CIBC Rewards
Introducing the new CIBC design, boosting conversions by 217% & reducing delivery times by 25%
Overview
At CIBC, I led the transformation of their digital banking experience, redesigning the mobile app & desktop experience from the ground up, launching an enterprise design system, and scaling a 60+ person UX org. We made banking simpler, faster, and more human—for millions of Canadians.
My Role
Design Director: Led product vision, design review & execution, stakeholder communication
Team Size
22 Humans (Design, Research, Content, Ops)
Tools Used
Figma, Jira, Confluence, Adobe CC, UserTesting.com
When mobile became the main branch for millions of Canadians, CIBC needed more than a redesign, it needed a rethink. I led the transformation, reimagining navigation, streamlining interactions, and personalizing the journey. Guided by the “See More. Do More. Get More.” strategy and built on the True North Design System, the redesign delivers clarity, consistency, and confidence, anywhere customers bank.
Customers expected seamless, mobile-first banking. But CIBC’s experience told a different story. The app and desktop platforms were radically disconnected, with dated navigation, cluttered interfaces, and inconsistent patterns. Key tasks were buried. Personalization was missing. And it all lacked the polish users had come to expect from best-in-class apps.
To make banking faster, smarter, and more intuitive, we restructured the entire navigation experience placing the most critical tasks where users naturally reach first. Anchored by four key tabs Home, Move Money, Advice, and More, the new lower nav made everyday banking seamless, personalized, and mobile-first by design. We tested multiple versions with varied content groupings and explored both destination-based and action-based models. These explorations helped us validate the best approach to reduce friction, accelerate task completion, and meet users where they are—thumb first.
At the heart of this transformation was the True North Design System—CIBC’s single source of truth for digital product design. I led the development and adoption of this system to unify components, patterns, and principles across all platforms.
It did more than improve consistency—it changed how teams worked. With 100% adoption across the enterprise, we accelerated design velocity by 25%, cut dev costs by 33%, and ensured full WCAG compliance. From typography to interaction, the system empowered teams to build faster, better, and at scale.
This wasn’t just a design update—it was a cultural shift. As design lead, I’m proud to have helped shape a platform that not only meets modern expectations, but sets a new standard for accessible, personalized digital banking in Canada.
Results & impact
User feedback indicated that the new layout felt intuitive as it mirrors patterns seen in other top banking apps.
Increased engagement post-homepage redesign, with key content impressions growing from 10.4M to 33.7M per month.
Transaction efficiency gains, such as a 1.92pp increase in everyday mobile transactions and a 12-month high for eTransfers at 58.8% usage rate.
Self-service containment improvements, including a 5% rise in credit card management interactions (e.g., card locking and lost card reporting).
Enhanced chatbot adoption, with usage in the first three months post-launch equaling the total volume seen in the preceding seven months.
Sales conversion improvements, with click-through rates for redesigned “Ghost Account” features increasing by 217%.
Enhanced accessibility by placing high-usage features within the natural thumb zone.
Improved client engagement through intuitive design and increased personalization.
Driven higher conversion rates, especially in key financial transactions and product discovery.
Positioned CIBC competitively, as many leading banks had already adopted this pattern.
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