Designing Amex’s first-ever digital Business Checking standalone iOS app
Role
I led the design of the Business Checking standalone iOS app from concept to launch, creating a dashboard for a holistic financial view and key tools like mobile check deposit and payment management. Despite time constraints, web team dependencies, and lack of holistic design system, I navigated these challenges by diligently documenting my work, hosting regular design reviews, and maintaining proactive communication with stakeholders. The app successfully launched in beta in October 2021
Outcome
The Amex Business Checking account was launched in October 2021. Since its launch, it has evolved to the Amex Blueprint app, a new digital cash flow management hub for small businesses.
Press: U.S News, Bloomberg, Business Wire
Timeline
2020 — 2021
Why business checking?
There were several reasons why Amex wanted to break into cash management for businesses:
Amex is the leading card-issuer for small businesses in the U.S.
Going beyond the current card products offerings would give Amex customers the cashflow tools they need to run and grow their business, deepening existing relationships as well as acquiring new customers.
Traditional banking solutions are brick-n-mortar and tedious.
We saw an opportunity to provide a better, fully digital experience, targeted towards millennial entrepreneurs.
Based on preliminary user research, our design team kept in mind these principles, guiding and aligning our decisions.
Design principles
Be familiar, with a modern twist
Business owners don’t expect a steep learning curve for their banking product. They expect to see their finances in an organized, expected way.
Be nice, but straightforward
Business owners want a business partner, not a friend from their bank. Friendly tone is welcomed as long as its professional and straightforward.
I’m here to complete a task, don’t distract me
Business owners expect their bank to be task-oriented.
Charts are nice, but numbers are essential
Business owners have hard time trusting mechanized intelligence — they often say charts are visually appealing, but rarely use them meaningfully.
Dashboard
Business owners typically maintain two separate checking accounts for their businesses. A dashboard provides an overview of their finances, and they can easily switch to a detailed view for each account.
We prioritized key money movement actions — deposit, transfer, and pay at the top of the dashboard view as well as in each account summary view, streamlining business owner’s workflow.
Welcome bonus
New business checking customers can earn a $200 welcome bonus by meeting the eligibility criteria within 60 days of opening their account. We wanted to make it easy for users to track their progress on the app while incorporating celebratory moment to highlight their achievement.
Mobile check deposit
Business owners to can easily deposit checks from their phone via mobile check deposit.
Payment management
The Payments dashboard helps business owners easily manage their payments via their mobile app so they can stay on top of their vendor payment schedules. We leveraged native iOS functionality like swipe gesture for quick actions business owners prioritize most when it comes to payment management.
The Amex Business Checking iOS app launched in October 2021.
Since its initial launch to all U.S Amex card members in October 2021, the Amex Business app has evolved to a cash management hub for business owners and is now called the Amex Business Blueprint™.
