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Case study: 03

The banking paradox

Bridging the trust gap between "Wealth" and "Debt"

Tandem strategy is changing. We have offered lending products fro years, but mainly via B2B channels. This year it’s about to change. This created a massive UX paradox. We had to speak to two opposing demographics in a single app: the Saver (seeking status and growth) and the Borrower (seeking relief and safety). The risk was clear: a design too "premium" alienates the borrower; a design too "basic" loses the saver’s trust.

The business was at a crossroads, but a clear corporate strategy was missing. Instead of waiting for a map, I decided to build a "North Star" vision. I used design to visualise the future of the bank, forcing strategic decisions through pixels rather than slide decks. I called the new direction "Organic Utility."

Psychology

I reframed our move to Dark Mode as an ethical and psychological choice, not just a trend.

Anxiety Reduction: For a borrower, seeing red debt numbers on a blinding white screen at 2 AM induces panic. A dark, calm interface offers a private, dignified environment to manage finances.
Sustainability: On OLED screens, dark mode significantly reduces energy consumption. We chose to walk the "Green Bank" talk at the pixel level.

Atmosphere

To balance the "Two Worlds," I introduced a new design language:

Typography: We brought in Clash Display. It’s an engineered, technical font that conveys competence to savers without the intimidating coldness of traditional banking.
Colour: We adopted "Cloud Dancer" as our core neutral. It’s a warm, human off-white that acts as a bridge between the high-tech dark mode and the need for human empathy.

Intelligence (The Butler Layer)

I replaced static data with Active Intelligence widgets. This was the debut of my "Butler Layer" philosophy. Instead of the user hunting for information, the app anticipates the need. Features like "Borrowing Power" and "Emergency Fund" nudges serve the user before they even ask, turning the app from a calculator into a proactive financial partner.

Alignment

By visualising this "Democratic Design" language, I moved the bank away from "gamified fintech" toward a sophisticated, sustainable ecosystem. This vision became the strategic anchor for the board, aligning the engineering roadmap with a future that finally made sense for both Savers and Borrowers.

Impact

Strategic Clarity: Defined the long-term product roadmap for the merger of Savings and Lending.
Design-Led Funding: The logic used in this vision mirrored my previous work on the Broker Platform, which secured £3M in external investment.
Technical Future: Established the requirements for Cube 4.0 (Richmond), ensuring the Design System was built for "Active Intelligence," not just static screens.

My role

As Head of Design:

I acted as a Product Strategist. I filled the strategic vacuum by visualising a future that didn't exist yet. I managed the "buy-in" from the board, proving that design could solve the psychological paradox of our two customer bases.

As Principal Designer:

I defined the "Organic Utility" aesthetic. I personally selected the typography and colour systems and prototyped the first "Active Intelligence" widgets. I used Vibe Coding to bring the vision to life, creating a high-fidelity "North Star" that the team could actually follow.