In a world where people wear their brands like badges of identity—from the phone in their hand to the sneakers on their feet—banking remains curiously invisible. Its digital products are often indistinguishable, stripped of soul, wrapped in sameness.
But this week, something rare happened. Because here’s the paradox: while consumer brands chase emotion, aesthetics, and status to win hearts, most banks still behave like utilities—competing only on interest rates and services range. But design is not a garnish
in banking—it’s the gateway to emotional loyalty, cultural relevance, and lasting trust. If banks want to matter in people’s lives, they must stop designing like they’re solving math problems—and start designing like they’re shaping identity. Wouldn’t you
like consumers to be proud of using your service? And here we can learn a lot from consumer brands.
This week started on a high note for the UXDA team—with a Red Dot Award win for
Liv X, Emirates NBD’s lifestyle digital banking app, designed by our agency. The Red Dot is the world’s most prestigious design accolade—a symbol of excellence you’ve likely seen on premium products from brands like Philips, Samsung, LG, Sony,
Apple, and others.
Liv’s design recognition proves a simple truth: even a commodity product like a banking app can earn the same design accolades—and emotional loyalty—as premium consumer brands. And this is where, in my deep conviction, lies the untapped opportunities for
many banks.
Of course, as the founder of an innovative UX design agency for banks and fintechs, I’m proud of our team’s achievement. But this article isn’t a victory lap. It’s about a bigger question every digital financial service should confront: why is that seal
of excellence—so common on high‑street products—still rare in finance? It shouldn’t be.
Design is strategy, not skin
Scroll through any app store and most mobile banking screenshots blur into one: blue tones, flat and wireframed generic layout, balance number and a list of transactions. The user interface as well as the features are very similar.
In FMCG or consumer tech, brands fight tooth and nail for distinction—using awards like Red Dot as proof of quality, brand differentiation, innovation and customer centricity. Financial companies, by contrast, often compete on rate tables and service range,
not on emotion, experience and purpose. The result? High switching, weak loyalty and fragile trust.
Design isn’t decoration. It’s how a product expresses a bank’s values, purpose and promise—the intangible capital that competitors can’t copy overnight. When we talk about “design” in digital banking, we mean:
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Value proposition clarity: Does the interface communicate
why this bank exists for me? -
Purpose and values made tangible: Sustainability, empowerment, inclusivity—are they visible in flows, tone and features, not just in annual reports?
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Visual identity as a strategic asset: Typography, motion, color and micro‑interactions that match the brand’s soul, not a generic template sold by vendors.
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Experience architecture: Organizing journeys around life moments, not internal silos or marketing traps.
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Emotional differentiation: Delight, surprise, even playfulness—all create memories and word‑of‑mouth.
For example, Liv’s “fashion‑inspired” design direction got awarded by Red Dot not because of adding glossy magazine covers to screens. It was about understanding a Gen‑Now audience that sees style as self‑expression. Even fashion could teach a bank an emotional
connection.
Drawing inspiration from Vogue or Zaha Hadid is a signal: “We understand your world, and your bank can belong in it.” That’s powerful in a region where lifestyle, status and aesthetics are integral to identity.
Look at how the world’s top designers have transformed clothing brands into icons of luxury. It’s a striking example of how design can create added value that far exceeds the actual cost of the product—sometimes by tenfold or more. Of course, design alone
won’t instantly turn your service into a luxury offering in a day—and it doesn’t need to. What matters is harnessing this often underestimated power to differentiate your financial brand and build a deeper emotional connection with your customers.
Five moves to turn design into competitive advantage
Despite the clear benefits, most banks still don’t see the value in pursuing high-profile design accolades or leveraging social proof—they underestimate how much a thoughtfully designed interface and third-party validation can influence customer perception.
By dismissing awards and visible endorsements as mere “nice-to-haves,” they miss an opportunity to build instant credibility, differentiate their digital products, and deepen trust in an increasingly competitive market.
Why do banks need their product to get awarded? External validation focuses teams and boards. A respected seal:
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Forces objective benchmarking outside the banking bubble.
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Provides a shorthand for quality to partners, media and talent.
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Signals to customers that “this isn’t just another banking app.”
Crucially, winning a world‑class design award like Red Dot is not about telling competitors they’ve lost. It’s a public commitment that the bank treats product design and user experience as mission‑critical—investing money, talent and time to push beyond
“good enough.” It says, “We hold ourselves to the highest global standards because our customers deserve more than average.” That message builds trust far more effectively than swagger or feature checklists.
