TL;DR Summary
Prompt
Despite being a feature-rich app, YONO SBI suffers from poor usability, cluttered visuals, and hidden functionality. How might we redesign the experience to improve accessibility, trust, and everyday usability for SBI’s diverse user base?
Solution
A modern, intuitive redesign of the YONO SBI app that simplifies navigation, increases feature discoverability, and enhances user trust—especially in critical banking tasks like balance checks, transfers, and bill payments.
Team
Aayushi Gandhi (Solo Project)
My Role
Skills
Timeline
6 weeks
cONTEXT
How can we make it easier for users to find payment options without confusion?
When my aunt tried using the YONO app, she was instantly lost. Tiny text, cluttered menus, and endless scrolling made simple tasks frustrating. Finding a basic feature like fund transfer felt like solving a puzzle.
Even I struggled—and I'm used to complex apps! Banking shouldn't feel this overwhelming. Watching her frustration, I knew something had to change. That's when I decided to redesign YONO, making it simple, clear, and easy for everyone.
Despite SBI's popularity, the YONO app had noticeable inconveniences—especially when trying to find the money transfer options or check my balance. This made me wonder: What other user challenges exist in YONO, and how can I redesign the app to simplify and streamline these experiences?
Problem space
How can we make it easier for users to find payment options without confusion?
Frequent YONO users need quick access to their account transactions and balance with fewer clicks, saving time and ensuring they never miss a payment.
Easy Access To Check Balance/Multiple Accounts
Users want to quickly check their balance and easily switch between multiple accounts without navigating through several screens.
Smooth and Safe onboarding and profile management
Users want to log in or create an account in just a few steps and view all the accounts linked to their name which simplifies the process and provides easy access to all accounts in one place.
rESEARCH
To deeply understand user frustrations, I conducted surveys and interviews with 10 SBI customers aged 18–40. These methods helped identify key usability breakdowns.
Insights from this survey:
The message was clear.
8/10
participants had a poor experience logging in for the first time due to the lengthy 10-12 page onboarding process. Additionally, returning users struggled to find the profile page.
7/10
participants were unaware of all the payment methods available on YONO. As a result, they abandoned the app and switched to alternatives like Google Pay or Paytm. The app's cluttered interface discouraged users from continuing to use it.
5/10
participants wanted to see their balance immediately upon logging in and easily switch between different accounts, like savings and checking.
Affinity Mapping
To synthesize insights, I used an affinity map. This helped me group user feedback into patterns around navigation, trust, and discoverability.
Key Findings:
Users find it hard to navigate or locate common features.
Many don’t know all the features the app offers.
Security feedback is lacking, and login feels slow or clunky.
User Flow
To simplify the experience, I redesigned task-based user flows.
For example, here’s the improved flow for checking account balance:
design
Crafting the UI components with wireframes
Based on findings from my user research, I was inspired to sketch out a couple redesign ideas on paper. My primary focus was on maintaining simplicity and clarity in the user flow.
Using the findings that I discovered, I was able to complete a final redesign. I added new features and expanded on ones that were already prototyped.
Homepage
The app’s home page consists of Total Balance amount. Now you can easily toggle between multiple accounts letting users check balance and previous transactions in a few clicks.
Profile/User Settings Page
Know all the accounts you are connected through one Yono account. Change passwords and m-pin seamlessly. If at all you have any issues with the services provided, then you can apply for service requests or you can directly “get in touch” with SBI customer care.
Offers Page
A less cluttered and more organized page to shop and check out best deals.
Login/Signup Page
A simple sign up or log in page. Instead of login in for different things I made the quick pay option on the homepage which takes same or less time to get the action done.
Results
Redesigning the YONO app was an exciting challenge that allowed me to rethink how users interact with a banking platform. Through research, user testing, and analyzing competitors like Revolut and Chase, I discovered key pain points that hindered usability—like cluttered interfaces and difficult navigation. By simplifying the design, making essential features more accessible, and improving the onboarding experience, I aimed to create a more intuitive and user-friendly app. This project highlighted the importance of understanding users’ needs and how thoughtful design can transform everyday tasks into seamless experiences. I’m excited to see how these changes can make banking more efficient for everyone.
25%
83%
Final Thoughts
I would have liked to conduct usability tests with older users, especially given the large user base of SBI seniors.
Testing Voice User Interface would have aligned with future-ready design principles.
More collaboration with developers and security teams early on would’ve clarified feasibility.
What I learned
This project made me realize that a good app isn't just about smooth functionality or sleek visuals—it's about building trust. Especially in banking, users need to feel confident and secure every time they interact with the app. That sense of safety should be reflected not just in features, but in the overall clarity and consistency of the experience. With that in mind, I focused on designing flows that were intuitive, simple, and predictable—eliminating friction wherever possible. I learned how even small decisions, like button placement or wording, can influence how secure a user feels while managing their money.
