[
Monument Bank
]
Defining the Digital Experience for the Mass-Affluent.
Role
Senior Product and Visual Design
Scope
UX/UI Strategy, Mobile App, Design System
Duration
6 months
SUMMARY
Monument is a London-based challenger bank for the "mass-affluent" market of professionals with £100k to £1m in assets.
My role was to translate their high-end print identity into a compliant digital product. I led the design from concept to MVP launch, making the app feel like an exclusive membership club rather than a simple utility.
Key contributions
Strategic Adaptation: Transformed a rigid architectural brand identity into a responsive, accessible digital interface.
Constraint-Led UX: Designed complex banking flows, including KYC and onboarding, optimised for legacy devices used by the target audience.
System Architecture: Developed a comprehensive Figma UI kit with over 260 components to ensure consistency across iOS and Android.
Motion Design: Designed bespoke micro-interactions that provide haptic feedback, reinforcing a premium sense of weight and quality.
Bridging the Gap
The mass-affluent market fell between generic retail apps and high-touch private banking. My goal was to show that a digital interface could deliver the prestige of a private branch manager while balancing heavy regulatory data entry with effortless luxury.
The Spatial Paradox
Research showed 40% of our affluent users relied on legacy devices like the iPhone 8. I established a "Compact-First" framework, optimising the design for these tight vertical constraints first. This ensured clarity and hierarchy without depending on the extra space of modern flagship phones.
Reducing Cognitive Load
Working with Content Design, we mapped a registration journey that respected the mass-affluent user’s low tolerance for friction. Every form field was carefully justified to reduce cognitive load and drop-off.
Defining the 'Digital Lounge'
To address screen constraints without losing prestige, I replaced standard fintech white with a “Digital Lounge” aesthetic using rich dark palettes. I adapted the rigid print brand into a softer UI that balanced high-end atmospherics with clear mobile legibility.
Engineering the 'Premium Feel'
From Concept to Reality
The final execution emphasised tactile quality and seamless logic, turning a complex registration journey into a clear, linear narrative. Rich micro-interactions provided reassuring feedback, creating a secure banking tool that feels like a premium lifestyle product.
Scalability for Growth
Scalability by Design
I delivered a future-proof Figma system with over 260 atomic components to support rapid internal growth. This foundation let the team scale features quickly while preserving the premium design language.
A snapshot of the atomic design system delivered to the Monument team.
The Impact
The MVP successfully launched, validating the hypothesis that wealthy clients desired a digital-first solution that didn't compromise on service quality.
User Satisfaction
Efficiency
Delivered a scalable system of 260+ components, significantly accelerating developer hand-off.
Adoption
Successfully onboarded the initial cohort of investors, with user feedback citing the design as a key factor in building immediate trust.
CONCLUSION
The Monument project showed that fintech design doesn’t have to be “techy” or “playful” to succeed. By treating the interface with the same care as a luxury physical product, we created a banking experience that respects the user’s status and time.
Key Takeaway
True premium value goes beyond aesthetics. It lives in details like information depth and tangible motion. By respecting device constraints, we created an app that feels solid, trustworthy, and distinct.
