Pivot UX

Citibank

Jobs-to-be-Done • Design Sprints • Prototyping

From foundational research to a validated private beta

Context

Client: Citibank

The challenge: To develop a new global banking proposition aimed at a younger generation of customers. Taking inspiration from the recent successes of Monzo's targeting of this market segment.

Our solution: Led foundational Jobs-to-be-Done research to inform a high-intensity design sprint, before building a functional service and launching a private beta to validate the core flows.

Key results

Jobs-to-be-done

Foundational research delivered

5-day

High-intensity design sprint

Beta

Private beta launched & validated

The challenge: from concept to validated MVP

To develop a new global banking proposition aimed at a younger generation of customers. Taking inspiration from the recent successes of Monzo's targeting of this market segment.

Our approach: grounding strategy in user needs

My approach was grounded in deep qualitative research. I undertook a foundational Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) research piece to understand the core problems users were trying to solve. This insight became the bedrock of a high-intensity design sprint, ensuring our solutions were focused on real, validated user needs from day one.

Visualising the approach

Selected artefacts from the project, showing Jobs-to-be-Done insights, design sprint outputs, and the validated beta prototype.

A large printout of a user journey map with sticky notes on it from a workshop.
User Journey and Service Map

Visualising the end-to-end user experience.

Sketches and sticky notes on a whiteboard from a co-design session.
Co-design and Design Sprint workshop

Creating solutions with key stakeholders.

Screenshot of the private beta sign-up page for the new banking service.
Private Beta MVP to validate demand

The sign-up page for the Private Beta.

The solution: a tangible, user-validated prototype

The output of the design sprint was a clear, validated service concept. I then worked closely with frontend designers to translate the prototypes into a functional service. To further validate the idea, we launched an invite-only private beta, allowing us to test the core flows and gather crucial feedback before a wider rollout.

My impact on the project

As the service design and research lead, I drove the project from abstract concept to a tangible, validated private beta, ensuring the final proposition was grounded in real user needs.

  • Led foundational Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) research to uncover core user problems.

  • Facilitated a high-intensity, 5-day design sprint to generate and test solutions.

  • Translated sprint outputs into a clear, validated service concept and user journeys.

  • Worked with designers to create a functional prototype for the private beta.

  • Launched an invite-only private beta to test core flows and assumptions with real users.

  • Provided concrete evidence of product-market fit to de-risk a wider public launch.

The measurable impact: speed to market

This rigorous, user-centered process de-risked the project significantly. The foundational JTBD research ensured we were solving the right problem, while the private beta provided concrete evidence that our solution was viable and met user needs, paving the way for a successful public launch.

Weeks

Not months, to validate the proposition

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