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Registration form redesign: First step for a digital bank experience

Intermedium

UI

Wireframe

User Flow

My Impact

  • Informed product decisions by identifying unnecessary steps, aligning the experience with digital-first standards of fintech apps.

  • Created a minimalist UI library to address issues of contrast, accessibility, and consistency.

  • Refined the flow by introducing a pre-registration step—shifting from full form completion to lead capture.

  • Helped set the foundation for a more modern, user-centered approach to digital banking.

Background

From Traditional to Digital Bank

In 2018, Banco Inter was gaining visibility as a leading digital bank in Brazil, appealing to millennials with fee-free services and a fully online model. However, its mobile app still reflected outdated, paper-based banking flows—especially in the account creation process. The experience caused significant user drop-off during onboarding on mobile devices.

I was tasked with redesign the experience— removing unnecessary steps, and aligning the journey with the expectations of a younger, tech-savvy user base.

In 2018, Banco Inter was gaining visibility as a leading digital bank in Brazil, appealing to millennials with fee-free services and a fully online model. However, its mobile app still reflected outdated, paper-based banking flows—especially in the account creation process. The experience caused significant user drop-off during onboarding on mobile devices.

I was tasked with redesign the experience— removing unnecessary steps, and aligning the journey with the expectations of a younger, tech-savvy user base.

In 2018, Banco Inter was gaining visibility as a leading digital bank in Brazil, appealing to millennials with fee-free services and a fully online model. However, its mobile app still reflected outdated, paper-based banking flows—especially in the account creation process. The experience caused significant user drop-off during onboarding on mobile devices.

I was tasked with redesign the experience— removing unnecessary steps, and aligning the journey with the expectations of a younger, tech-savvy user base.

Problem

Banco Inter’s account creation flow was complex and outdated leading to high drop-off rates during onboarding. The process mirrored traditional, offline banking requirements—multiple steps, document uploads, and unclear progress indicators.

Solution

Simplify the onboarding flow for mobile devices, reducing steps, progress indicators, and removing non-essential inputs. This solution aimed to minimize abandonment during registration.

Project phases

The project was divided in 5 stages:

competitor review

Heuristic evaluation

User flow

wireframe

Design

Benchmarking Against Digital-First Banks

I analyzed onboarding flows from key fintech competitors—such as Neon, Iti, Nubank, and other digital banks. Common patterns included:

  • Starting with minimal input (CPF, phone, email) and one field per screen

  • Displaying clear progress indicators

  • Provide clear instructions for taking photos

  • Using the registration form as a lead capture tool

Starting with minimal input and one field per screen
Displaying clear progress indicators
Provide clear instructions for taking photos

These experiences emphasized simplicity and speed. Compared to them, Banco Inter’s legacy flow felt overly complex and bureaucratic.

Heuristic evaluation of the legacy app

The evaluation revealed several usability issues impacting the onboarding experience:

  • Excessive text fields created long scrolling, often hiding key actions.

  • Lack of progress indicators.

  • Poor contrast in text boxes reduced readability.

  • Instructions displayed as blocks of text

  • Certain steps mimicked the physical opening of a bank account, such as reviewing a PDF contract.

  • Inconsistent visual styling.

These issues contributed to user frustration and drop-off, highlighting areas for urgent improvement.

Rethinking the User Flow

Guided by the heuristic evaluation and competitor analysis, we simplified and streamlined the user flow.

  • Legacy flow was long and demanding: Required full personal data, document photos, and a printed, signed, and scanned contract.

  • Reframed the approach as lead capture: Introduced a pre-registration step with only essential info (e.g., CPF, phone number).

  • Verification and onboarding became progressive: Users could complete additional steps later, improving conversion and flexibility.

Before
After

Validate flow with wireframes

Low-fidelity wireframes were created to explore and validate the new flow.

These wireframes helped align the team on structure and content before moving into high-fidelity design.

Modernising through design

1. Creating a Simple UI Library

The previous interface lacked visual consistency, contrast, and basic accessibility standards. I started by building a minimalist UI library focused on clarity, scalability, and usability—defining components like input fields, buttons, labels, and color usage that met accessibility guidelines.

2. Applying the UI to the Wireframes

With the foundation in place, I adapted the visual design to align with the approved wireframes. The focus was on maintaining hierarchy, improving readability on mobile, and reducing cognitive load.

3. Refining the Copy

Text elements were rewritten to be concise, clear, and helpful. I removed long instructions, and kept text to a minimum.

Before and after

Below are examples of how the interface evolved after the redesign.

Opening screen

Before

  • Low text contrast made input fields hard to read

  • Primary focus was on login, not on new user acquisition

  • Entry point to features distracts users from the registration goal

After

  • Added imagery to create a more welcoming experience

  • Highlighted key selling points of the bank account

  • Shifted primary focus to new users

Input fields

Before

  • Overloaded with text fields, causing excessive scrolling

  • Inconsistent button placement at both the top and bottom of the screen

  • No indication of progress or duration of the registration process

After

  • Split input fields across multiple screens

  • Introduced a progress indicator to set

  • Created a more focused, step-by-step experience with reduced cognitive load and perceived complexity

Photo instruction

Before

  • Instructions presented in a long block of text

  • Difficult to read due to small font size and poor layout

  • Text shared the screen with the camera, creating clutter and confusion

After

  • Separated instructions from the photo-taking screen for better focus

  • Used icons and bullet points to improve clarity and comprehension

  • Designed for readability

Final result

This project was the first step in modernizing Banco Inter’s digital experience. By rethinking the onboarding flow we significantly reduced friction and improved clarity.

The redesign not only minimized drop-offs but also shifted the bank’s approach from a traditional, form-heavy process to a more user-centered, lead-driven model.

This case highlights the impact of small, focused changes on shaping a more modern and effective banking experience.