Coast Capital Savings
Coast Capital Savings, one of Canada’s largest credit unions, was in the middle of a brand refresh and a major expansion into corporate banking. Until then, Coast had been primarily known for its personal banking services, but now they needed a digital platform that could scale up to the complexity of corporate clients. I was responsible for research, information architecture, wireframing, prototyping, and visual design. This project was about more than updating an outdated product — it was about creating a cohesive digital ecosystem that felt consistent with Coast’s personal banking while addressing the very different needs of corporate users.
Industry
Fintech
Company
Coast Capital Savings
Role
Digital UX Specialist
Date
October 2021
At a Glance
Problem:
Coast Capital’s corporate digital banking platform was outdated, inaccessible on mobile, and out of sync with their rebranded ecosystem.
Solution:
Led the UX redesign of a new, scalable platform tailored to corporate clients. Introduced responsive design, modernized flows, and customization tools for handling large, complex datasets.
Impact:
Positive feedback from product managers, strong reception from early business owner previews, and a unified design language that bridged personal and corporate banking experiences.
"The new platform feels so much easier to use. I can find what I need right away, and it finally works on my phone too."
The Full Story
A Platform Stuck in the Past
Coast Capital Savings had recently undergone a major rebrand. Their personal banking platform had already been modernized, but their corporate digital banking system lagged behind — clunky, outdated, and not even accessible on mobile devices. For business owners managing dozens (or even hundreds) of accounts, this wasn’t just inconvenient; it was unworkable.
Pinpointing What Corporate Clients Needed
I began by meeting with product managers to understand both the business goals and client frustrations. Three issues stood out:
No mobile access due to non-responsive design.
Antiquated UX that didn’t meet modern experience standards.
Limited functionality — lacking bulk payments, real-time transactions, and accounting integrations.
Alongside these conversations, I conducted a competitive analysis of major Canadian banks. While most had intuitive dashboards and strong security, they all lacked meaningful customization. Corporate banking isn’t one-size-fits-all, and this gap was my opportunity to differentiate Coast’s platform.
Designing for Complexity Without Chaos
Unlike personal banking, corporate banking involves immense datasets and complicated account structures. Through research and testing, I identified a need for:
Scalability: Interfaces that flexed for small businesses and large enterprises alike.
Security & Trust: Features like multi-factor authentication that reassured clients without adding friction.
Clarity: Grouping and surfacing relevant information to reduce overwhelm.
This insight became the foundation for the design approach.
Exploring Solutions Through Wireframes
I wireframed the full end-to-end flow — from login to dashboards to transfers. Throughout, I reused elements from the personal banking platform where possible to ensure consistency, but adapted them for corporate needs.
One standout challenge was the account selector. While a simple dropdown worked for personal clients with a few accounts, corporate clients needed something more powerful. My solution: a searchable, layered selector that updated results in real time.
I also introduced Account Groups, customizable clusters that let users organize accounts however they wished — by region, business unit, or project. This gave them a way to tame overwhelming data, much like playlists help organize sprawling music libraries.
Prototyping and Refinement
With wireframes aligned, I built high-fidelity prototypes that matched Coast’s branding guidelines. Every edge case was considered, from error states to empty accounts, ensuring a polished, complete experience.
Prototypes were shared through InVision to allow both stakeholders and developers to experience the flows interactively. This helped resolve ambiguities early, saving time later in development.
Putting It in the Hands of Users
To validate the designs, my team conducted 12 user tests over video. We rotated roles (facilitator, observer, note-taker) and asked participants to complete real-world tasks within the prototype.
The results were encouraging:
Multi-factor authentication reassured users without slowing them down.
Dashboards were described as “sleek” and “intuitive.”
Mobile responsiveness was universally appreciated — a long overdue improvement.
These sessions not only confirmed design decisions but also deepened my experience with structured user research.
What I’m Proud Of
The Account Groups feature stands out as my proudest contribution. It directly addressed a gap in the competitive landscape while delivering tangible relief for overwhelmed users. What started as a spark during competitive analysis became a defining feature of the platform.
I’m also proud of how closely the platform aligned with Coast’s new brand identity. By blending cohesion with corporate-specific enhancements, the product felt like a natural extension of Coast’s ecosystem rather than a disconnected add-on.
What Worked and What Didn’t
What Worked
Reusing personal platform assets saved development time while maintaining consistency.
Account Groups solved the core problem of information overload, receiving strong internal approval.
Responsive design brought corporate banking into the modern era.
What Didn’t
Early account selector variations fell short before we introduced the searchable layered model.
Initial dashboards mirrored personal banking too closely, failing to scale for enterprise data until iterated upon.
The Lessons I’m Taking Forward
This project sharpened my ability to adapt design systems across different user groups. It also reinforced the value of user testing, not just for catching issues but for validating bold new ideas like Account Groups.
While I wasn’t at Coast to see the final launch, early previews with business owners drew positive reactions, and product managers praised the work as exceeding their expectations. Knowing that the foundation I laid is set to support Coast’s future in corporate banking remains one of the highlights of my career.