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Start with brand truth, not backlog
Run a values-to-experience workshop: map your purpose to concrete UX principles (tone, motion, accessibility, inclusivity). Every screen should reflect that DNA. -
Measure what matters
Add design KPIs next to NPS and ROE: task joy scores, emotional resonance indices, brand recall after 5 seconds, % of UI aligned with design system. -
Build a cross-functional “experience guild”
Designers, product owners, compliance, data, and brand meet weekly to judge work through a shared lens: “Does this feel like
us?” Fast review cycles prevent design drift. -
Prototype like a fashion house
Seasonally drop concept capsules—micro-experiences or visual refreshes tested with real users. Hype, learn, iterate. Don’t wait two years for a “big bang” relaunch. -
Show, don’t tell
Bring supervisors early prototypes that demonstrate clarity, transparency and behavioral nudges for good financial habits. Good design reduces risk.
Developing a visual identity that truly resonates with users’ lifestyles is one thing; the real challenge lies in scaling and weaving it seamlessly throughout your entire digital ecosystem and brand communications. Achieving a unified brand image and a consistent,
friction-free customer journey across every touchpoint is no small feat—but that’s exactly what UXDA accomplished with Liv Digital Bank, from integrating an authentic brand visual language across web, mobile and marketing channels to expanding their digital
ecosystem with an immersive spatial banking experience for Gen Now users and the Live Lite app designed specifically for children.
Conclusion: The product ROI banks keep ignoring
Banks can elevate their digital offerings by strategically leveraging industry accolades and social proof in much the same way leading consumer brands flaunt their Red Dot Awards. By entering their mobile apps, online platforms, and fintech innovations into
prestigious design and user-experience competitions—whether it’s the Red Dot, iF Design Award, or A’Design Awards—they signal to customers that their digital services have been rigorously evaluated and celebrated for excellence. And this isn’t just vanity—it’s
measurable business impact.
Award-winning design drives tangible ROI across the entire product lifecycle:
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Adoption Rate: Beautiful, intuitive interfaces encourage trial and word-of-mouth, especially among digital natives. People are more likely to download and activate a product that
feels modern and trustworthy. -
Retention Rate: Emotionally resonant design fosters habit and preference. Users stick with services that feel clear, relevant, and delightful—not ones that frustrate or bore.
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NPS & Customer Satisfaction Rate: When users feel seen, understood, and empowered through design, they respond. Positive emotional experiences drive referrals and brand advocacy.
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LTV (Lifetime Value): Design that aligns with life stages and personal values deepens the relationship—supporting upsell, cross-sell, and long-term loyalty over short-term transactions.
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Acquisition: Distinctive design lowers media CAC because people remember and share what feels different.
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Engagement: Beauty and utility combined increase time-in-app and create more opportunities for meaningful interaction and cross-sell.
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Trust: Consistency and care in detail communicate reliability more effectively than any slogan or compliance statement.
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Talent: Designers and engineers want to work where craft is respected. Awards help you recruit and retain top-tier product talent.
Showcasing these honors prominently—on login screens, in onboarding flows, marketing campaigns, or even in-branch signage—turns recognition into trust. It’s a third-party endorsement that cuts through skepticism and corporate jargon. Furthermore, coupling
award badges with real-user testimonials and case studies helps to humanize the brand, demonstrating how these recognized products tangibly improve everyday financial lives.
Beyond awards, banks can draw inspiration from consumer giants by adopting a holistic approach to trust-building that extends throughout the customer journey. This includes transparent communication around data security and privacy—framing certifications
such as ISO 27001 or PCI DSS compliance as badges of honor—and proactive customer support via in-app chatbots and dedicated digital concierges.
Following consumer brand playbooks, banks might also employ limited-edition “innovation labs” or pop-up experiences where customers can test new digital tools firsthand, capturing feedback and generating buzz through social media. Finally, partnering with
respected influencers and thought leaders to discuss digital banking benefits establishes peer-to-peer credibility, ensuring that the institution’s digital ethos is seen not just as a faceless service, but as a trusted companion in the customer’s financial
journey.
Consumer brands have known for decades that emotion plus excellence equals loyalty. Banking can no longer afford to hide behind parity features and compliance comfort zones. The next wave of winners will be those who turn digital products into brand experiences
worthy of a Red Dot—not to boast, but to broadcast a deeper truth: they invest beyond average because their customers’ lives, not just their ledgers, demand it.
Because in the end, design is not just how a product looks—it’s how it works, how it feels, and how it earns a place in people’s lives.
The most successful banks of the future won’t be the ones that ship the most features, but the ones that craft the most meaningful experiences. And that starts with asking a new question—not “What’s the minimum viable interface?” but:
How will our experience make customers feel—and what will that feeling do for the business?
