it into a live, app-based banking experience that was intuitive, habit-forming, and rewarding to use.
Our goal was to reframe banking as something engaging and supportive, while still delivering the security, performance, and compliance required of a fully regulated financial institution.
Brand
Virgin Money Australia
Agency
Deloitte Digital
Role
Product Design Lead
Overview
Designing a challenger bank built for modern money habits
Virgin Money Australia set out to challenge traditional banking by creating a digital-first bank designed for younger, tech-savvy customers. As Product Design Lead at Deloitte Digital, I took a six-week proof of concept and helped evolve it into a live, app-based banking experience that was intuitive, habit-forming, and rewarding to use.
Our goal was to reframe banking as something engaging and supportive, while still delivering the security, performance, and compliance required of a fully regulated financial institution.
Brand
Virgin Money Australia
Agency
Deloitte Digital
Role
Product Design Lead
Challenge
Redesign banking for a generation that expects more than functionality.
Younger customers expect more than a place to store money. They want tools that help them budget, save, and build healthy financial habits. They expect personalisation, instant feedback, and rewards that feel relevant to their lives. The challenge was to turn an early proof of concept into a mobile-native product that felt human and motivating, while operating within strict regulatory, security, and compliance constraints.
We set out to transform
Transactional interfaces
Engaging, habit-building tools
Product-led platforms
User-led financial experiences
Generic reward schemes
Positive financial rewards
Challenge
Redesign banking for a generation that expects more than functionality.
Younger customers expect more than a place to store money. They want tools that help them budget, save, and build healthy financial habits. They expect personalisation, instant feedback, and rewards that feel relevant to their lives. The challenge was to turn an early proof of concept into a mobile-native product that felt human and motivating, while operating within strict regulatory, security, and compliance constraints.
We set out to transform
Transactional interfaces
Engaging, habit-building tools
Product-led platforms
User-led financial experiences
Generic reward schemes
Positive financial rewards
Challenge
Redesign banking for a generation that expects more than functionality.
Younger customers expect more than a place to store money. They want tools that help them budget, save, and build healthy financial habits. They expect personalisation, instant feedback, and rewards that feel relevant to their lives. The challenge was to turn an early proof of concept into a mobile-native product that felt human and motivating, while operating within strict regulatory, security, and compliance constraints.
We set out to transform
Transactional interfaces
Engaging, habit-building tools
Product-led platforms
User-led financial experiences
Generic reward schemes
Positive financial rewards
Onboarding
Onboarding
Onboarding
Process
Design embedded across discovery, delivery, and scale.
We embedded design across two cross-functional squads. One focused on customer experience, the other on product delivery. Working in three-week sprints, design stayed ahead of engineering to map journeys, validate ideas, and resolve constraints early.
User testing ran every two weeks, focusing not only on usability but also emotional clarity and motivation. We worked closely with compliance, data, and backend teams to ensure features were viable, secure, and scalable.
The team culture was lean, collaborative, and high-trust, with design shaping the product roadmap from discovery through to delivery.
Deliverables
01
Product definition and MVP scope
02
UX flows & user journeys
03
Financial Fitness tools
04
Loyalty rewards
05
Prototyping & validation
06
UI design for iOS & Android
07
Virgin Money Design system
08
Dev-ready documentation
09
Ongoing iteration & optimisation
Process
Design embedded across discovery, delivery, and scale.
We embedded design across two cross-functional squads. One focused on customer experience, the other on product delivery. Working in three-week sprints, design stayed ahead of engineering to map journeys, validate ideas, and resolve constraints early.
User testing ran every two weeks, focusing not only on usability but also emotional clarity and motivation. We worked closely with compliance, data, and backend teams to ensure features were viable, secure, and scalable.
The team culture was lean, collaborative, and high-trust, with design shaping the product roadmap from discovery through to delivery.
Deliverables
01
Product definition and MVP scope
02
UX flows & user journeys
03
Financial Fitness tools
04
Loyalty rewards
05
Prototyping & validation
06
UI design for iOS & Android
07
Virgin Money Design system
08
Dev-ready documentation
09
Ongoing iteration & optimisation
Process
Design embedded across discovery, delivery, and scale.
We embedded design across two cross-functional squads. One focused on customer experience, the other on product delivery. Working in three-week sprints, design stayed ahead of engineering to map journeys, validate ideas, and resolve constraints early.
User testing ran every two weeks, focusing not only on usability but also emotional clarity and motivation. We worked closely with compliance, data, and backend teams to ensure features were viable, secure, and scalable.
The team culture was lean, collaborative, and high-trust, with design shaping the product roadmap from discovery through to delivery.
Deliverables
01
Product definition and MVP scope
02
UX flows & user journeys
03
Financial Fitness tools
04
Loyalty rewards
05
Prototyping & validation
06
UI design for iOS & Android
07
Virgin Money Design system
08
Dev-ready documentation
09
Ongoing iteration & optimisation
User testing & insights
We ran moderated usability sessions and prototype testing every two weeks, engaging over 100 users across Australia. These sessions helped validate emotional connection, ease of use, and relevance of new features such as Financial Fitness and loyalty rewards.
What We Learned
Users found budgeting tools too static or complex
Many didn’t understand the benefit of saving regularly
Rewards needed to feel relevant—not generic offers
Users wanted a more personalised experience
Young users expected instant feedback and intuitive flows
Trust and security remained non-negotiable
How we responded
Created habit-forming “Financial Fitness” journeys
Gamified savings with micro-goals and visual milestones
Designed loyalty to reward healthy financial behaviour
Tailored dashboards and nudges based on spending
Simplified flows and feedback loops with responsive UI
Balanced creativity with clarity, control, and compliance
User testing & insights
We ran moderated usability sessions and prototype testing every two weeks, engaging over 100 users across Australia. These sessions helped validate emotional connection, ease of use, and relevance of new features such as Financial Fitness and loyalty rewards.
