Bank of the West Account Opening

Bank of the West · Digital Banking

Digital Account Opening · Conversion · Mobile-first

Redesigning account opening
to drive conversion

Making deposit account creation feel friendly, intuitive, and complete — across consumer and small business onboarding.

Funnel optimizationUsability researchA/B experimentation6 months

Bank of the West · Digital Banking

The opportunity

Bank of the West launched an in-house digital account opening experience for consumer and small business deposit accounts — replacing a legacy platform.

The new system worked, but wasn't optimized. Funding rates trailed the legacy flow and drop-off during onboarding was high. The mandate: improve funnel performance at every touchpoint and make account creation feel welcoming.

Bank of the West · Digital Banking

Goals

Increase funding rate in and out of the app
Improve application submission and completion yield
Build a more welcoming, conversion-optimized onboarding flow

Bank of the West · Digital Banking

My role

As Senior Product Designer, I owned research synthesis, flow restructuring, and design experimentation — partnering with product, engineering, and compliance to ship iterative improvements across a nine-month engagement.

Bank of the West · Digital Banking

Research & insights

Employee feedback, usability studies, surveys, and funnel analytics across every step.

Users felt overwhelmed creating login credentials too early
“Funding the account” felt cold — “Make a deposit” resonated better
Applicants were unsure about deposit timing and methods
Income questions and disclosures caused the most friction

Bank of the West · Digital Banking

Strategy & structure

Moved credential creation after basic info to reduce early friction
Split personal info into two focused steps
Reduced required KYC questions
Combined funding method and amount into one streamlined screen
Added SMS reminders and context-aware help messages

Bank of the West · Digital Banking

Design

A welcoming entry that sets the tone

Mobile-first layouts with clear hierarchy — helping applicants understand what to expect before they commit.

Bank of the West online banking welcome screen

Bank of the West · Digital Banking

Experimentation

Testing language and deposit patterns that convert

CTA phrasing, preset deposit amounts ($50, $100, $250), and visual emphasis on the fastest funding methods.

Mobile funding screen with deposit amount options

Bank of the West · Digital Banking

End-to-end flow

Interior pages built for clarity at every step

ADA-compliant, performance-oriented patterns across the full account opening journey.

Bank of the West account opening interior pages

Bank of the West · Digital Banking

Design & experimentation

Copy that converts

"Make a deposit" outperformed "Fund your account" in testing.

Preset amounts

Button groups for $50, $100, $250 reduced decision fatigue.

Method emphasis

Visual priority on fastest deposit methods improved completion.

Mobile-first system

ADA-compliant components optimized for performance on every device.

Bank of the West · Digital Banking

Outcomes

56% → 91%

Credential creation completion

40% → 74%

PII completion

20% → 41%

In-app funding (after two refinement rounds)

Significantly increased overall account opening yield
Positive feedback from internal stakeholders and customers
Turned a functional process into a measurable conversion engine

Bank of the West · Digital Banking

Reflection

Small changes unlock big results when they're grounded in real human insight. Financial onboarding isn't just about getting users through a flow — it's about building enough trust and clarity that they take the next step.