Scotia Rewards
Shaping the Future of Scotia Rewards: A validated prototype driving 30+ insights, 3 prototypes, and a projected 22% lift in redemptions
My Role
Executive Creative Director — Led product vision & strategy, design execution, and client collaboration
Team Size
6 Humans (Design, Research, Content, Analytics, Strategy)
Tools Used
Sketch, InVision, Adobe CC, Jira, Slack, Maze
Scotia’s loyalty program had become a fragmented and confusing experience that lacked a clear sense of value. I led a team of designers and agency partners to fix this, turning a transactional rewards tool into a meaningful brand touchpoint in just four weeks. By using customer insights and Maze testing to validate our prototypes, I broke down internal silos and aligned executives around a unified high-fidelity vision. This North Star didn't just simplify navigation and redemption; it created a transparent roadmap that gave business, design, and product leaders the confidence to move from a complex mess to an emotional connection with their customers.
Personas as a compass.
Before diving into design, we built six detailed personas grounded in behavioral segmentation, attitudinal insights, and customer data. These personas captured the full spectrum of customer behavior, from dormant users to everyday earners and high-value redeemers. They became a lens for identifying opportunity spaces and a compass for decision-making throughout the sprints, ensuring that every concept was anchored in real customer needs rather than internal assumptions.
Sprint Day 1, Alignment.
The first day focused on alignment. We brought together the core team, strategists, and client stakeholders to define the sprint challenge. Through mapping exercises and structured discussions, we identified the primary problem to solve: how to create a loyalty experience that was more intuitive, more valuable, and more emotionally resonant for customers.
Sprint Day 2-3, Design.
The next two days were devoted to design exploration. I set the framework for how we would create, review, and refine ideas while giving the team freedom to push into new possibilities. Designers prototyped concepts, content specialists shaped the narrative, and strategists tested assumptions. Each day ended with an open share where work was critiqued in progress, ensuring that feedback flowed quickly and that stakeholders could see how ideas were taking shape. This balance of structure and creativity kept momentum high while making the process transparent and collaborative.
Sprint Day 5, Decide.
The final day brought everyone together to make decisions. Because the work had been shared in motion all week, stakeholders arrived informed and engaged, ready to focus on what was resonating most. Together we evaluated the concepts, identified the strongest directions, and agreed on which ones should move forward into testing. This collective decision-making gave the team clarity, built confidence in the process, and ensured that the prototype reflected both customer insight and organizational alignment.
Sprint Day 4, Critiques.
By the time we reached day four, designers had already been sharing progress throughout the week, posting daily updates that allowed stakeholders to see the work in motion and offer early reactions. This steady exposure meant that critique day was not a surprise review but a focused conversation. Together we looked at the concepts in depth, assessed what was resonating, and clarified where ideas needed refinement. The open, transparent format made feedback constructive and actionable, ensuring the strongest directions had the support and clarity to move forward.
Grounding the prototype in research.
After the decision point, we packaged designs for testing and moved directly into research. To validate our thinking as we worked, we used Maze to run quick, focused studies with users, examining comprehension, navigation patterns, and early design assumptions. Feedback came in rapidly, giving us the ability to adjust flows, refine copy, and sharpen interactions in real time. Maze testing revealed a 40 percent improvement in task completion rates and a 25 percent lift in user confidence navigating the new rewards flow. These early signals validated our sprint direction and gave the team confidence in what to prioritize and scale next.
Results & impact
The final output was a validated prototype supported by detailed flows, restructured navigation, and elevated UX concepts. It became a north star for future delivery teams and helped the bank see loyalty not as an afterthought but as a strategic lever for brand connection.
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