What We Learned
Users found budgeting tools too static or complex
Many didn’t understand the benefit of saving regularly
Rewards needed to feel relevant—not generic offers
Users wanted a more personalised experience
Young users expected instant feedback and intuitive flows
Trust and security remained non-negotiable
How we responded
Created habit-forming “Financial Fitness” journeys
Gamified savings with micro-goals and visual milestones
Designed loyalty to reward healthy financial behaviour
Tailored dashboards and nudges based on spending
Simplified flows and feedback loops with responsive UI
Balanced creativity with clarity, control, and compliance
User testing & insights
We ran moderated usability sessions and prototype testing every two weeks, engaging over 100 users across Australia. These sessions helped validate emotional connection, ease of use, and relevance of new features such as Financial Fitness and loyalty rewards.
What We Learned
Users found budgeting tools too static or complex
Many didn’t understand the benefit of saving regularly
Rewards needed to feel relevant—not generic offers
Users wanted a more personalised experience
Young users expected instant feedback and intuitive flows
Trust and security remained non-negotiable
How we responded
Created habit-forming “Financial Fitness” journeys
Gamified savings with micro-goals and visual milestones
Designed loyalty to reward healthy financial behaviour
Tailored dashboards and nudges based on spending
Simplified flows and feedback loops with responsive UI
Balanced creativity with clarity, control, and compliance
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Our goal was to move beyond traditional banking and design an experience that felt empowering, supportive, and future-focused. We designed the product to help users build confidence with money, set achievable goals, and feel recognised for positive behaviour, not just transactions.
EXPERIENCE PRINCIPLES
01
Build trust through transparency: Make it clear what is happening and why
02
Reward positive behaviour: Make good financial habits visible and satisfying
03
Empower through simplicity: Give users control without overwhelming them
04
Design for real life: Reflect real behaviours, goals, and financial rhythms
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Our goal was to move beyond traditional banking and design an experience that felt empowering, supportive, and future-focused. We designed the product to help users build confidence with money, set achievable goals, and feel recognised for positive behaviour, not just transactions.
EXPERIENCE PRINCIPLES
01
Build trust through transparency: Make it clear what is happening and why
02
Reward positive behaviour: Make good financial habits visible and satisfying
03
Empower through simplicity: Give users control without overwhelming them
04
Design for real life: Reflect real behaviours, goals, and financial rhythms
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Our goal was to move beyond traditional banking and design an experience that felt empowering, supportive, and future-focused. We designed the product to help users build confidence with money, set achievable goals, and feel recognised for positive behaviour, not just transactions.
EXPERIENCE PRINCIPLES
01
Build trust through transparency: Make it clear what is happening and why
02
Reward positive behaviour: Make good financial habits visible and satisfying
03
Empower through simplicity: Give users control without overwhelming them
04
Design for real life: Reflect real behaviours, goals, and financial rhythms
THE HUMAN STORY
“It doesn’t feel like banking. It feels like something that’s trying to help me be better with money.”
— Virgin Money Customer
THE HUMAN STORY
“It doesn’t feel like banking. It feels like something that’s trying to help me be better with money.”
— Virgin Money Customer
THE HUMAN STORY
“It doesn’t feel like banking. It feels like something that’s trying to help me be better with money.”
— Virgin Money Customer
REFLECTION
This project was about real impact. We did not just refine an interface. We helped shift banking from transactional to supportive.
Through deep collaboration, rapid testing, and a strong focus on user needs, we delivered a product that helps people form healthier money habits and stay engaged over time. We balanced innovation with trust, ambition with accessibility, and creativity with compliance.
The result was a challenger bank that feels more like a coach, while remaining robust and secure underneath.
REFLECTION
This project was about real impact. We did not just refine an interface. We helped shift banking from transactional to supportive.
Through deep collaboration, rapid testing, and a strong focus on user needs, we delivered a product that helps people form healthier money habits and stay engaged over time. We balanced innovation with trust, ambition with accessibility, and creativity with compliance.
The result was a challenger bank that feels more like a coach, while remaining robust and secure underneath.
REFLECTION
This project was about real impact. We did not just refine an interface. We helped shift banking from transactional to supportive.
Through deep collaboration, rapid testing, and a strong focus on user needs, we delivered a product that helps people form healthier money habits and stay engaged over time. We balanced innovation with trust, ambition with accessibility, and creativity with compliance.
The result was a challenger bank that feels more like a coach, while remaining robust and secure underneath.
results
62K+
Users onboarded in the first year of the launch.
94%
New-to-bank customers joining through the app.
15min
Average time to open a new account—down from 15 days.
84M+
Loyalty points earned via Financial Fitness and card spend.
41%
Of users actively saving toward home ownership goals.
4.4
App Store rating post-launch, reflecting strong user satisfaction.
results
62K+
Users onboarded in the first year of the launch.
94%
New-to-bank customers joining through the app.
15min
Average time to open a new account—down from 15 days.
84M+
Loyalty points earned via Financial Fitness and card spend.
41%
Of users actively saving toward home ownership goals.
4.4
App Store rating post-launch, reflecting strong user satisfaction.
results
62K+
Users onboarded in the first year of the launch.
94%
New-to-bank customers joining through the app.
15min
Average time to open a new account—down from 15 days.
84M+
Loyalty points earned via Financial Fitness and card spend.
41%
Of users actively saving toward home ownership goals.
4.4
App Store rating post-launch, reflecting strong user satisfaction.
