The Challenge
KeyBank customers were abandoning the mobile check deposit flow at high rates, citing confusing camera instructions, unclear image quality guidance, and anxiety around whether their deposit had actually gone through.
The existing experience lacked real-time feedback during the capture process, leaving users uncertain about image quality until the deposit was already submitted — resulting in a high rate of rejected and re-submitted checks.
First-time users in particular struggled with orientation, lighting guidance, and understanding hold times — driving repeat support calls and low satisfaction scores on the mobile channel.
On the business side, high re-submission rates were increasing processing costs and eroding customer confidence in mobile banking as a reliable alternative to branch visits.
The Solution
What We Designed
We redesigned the mobile check deposit flow from end to end — starting with the camera guidance experience and extending through confirmation, hold time communication, and deposit history. The new design prioritized clarity and confidence at every step.
What We Built
The new experience included real-time image quality feedback during capture, plain-language instructions tailored to both first-time and returning users, and transparent communication around hold times and deposit limits. A redesigned deposit history gave customers a clear record of every transaction.
What Made It Unique
- Real-time image quality feedback during check capture — instant guidance before submission
- Contextual onboarding for first-time depositors with step-by-step camera guidance
- Plain-language hold time and deposit limit communication surfaced upfront
- Redesigned deposit history with clear status indicators and transaction details
- Optimized for one-handed use across common iOS and Android device sizes
The Process
Discovery & Research
Weeks 1–3Analyzed support ticket data, drop-off analytics, and conducted user interviews to identify the highest-friction moments in the existing deposit flow.
Competitive Analysis
Weeks 3–4Benchmarked mobile check deposit experiences across major retail banks to identify industry patterns, UX standards, and differentiation opportunities.
User Flows & Architecture
Weeks 4–6Mapped the complete deposit journey — including edge cases like daily limits, business accounts, and rejected deposits — to ensure full coverage before design began.
Wireframes & Prototyping
Weeks 6–9Designed low-fidelity wireframes for the core capture flow, confirmation states, and error handling. Built clickable prototypes for usability testing.
Usability Testing & Iteration
Weeks 9–12Tested with 10 participants across age groups and device types. Iterated on camera guidance, hold time messaging, and error recovery flows based on findings.
High-Fidelity Design & Handoff
Weeks 12–16Delivered production-ready designs with full annotation, component specs, and developer handoff documentation.
What We Built
A comprehensive solution covering strategy, design, development, and growth.
Product Strategy
Scoped the redesign around the highest-impact friction points identified in research and analytics, prioritizing the camera capture and confirmation experiences.
UX Research
Support ticket analysis, drop-off funnel review, and usability testing with 10 participants across demographics and device types.
UX & UI Design
End-to-end deposit flow redesign: camera guidance, real-time image quality feedback, confirmation, hold time messaging, and deposit history.
Mobile Engineering
Native mobile implementation of the redesigned deposit flow, optimized for iOS and Android with real-time image processing feedback.
Design System
Contributed mobile-specific components to the KeyBank design system: capture overlays, status indicators, and inline help patterns.
QA & Launch
Coordinated launch with the KeyBank mobile team, monitored post-release drop-off metrics, and prioritized follow-up iterations.
The Results
Real metrics that demonstrate the impact of strategic design and engineering.
Increase in end-to-end deposit flow completions
Users successfully captured check image on first attempt
Drop in deposit-related customer service contacts
Post-launch App Store rating for the deposit feature
End-to-end from open to confirmed submission
Increase in mobile check deposit usage post-launch
“This is placeholder content — a real client testimonial will be added once confirmed. The redesigned mobile check deposit experience significantly improved completion rates and reduced support volume for the KeyBank mobile team.”
Tech Stack
Modern, scalable technologies chosen for performance and developer experience.
Design
Mobile
Infrastructure
Tools
Why It Worked
Data-Led Prioritization
Starting with support ticket data and drop-off analytics meant we were solving the right problems — not the assumed ones.
Real-Time Feedback Design
Adding image quality guidance during capture — not after submission — eliminated the most common source of failed deposits.
Transparent Communication
Surfacing hold times and deposit limits upfront removed the anxiety that was driving most support calls.
Tested Across Demographics
Testing across age groups and device types surfaced accessibility and usability issues that a narrower test group would have missed.