With acquisitions and business growth, Heartland Bank refreshed its mobile app to reflect its new vision.
Heartland Group - 2023 - Lead UX/UI designer
Enhancing Visual Clarity and Accessibility
Heartland Bank kicked off a project to refresh its mobile app interface. While the original focus was on modernising the UI, it quickly became clear that a few UX tweaks were needed—especially to better support Heartland’s core users, many of whom are over 60. To stay on track with timelines, we took a phased approach: prioritising visual and usability improvements for the first release, and saving bigger UX changes for later (our “Day 2” plan).
The aim was to deliver a cleaner, more accessible interface without overhauling the structure. I focused on visual clarity and ease of use for older users, applying accessibility best practices like contrast testing, clear hierarchy, and simple, familiar interaction patterns. The layout made good use of space across devices, from mobiles to larger screens.
Though the scope didn’t include full UX redesign, I made small but meaningful improvements—streamlining key actions, improving tap targets, and simplifying labels. I also took the opportunity to evolve our design system by refining components, adding new ones, and documenting usage guidelines to support future design work.
In the end, the refresh not only improved the current experience for our users but also set the stage for continued growth and improvement.
My takeaways
A mobile app is a dynamic space that should evolve and adapt to advancements, trends, and best practices. Regularly reviewing the design system is important. While it may not always be feasible for every company to conduct extensive user research, making small improvements can still positively impact customers.