Transforming Fifth Third's Business Banking Experience
As Senior User Experience Designer at Fifth Third Bank, I saw an opportunity to fundamentally reshape business banking by balancing flexibility with value. Through rigorous ethnographic research and strategic design, we proved that thoughtfully constrained choices unlock better outcomes for both bankers and customers. Our human-centered approach reduced compliance risk by millions while opening up new possibilities for how business banking technology can work. This case study shows how rethinking "flexibility" in financial systems sparked transformation in both customer experience and business results.
The Paradox That Cost Millions
I've watched organizations pour millions into training employees how to use technology that's difficult to use. They think the more training they provide, the better their employees will perform. But I've never seen training backfire as spectacularly as I did with retail bankers using "green screen" banking platforms at Fifth Third Bank.
Here's the painful truth I discovered. Their complex banking platform was causing a 23% error rate in new account creation. That's not a typo. Nearly one in four business accounts started with mistakes.
Want to guess the price tag for this training failure? Millions in compliance risk exposure. And that doesn't count the cost of frustrated customers and burned-out employees.
Why More Options Create More Problems
Have you ever tried to order at a restaurant with a 20-page menu? That overwhelming feeling of choice paralysis? That's what Fifth Third's bankers faced every day.
Picture this. A new banker sits down with a small business owner. They face hundreds of possible account configurations. But here's the real problem. It's not just the number of choices. It's understanding what each choice means for the customer.
Should they pick option A or B? What's the difference between them? What happens if they choose wrong? The stakes are high, and the consequences aren't clear.
This isn't just about too many options. It's about the fundamental flaw in giving people freedom without understanding. Like handing someone car keys without teaching them to drive.
Calling veteran employees for help
with routine tasks
Taking lots of
time to avoid
making mistakes
Asking customers to return when an expert would be available
I watched bankers develop their own survival tactics
Creating personal cheat sheets to decode cryptic options
What Complexity Really Costs
I've seen this pattern play out hundreds of times. When technology gives people too much freedom without guidance, they don't become more empowered. They become more anxious.
But here's what really caught my attention. The bank had created an impossible situation. They gave employees complete freedom to make account choices, then penalized them when those choices were wrong. The few veteran bankers who understood the system tried to help, but they became a bottleneck. Imagine hundreds of bankers waiting to consult with the handful who knew the secret handshake.
Damaged customer relationships from repeated visits
Declining employee confidence with
each mistake
Higher turnover
as frustrated
bankers left
The costs went far beyond compliance risks.
Lost productivity
from constant
double-checking
Finding a Better Way
Want to know what fascinated me most about this project?
The solution wasn't about removing flexibility. It was about making it meaningful.
Through months of research and testing, I discovered something surprising. Bankers didn't need fewer options. They needed better guidance about which options made sense for their customers.
Think about how GPS transformed driving. You still have the freedom to take any road, but you also have clear guidance about the best route. That's what we built.
Building Trust Through Design
Here's how we transformed chaos into confidence.
We built in geographic-specific requirements that appeared automatically
We developed clear decision points that explained the impact of each choice
We added seamless handoffs for larger businesses
We created dynamic workflows that adjusted based on business type
The Impact That Matters
The result? Bankers could focus on building relationships instead of decoding systems. Numbers tell stories. Here are the ones that matter.
100% adoption in one month (unheard of for banking technology)
Zero compliance violations in the first year
Reduced return visits for documentation
Dramatically improved banker confidence
Consistent experience for Retail, Investment, and Business Bankers minimized training and realize IT efficiencies
But the real story isn't in the numbers. It's in what bankers told me.
“For the first time, I feel confident opening business accounts.”
“I can actually look my customers in the eye instead of staring at my screen.”
“This feels like it was built for humans, not robots.”
The Path Forward
I've learned something powerful from this transformation. When we give people too much freedom without context, we're not empowering them. We're abandoning them.
Here's what actually works:
Build guardrails, not walls
Explain impacts, not just options
Show paths, not just possibilities
Create confidence, not just compliance
The future of banking technology is about meaningful choices that help both bankers and customers succeed.
Are you ready to transform your complex systems into confident experiences?
Related Work
We cut financial disputes from 90 days to minutes. Here's how.
As Director of User Experience, I led a team tasked with reimagining the dispute resolution process for the US’s largest credit union. This initiative would become the cornerstone project for their new Digital Labs organization, an experimental arm designed to accelerate its digital transformation with an increased emphasis on speed, security, and member impact.
Let's Build What Comes Next.
If you're facing a complex business challenge or want to transform your customer experience from a cost center into a competitive advantage, I can help. Let's start a conversation.