Metro Bank.

Revolutionising account opening.

Role Lead UI Designer

Client Metro Bank

Scope Mobile onboarding

Method Google Design Sprint

Status Prototype validated

Metro Bank mobile app onboarding screens

The problem

Opening a Metro Bank account took 24 hours and required a branch visit. Monzo and Revolut were doing it in minutes on a phone. The gap was visible, the solution was obvious — but nobody had made the case for how quickly design could close it.

Working with UX designer Michael, I proposed a five-day Google Design Sprint — a methodology Metro Bank had never used before. The goal was twofold: prototype a fully mobile onboarding journey, and demonstrate that design could move at a speed the business hadn't seen from us before.

What we did

Monday was discovery — SME interviews, App Store reviews, competitor research using 11FS. Tuesday and Wednesday were sketching, dot voting, and deciding. Thursday was building — high-fidelity prototype in Figma, copy written in real time, fully remote collaboration. Friday was testing with five participants.

The sprint brought non-designers into the process for the first time. Everyone had a perspective worth hearing. The format gave them a way to contribute without the process collapsing.

Google Design Sprint — Monday to Friday process overview

What we built

A fully mobile account opening journey — from welcome screens through digital ID verification, KYC via video selfie, virtual card setup with Apple Pay, and debit card delivery choice. No branch visit required.

Participants compared the solution to Monzo and Revolut in terms of speed and ease of use.

Metro Bank ID verification and card setup screens

The outcome

The prototype proved regulatory-compliant mobile onboarding was achievable in 10 minutes, against a known baseline of 24 hours. Validated through user testing with five participants.

The solution wasn't implemented — but the sprint changed something more lasting. The business asked for more, and the design team was repositioned as a strategic partner rather than an execution function.

99%

Reduction in account opening time

24 hours to 10 minutes, validated through prototype testing

87.5%

Reduction in design process time

Proof of concept development from 8 weeks to 1 week

Days to design, prototype and test

From discovery to validated solution in a single sprint

What it connected to

This sprint was the practical application of my Online Workshop Facilitation training through Hyper Island — bringing structured human-centred methodology into a business that had never worked this way before. The methodology mattered as much as the output.