Taking Hodge Bank’s savings applications from phone and post to online

Customer background

Hodge Bank is a specialist bank based in Cardiff. Its savings accounts are a key source of revenue, and opening one had always meant applying by phone or post.

When Hodge Bank began a wider digital transformation programme, it asked Box UK to apply its user experience and design expertise to the work.

The challenge

Hodge Bank’s digital transformation strategy was still developing, and there were opportunities to improve the user experience right across the business. That made scoping the first project important.

It needed to be the highest-impact work possible: something that would show success quickly, improve the customer experience, and help Hodge Bank keep momentum for the wider programme.

Our approach

Box UK began with a two-day exploration session, speaking to stakeholders from across Hodge Bank. Out of it came the decision to focus on the process of applying for a personal deposits account. Because that process was handled only by phone or post, moving it online had huge potential to deliver efficiencies and give customers a new way to deal with the bank.

Box UK’s UX consultants then worked on-site, embedded in the team Hodge Bank had set up specifically to manage these products. That made communication easier and feedback loops quicker, and gave the consultants a deeper understanding of Hodge Bank’s organisational structure, context and requirements. Combined with Box UK’s knowledge of the finance industry and UX good practice, it shaped every decision in the prototypes.

To balance new projects with ongoing improvements, Box UK and Hodge Bank agreed a flexible arrangement: a set pot of UX time that Hodge Bank could allocate to specific tasks as its priorities changed, with Box UK’s consultants advising where needed.

What we built

Box UK’s consultants created interactive prototypes for an online version of the account application. The design:

• streamlined the customer journey by removing or combining unnecessary steps
• used progressive disclosure, so form fields only appeared when they were needed
• gave supporting information and guidance at each stage
• worked just as well on mobile devices as on desktop

Alongside the prototypes, Box UK and Hodge Bank explored further ways to improve the digital platform, including a portal where customers could save applications and check the status of ones they’d submitted, and plans to redesign supporting product pages in line with the new approach.

Delivery

The prototypes were validated and refined through lab-based usability testing, which gave qualitative, representative feedback and made sure the final designs served real-world needs. Senior Hodge Bank stakeholders observed the sessions on-site, which helped secure their buy-in.

The final designs were then implemented with support from Box UK’s UX consultants, who worked closely with the development team and with the third-party agency acting as brand guardian for the bank. Together they kept every element of the design consistent with Hodge Bank’s values and messaging, and with good UX and technical practice.

The outcome

For the first time, prospective and existing customers could apply for a Hodge Bank savings account online, through a streamlined process that worked on any device. The service was no longer limited to phone and post, and customers could deal with the bank where, when and how they wanted.

For Hodge Bank, the project was a key milestone in its digital transformation: a tested design for a crucial service, and a clear set of next steps for its digital platform.

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