Mercantil Banco

Create an attractive, professional design that kept the brand identity and the existing user flow, while adapting to the regulations, the market, the financial restrictions and the specific needs of users in Venezuela.

I followed the Design Thinking methodology in five phases: empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test.

1. 01Empathize

   • Gain a deep understanding of Venezuelan users of Mercantil Panamá: their financial needs, challenges and expectations.
   • Run interviews, surveys and data analysis to fully understand the users and their context.

2. 02Define

   • Define the challenges, opportunities and goals of the redesign.
   • Set out the key points the app must address to meet users’ needs, comply with regulations and keep the brand identity.

3. 03Ideate

   • Rapid prototyping and exploration of different options to improve the user experience.

4. 04Prototype

   • Build prototypes of the redesigned banking app.

5. 05Test

   • Test the prototypes with real users to assess their usability, spot weak points and gather feedback.

Leonardo Gil Rojas

Age

26

Location

Caracas, Venezuela

Marital status

Single

Education

National School of Dramatic Art, Caracas

Occupation

Stage actor and motion graphics animator

Income

€600 gross per month

Biography

Leonardo is passionate about the performing arts and animation. After secondary school he trained as an actor at the National School of Dramatic Art in Caracas. At the same time, he taught himself motion graphics and computer animation, which let him build a successful freelance career: today he works for international clients through online platforms.

What Leonardo thinks, feels, hears, sees, says and does, and what frustrates and motivates him.

What does he think and feel?

Main worries? Concerns and aspirations?

• Worry about stability
• Pride in his creative skills
• Wish for a more stable and secure financial situation.

What does he hear?

What do friends say? What does family say? What do clients say?

• Project requests
• Economic instability
• Other freelancers’ experiences

What does he see?

Environment, friends. What does the market offer?

• International clients
• Digital work platforms
• Economic fluctuations in Venezuela

What does he say and do?

Attitude in public. Appearance. Behaviour towards others?

• Spends time on animation projects
• Committed
• Works closely with clients
• Creative
• Researches and compares options to manage his finances better

What hurts?

Fears, frustrations, obstacles

• Constant worry about economic volatility
• Banking limitations
• Pressure to meet his clients’ creative demands while facing financial challenges.

What does he gain?

Wants/needs, measures of success, achievements

• International experience
• Creative fulfilment
• Independence: the freedom to work on his own terms and follow his creative passions.

These quotes sum up what users in Venezuela think of the Mercantil Banco Panamá app: what they value and what could be better.

• “It’s frustrating that the app doesn’t offer clear options for international transactions. I lose time and money on high fees.”

  Giovanna GripaNeeds clear options

• “I like the app, but it needs a friendlier interface. It would be great if it were more intuitive for people who aren’t so comfortable with technology.”

  Anneliesse IstillarteFriendly interface (heuristic evaluation)

• “I’d like more options to manage foreign currency. It would be great to have more flexible tools to work with my international clients.”

  Leonardo Gil RojasNeeds to manage his currencies

Usage data helped me put the problem in context and steer the design, confirming behaviours that reflect users’ real needs and difficulties.

The key insight: 25% of users drop off when trying an international transaction because they don’t understand the fees.

From the research, I summed up what needed to improve in the app:

After weighing several alternatives based on users’ needs and the challenges we had identified, the team chose the most effective solution, focused on three areas of user experience and accessibility:

• International transactions

  A clear, detailed interface for global operations, with fees, timescales and conversion options in plain sight.

• Usability and accessibility

  A simpler interface for users less familiar with technology, with intuitive icons and clear navigation.

• Security and stability

  Stronger security measures to protect financial information, and a more stable app that avoids frequent freezes and errors.

I explored solutions with quick sketches of the key screens and features. These drafts let me test ideas flexibly and quickly before moving to high fidelity.

Explore the interactive prototype and discover everything the new experience can do.

I tested the redesign at different stages with usability tests and feedback from users with a range of profiles, from people unfamiliar with technology to expert users.

• More clarity

  The interface proved clearer and easier to navigate, especially for international transactions. Information about fees, timescales and conversion was highly valued, even by less experienced users.

• More accessible

  The new icons and simplified navigation let less tech-savvy users move around the app more smoothly and confidently.

• More trust

  Users perceived transactions as more reliable and noticed a significant drop in the errors and freezes they used to suffer.

The result: friendlier, more functional and more secure mobile banking for Mercantil Banco Panamá customers in Venezuela, backed by user feedback and test results.