Scotia Rewards
Rethinking the possibilities. 4 weeks, 30+ insights, 3 prototypes, and a +22% projected lift in redemption.
TL;DR
We reimagined Scotia Rewards as more than just a points program. Using a fast-paced concept sprint, we built a new vision that connected storytelling, user experience, and emotional value. The result? A rewards platform that felt unified, personal, and full of potential—showing stakeholders how loyalty could become a key brand differentiator.
My Role
Executive Creative Director — Led product vision & strategy, design execution, and client collaboration
Team Size
6 Humans (Design, Research, Content, Strategy)
Tools Used
Sketch, InVision, Adobe CC, Jira, Slack, Maze
The Problem
Scotiabank wanted to inspire deeper engagement with its underperforming loyalty program. The existing experience was fragmented, overly transactional, and lacked emotional resonance. Customers didn’t understand the full value of their points—and they weren’t excited to use them. Internally, the bank was facing brand confusion, an outdated rewards interface, and a disconnect between teams responsible for communications, catalog, and surprise-and-delight moments. They needed more than a design facelift—they needed a compelling reason for people to care.
The Solution
We reframed the project as a concept sprint, an accelerated design thinking cycle built around Align | Design | Critique | Decide - a five days sprint. The goal wasn’t to ship a finished product, but to prototype a future-forward version of Scotia Rewards, one that solved real user needs.
Before we dove into design, we developed six detailed personas based on behavioral segmentation, attitudinal insights, and customer data. These personas represented a full spectrum of user behaviour from dormant users to everyday earners and high-value redeemers. They helped us identify key opportunity spaces and guided every decision throughout the sprint, ensuring our concepts were rooted in real needs, not internal assumptions.
Day 1 was all about alignment. We brought together the core team, design, strategy, and client stakeholders, to define the sprint challenge. Through mapping exercises and discussion, we aligned on the primary problem to solve: creating a loyalty experience that felt more intuitive, valuable, and emotionally resonant.
Days 1–4 were dedicated to rapid design and iteration. Using insights from user analytics, heatmaps, and clickstream behavior, we mapped critical flows, restructured redemption paths, and prototyped key moments across the experience. Each concept was stress-tested through the lens of our six personas, helping us stay grounded in real needs, not internal bias.
Day 5 was critique and decision day. We presented the full end-to-end vision to the team: redesigned journeys, improved navigation, and a more emotionally engaging interface. This wasn’t just a design review, it was a collaborative decision-making session that helped leadership align around a more human-centered approach to loyalty.
To validate our thinking as we worked, we used Maze to run quick, focused tests with users—testing comprehension, navigation patterns, and early design assumptions. Feedback rolled in quickly, allowing us to adjust flows, refine copy, and sharpen interactions in real time.
Maze testing showed a 40% improvement in task completion rates and a 25% lift in user confidence navigating the new rewards flow. These early signals validated our sprint direction and helped prioritize what to scale next.
The final output was a High Fidelity Clickable Prototype, supported by detailed flows, restructured navigation, and elevated UX concepts. It provided a north star for future work and helped the team align on a unified, customer-first direction for the Scotia Rewards experience.
The new design wasn’t just a vision, it was a validated prototype grounded in real user behaviour, supported by storytelling, data, and design strategy. It helped Scotiabank see how loyalty could evolve from a transactional afterthought into a powerful, emotional brand touchpoint.
Results & Outcomes.
30+ user insights gathered
6 personas developed
3 high-fidelity prototypes delivered
12+ usability testing participants
+22% projected increase in redemption activity
Stakeholder Interviews
Low - High Fidelity Concepts
Rapid Prototypes
Usability Test Facilitation
Comms Planning
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