I recommend working with Hubert. He is open to new ideas, diligent, always willing to help, and competent. Throughout our collaboration, he supported the team, ensuring projects were completed thoroughly and on time.
Understand
Desk research
Fact #1: The model of using banking services is changing
More and more people use online and mobile banking, which causes a decrease in the number of visits to bank branches. The popularity of electronic banking is growing due to its convenience, security, and accessibility.
The frequency of branch visits before and after the pandemic (2022)
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth in popularity of electronic banking. Within 2 years, the percentage of Europeans using it increased from 12 to 21%. Most Poles now visit bank branches less than once a month.
| Group | Period | Never | Once a year | Once per quarter | Once a month | Once a week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European average | Before | 12% | 24% | 24% | 27% | 13% |
| European average | After | 21% | 26% | 22% | 21% | 11% |
| Poland | Before | 7% | 24% | 30% | 29% | 10% |
| Poland | After | 13% | 30% | 24% | 27% | 6% |
The number of active users of mobile and online banking
In Poland, at the end of the third quarter of 2022, 21.9 million people used online banking, while 18.7 million used mobile banking. The increase in the number of users of mobile applications was particularly noticeable in the 'mobile only' segment, where this number increased by 120% compared to 2019.
| Period | Online | Mobile | Mobile only |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 18.3 | 12.0 | 5.7 |
| 2020 | 19.5 | 14.2 | 7.5 |
| 2021 | 21.1 | 16.5 | 10.0 |
| 2022 | 21.9 | 18.7 | 12.5 |
Fact #2: The number of bank branches is decreasing.
Banks are reducing the number of branches in favor of developing online and mobile banking, which allows them to save on property maintenance costs.
The number of bank branches in Poland over the past years
The number of bank branches in Poland has been systematically decreasing since 2019. Over three years (2019-2022), the number of branches decreased by 30%, the number of other customer service points decreased by 23%, and the number of representative offices decreased by 8%.
| Period | Number of branches | Number of other customer service points | Number of representative offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2019 | 6374 | 3354 | 2788 |
| Dec 2020 | 5551 | 2901 | 3305 |
| Dec 2021 | 5211 | 2583 | 2993 |
| Dec 2022 | 4468 | 2299 | 2816 |
Fact #3: The number of ATMs is decreasing
The popularity of cashless payments means that the number of ATMs is decreasing. Banks close those that are rarely used or located in less strategic places.
The number of ATMs and deposit machines in Poland from 2019 to Q1 2022
The number of ATMs in Poland has been steadily decreasing since 2019, while the number of deposit machines is increasing. Over the course of three years (2019-2022), the number of ATMs decreased by approximately 6%, whereas the number of deposit machines increased by over 24%.
| Period | Number of ATMs | Number of deposit machines |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 22704 | 8204 |
| 2020 | 21829 | 8788 |
| 2021 | 21396 | 9343 |
| 2022 | 21310 | 10219 |
Fact #4: The importance of UX for banking app users is growing
A well-designed UX allows users to perform banking operations quickly and smoothly, which translates into positive feelings and willingness to use the application in the future.
Importance of selected UX elements for users of banking apps
| UX element | Importance |
|---|---|
| Accessibility features for people with disabilities | 5% |
| Dark/light mode | 39% |
| Preview of account balances in other banks | 24% |
| Intuitiveness | 78% |
| Other | 3% |
According to the respondents, the following are also important:
- The need for access to the same features on the bank's website and in the mobile application.
- Properly implemented notifications.
- Large buttons and spacing between interface elements.
- Possibility to customize the home screen.
Source: Conquest Consulting
Answers to the most important questions
Are bank branches still needed?
Customers prefer to visit a bank branch for more complicated operations, such as applying for a loan. After looking at the offerings online, they choose to perform the operation in person at the branch.
How to quickly find the nearest branch, ATM or cash deposit machine?
Customers use the search engine available on the bank's website. This tool eliminates the need for independent search of these locations, which, due to their decreasing number, may be more challenging than before.
The branch, ATM and cash deposit machine search engine combines online banking with stationary services
Competitor analysiss
Polish banks with the best remote customer service
In the 'Institution of the Year 2023' ranking, in the category of 'Best remote channel service,' Santander Bank Polska emerged as the winner. The podium is completed by Velo Bank (2nd place) and Alior Bank (3rd place), surpassing ING Bank Śląski (4th place) and BNP Paribas (5th place).
Selected leaders in the service industry
The service industry is extremely competitive, and market leaders stand out with excellent customer service and innovative solutions. They have numerous service points that are eagerly visited by customers.
Comparison of search engine functions of leading banks
| Yes No | Santander | Velo Bank | Alior Bank | ING |
|---|
Yes
No
Comparison of search engine functions of selected service industry leaders
| Yes No | McDonald's | Żabka | Empik | Starbucks | InPost |
|---|
Yes
No
Conclusions
Search engine features on the websites of banks and leading service companies were analyzed to identify key, important and potentially unique solutions that can differentiate the new banking search engine from the competition.
Key functions:
Important functions:
Unique solutions:
Sketch
Creating concepts
Concept #1
Concept #2
Decide
Analyze the pros and cons of each idea
Concept #1
Loser
Concept #2
Winner
Prototype
Hi-fi & Interactive Wireframes for viewport L
Hi-fi & Static Wireframes for viewport M&S (only 4 views for each viewport)
See how the website prototype works
Test task content:
Find a bank branch in Warsaw that has:
- Facilities for people with disabilities
- Personal service
- Parking spaces
Test
Guerrilla Tests
After guerrilla testing, the prototype search engine for branches, ATMs and deposit machines was found to be functional and intuitive for users. With a few improvements, the design met the basic requirements and can be deployed for use as a Minimal Viable Product (MVP).
