Loading case study…
Loading case study…
Banking / Product design conceptCompleted Design Concept
Independent UX Concept
A research-informed exploration of how AI-assisted card recommendations, simplified application forms and transparent status tracking could help customers apply with greater confidence.
Independent concept inspired by CIMB OCTO, not an official CIMB project
Independent design exploration inspired by CIMB OCTO. This concept is not an official CIMB product release. Names, reference numbers, dates, limits and customer details in the screens are illustrative.
01The Opportunity
Choosing a card, checking eligibility and knowing what happens after applying are often unclear.
In this independent concept I ran an exploratory user survey, reviewed a competing banking application and designed the journey end to end, ending in a high-fidelity design and a clickable prototype.
02The Design Challenge
Design challenge“How might we help customers discover suitable credit cards, understand application requirements, and complete the journey with greater clarity and confidence?”
Focus areas
What the design had to balance
Regulatory considerations shaped the design; no formal compliance review took place.
03User Research
I ran a credit card experience survey with 16 respondents to understand what makes applying online uncomfortable, and what would make it easier. The counts below are recalculated from the raw survey responses.
The clearest signals from the survey were that 14 of 16 respondents were concerned about hidden fees or charges, 12 about choosing the right card and 11 about eligibility requirements, 13 wanted an eligibility checker, and 11 rated application tracking Important or Very Important.
Exploratory survey, n=16. Findings indicate opportunities for design exploration rather than representative market conclusions. Respondents could choose several answers, so counts don’t add up to 16.
04Competitor Benchmarking
I reviewed a competing banking application’s credit card selection and application journey. The version I reviewed offered a conventional card list and application, with no AI-assisted card advisor. That gap shaped my exploration of a guided recommendation experience.
Conventional credit card selection and application journey.
Guided, AI-assisted discovery and recommendations.
Help users make more informed card selections before starting the application.
An observation from one competing application at the time of review, not a claim about every banking app. AI recommendations aren’t assumed to be more accurate without validation.
05Research to Design
Research finding
14 of 16 were concerned about hidden fees or charges
Design opportunity
Present relevant card information clearly and avoid burying important financial details.
Smart Advisor result: income requirement and annual fee shown up front
Design responses to survey findings, not validated solutions.
06The Proposed Experience
07Smart Advisor
The CIMB OCTO Smart Advisor is a proposed AI-assisted recommendation concept. Customers answer seven short questions, one at a time, and receive a recommended card with a “Why this card” explanation and a way to apply. I designed the interaction; the recommendation logic is a proposed concept, not a trained or validated AI.
01 / 12
The credit card home offers the Smart Advisor next to browsing cards.
Key UX decisions
Focused questions instead of one long questionnaire.
Clear, selectable options for preferences and spending habits.
Customers always see which step they’re on.
“Why this card” instead of an unexplained result.
Apply straight from the recommendation.
08Credit Card Application
A preparation screen and a four-step application form. Customers see the selected card, an eligibility message and a document checklist before starting; existing customers see prefilled details they can edit. The prefilled data is a concept, not connected to real banking systems.
01 / 06
Selected card, eligibility message, document checklist, Proceed and Save & Apply Later.
UX decisions
Customers know what they need before they begin.
Less repeated typing for existing customers.
Related information grouped into logical stages.
Required documents, formats and limits explained.
Privacy, terms and marketing as separate choices.
Step 1 of 4 to Step 4 of 4, always shown.
09Application Tracking
Application tracking addresses the uncertainty after submission: a status timeline from application received to card delivery, with the reference number, the selected card, estimated processing, notifications and next steps, then approval and live delivery tracking.
01 / 05
Reference number, selected card, estimated processing and what happens next.
Demo status: Application received in progress.
UX decisions
Each stage named in plain words.
Completed, current and upcoming steps at a glance.
What to expect after submitting.
From approval through to the physical card arriving.
Reference numbers, dates, credit limits, delivery details and names in the prototype are illustrative, not real applications or CIMB commitments.
10Design System
A project-specific UI component library aligned with the CIMB OCTO visual language: red as the main accent, neutral backgrounds, supporting semantic colours and Noto Sans, applied across every screen of the concept.
Colour
Typography · Noto Sans
Get ready to apply
Personal Information
Review your details. You can update anything that has changed.
STEP 1 OF 4
Buttons
Chips
Badges & progress
Form fields
Advisor message
Information cards
Navigation
11UX Design Decisions
Smart Advisor and eligibility guidance before the form starts.
Seven short, guided screening steps with visible progress.
Preparation, then four steps with progress and clear inputs.
Status timeline, approval updates and delivery tracking.
Intended benefits, not measured outcomes.
12Outcome
Completed design concept and interactive prototype
The exploration resulted in a complete credit card application concept that connects personalised discovery, application preparation, structured forms and post-submission tracking.
It shows how research findings can inform a more guided and transparent digital banking journey. As an independent design concept, it hasn’t been implemented or usability-tested, so its proposed benefits remain hypotheses for future validation.
Deliverables
13Next Steps