Santander’s Open Banking services have been designed to empower both individuals and businesses by providing seamless access to financial data and payment services through third-party providers (TPPs). This initiative aligns with modern banking trends, offering an interconnected ecosystem of financial tools that enhance convenience and accessibility.

By allowing users to securely share their transaction data with authorised financial institutions and fintech applications, Santander ensures that customers can benefit from more personalised and efficient banking services, both through web and mobile platforms.

The project involved designing a greenfield responsive system for API creation to support Open Banking Account Information Service Providers (AISPs) and Payment Initiation Service Providers (PISPs). As the sole UX/UI designer on this initiative, I was responsible for crafting an intuitive and user-centric experience, ensuring alignment with Santander’s brand guidelines and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulations. Given that Open Banking was an entirely new service within the fintech industry, the challenge lay in defining a clear and effective user journey for a system that had never been designed or implemented before.

To address this, I engaged in a comprehensive design lifecycle, beginning with stakeholder liaison to gather requirements and insights. Conducting in-depth user research was critical to understanding both customer needs and regulatory constraints, which in turn informed the development of initial user journeys. Given the ambiguity surrounding Open Banking’s usability, I created multiple low-fidelity mockups to explore potential solutions, iterating on designs to simplify and refine the process. A/B testing was employed to validate usability hypotheses, ensuring that the final design offered an optimal experience for end users.

The high-fidelity designs were meticulously crafted to align with Santander’s established component libraries, ensuring consistency and scalability across both web and mobile banking platforms. This involved updating existing design systems to accommodate Open Banking functionalities while maintaining a seamless user experience. The end result was an intuitive, secure, and effective yet simple to understand Open Banking interface that allows users to connect their financial data with trusted third-party applications effortlessly.

By integrating Open Banking into Santander’s digital environment, customers now have greater control over their finances, with improved access to innovative financial services. Whether for personal or business banking, this initiative significantly enhances everyday banking experiences by enabling secure data sharing and seamless payment authorisations. The Open Banking system stands as a testament to how modern financial technology can drive better user experiences while maintaining the highest standards of security and compliance.

Interactive Journey Mockup Video

Tools Used

Mockups & Guidance