Analytics and extensive user research showed that many customers of NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland found it difficult to apply for products online. They began an application form and either did not return to complete it, or finished opening an account (for example) in a physical location. A recurring pain point was that many felt they “wasted more time searching for the right information and documents needed” rather than progressing their application. This made them feel worried about making mistakes and reluctant to continue.

Opening a bank account or applying for a mortgage is a sensitive process, so we wanted to treat it as such, allowing our customers to feel the same support digitally as they would one-to-on, in branch, with an advisor. We tackled this problem using ‘progressive disclosure’ - a design pattern focussed on releasing information step-by-step. This allowed us to:

• Personify our application using each brand’s tone of voice, mimicking an in-branch experience with an advisor

• Offer the right information at the right time, based on our customers' input.

• Create a hub for specific documents to live

• Guide customers through a long and important process, reducing cognitive overload and anxiety

Through rapid prototyping and guerrilla testing in the office, we identified that although we would need to streamline our application forms, a quick win to meet our goal could be achieved through a ‘pre-application filter’. This filter would tell customers which documents they’d need before starting, based on the application they’re making. We branded this self-contained experience ‘Ready to Apply’.