Digital Transformation at HSBC

My End-to-End Experience in Digital Transformation

A Hands-On Journey

Online Banking Platform Redesigns

One of the biggest challenges when updating my portfolio was figuring out how to effectively showcase nearly two decades of projects at HSBC. It’s unrealistic to expect a hiring manager to deep-dive into every single one, so instead of listing them individually, I’ve shaped them into a cohesive journey.

‍
My story with HSBC began in 2006 in Jersey, UK when I joined the e-Commerce team as a web developer—a role that demanded strong design and project management skills as well. In those early days, teams were small, roles were broad, and the wider your skill set, the more opportunities you had to work directly with senior stakeholders and drive real impact.

‍

In 2006, the adoption rate for Online Banking in the UK was approximately 33-35%, roughly one-third of the adult population. Visiting bank branches remained the dominant way most UK adults interacted with their banks for many services, far outpacing online banking adoption. In Canada, approximately 37% of Canadians used online banking whilst in the USA, approximately 43% of U.S. internet users (about 63 million American adults) reported banking online. Today, digital banking (primarily via mobile) is used by 88–93% of UK adults, 77% of Canadians, and over 76% of U.S. adults for most of their transactions.

‍
To have played a hands-on role in that transformation across the UK, Canada, and the US - from building early web platforms when adoption was low, through the mobile revolution, to helping deliver the seamless, market-specific digital experiences customers rely on now - feels immensely satisfying when I look back.

Context & Challenge

  • Financial services were rapidly evolving, with customers expecting seamless, secure, and mobile-first experiences.
  • HSBC needed to modernize legacy systems, compete with digital first banks, and maintain global brand consistency across markets.
  • The challenge was to deliver innovative features while balancing strict regulatory requirements, security needs, and diverse custome expectations.

My role

Led UX design from research to delivery, collaborated with product managers, developers, marketing and compliance teams, and
ensured brand and accessibility standards.

Impact

Improved security, reduced fraud-related costs, increased global customer engagement, and drove adoption of digital banking features.

Key Features Delivered

  • Green icon of a receipt with a dollar sign on a dark blue background.

    Bill Payments - allowing customers to make a bill payment online vs in branch

  • Globe icon representing the internet or global connection.

    Global View & Global Transfers - allowing customers to view and transfer funds across international accounts for free

  • Shield icon with a checkmark symbolizing security or protection.

    Two-Factor Authentication - improving customer security and significantly reducing fraud costs

  • Icon with two arrows pointing in opposite directions indicating transfer or exchange.

    Interac e-Transfer - enabling seamless person-to-person transfers within Canada

  • Notification bell icon with a small dot below it indicating an alert.

    Account alerts - receive text messages that will help customers stay on top of their account activity whilst improving customer security and significantly reducing fraud costs

  • Chat bubble icon with a tail on dark rounded square background.

    Live chat - real time support, avoiding long wait times typical of phone or email support whilst also reducting operational costs

HSBC’s First Mobile App & Future Iterations

Before mobile apps became mainstream, I led the design and implementation of HSBC’s first responsive mobile banking experience, providing customers with key functionality on the go.
Over time, I collaborated with global teams to expand capabilities, shaping the evolution from mobile web to the bank’s first iOS and later Android apps.

My role spanned end-to-end UX design—from research and interaction design to defining strategy, aligning global stakeholders, and partnering with development teams to deliver seamless, scalable experiences for millions of users worldwide.

Context & Challenge

  • Financial services were rapidly evolving, with customers expecting seamless, secure, and mobile-first experiences.
  • Before the iPhone era, the mobile landscape was highly fragmented -
    customers used a wide range of devices with different screen sizes, operating systems, and capabilities.
  • When the iPad was introduced, we had to adapt our design approach for larger touch interfaces, balancing consistency with opportunities for richer, more visual interactions suited to tablet use.
  • The challenge was to deliver innovative features while balancing strict regulatory requirements, security needs, and diverse
    customer expectations.

My role

Led UX design from research to delivery, collaborated with product managers, developers, marketing and compliance teams, and ensured brand and accessibility standards.

Impact

  • Reduced costs and wait times in branch for customers deposting cheques.
  • Reduced calls to the contact centre by implementing live chat on the mobile app.
  • Improved security, reduced fraud-related costs, increased global customer engagement, and drove adoption of digital banking features.

Key Features Delivered

  • Simple turquoise line icon of a smartphone displaying a mobile payment screen with a dollar symbol.

    Mobile Cheque Deposit- allowing customers to deposit a cheque on the Mobile App by taking a picture of it.

  • White fingerprint icon inside a teal circle on a dark blue background.

    Biometric Security (fingerprint + Face ID) - Allowing customers to use their fingerprint or face to log on and generate security codes.

  • Icon with two arrows pointing in opposite directions indicating transfer or exchange.

    Interac e-Transfer - enabling seamless person-to-person transfers on Mobile devices within Canada

  • Two classical bank building icons connected by a double-headed arrow symbolizing a transaction or transfer.

    Wire Transfers - Customers were able to send wire transfers in Online Banking but not the mobile app.

  • Chat bubble icon with a tail on dark rounded square background.

    Live chat - Using live chat when logged onto the app authenticated the user ensuring a smoother UX providing real time support, avoiding long wait times typical of phone or email support whilst also reducing operational costs.

Project visuals at a glance

See how UX has made an impact over the years for Online and Mobile Banking

[interface] interface of ai tool (for an ai saas company)
[background image] image of contact office (for a general contractor)
image of game development process (for a mobile gaming) - conceptualization stage
image of an inspiration board for logo design
[interface] screenshot of software in action (for an ai saas company)
image of an event planning session 2
image of studio setting (for a game development company)
image of beer tastings (for a craft brewer)

COLLEAGUES feedback

Trusted by HSBC Colleagues

Richard's depth of experience, product intuition, and unwavering commitment to customer-centric design have shaped some of our most critical digital journeys. From complex onboarding flows to multi-channel servicing experiences, his work consistently demonstrated both strategic thinking and meticulous execution.

Richard is collaborative, data-informed, and relentlessly focused on delivering experiences that feel simple and empowering to customers. His contributions have had a lasting positive impact on our digital adoption and customer satisfaction metrics.I strongly recommend Richard for any senior UX or product design role—he is an exceptional talent who consistently raises the bar.

image of historical photos of the preschool
Robert Schuster
Head of UX / UI Design for the Americas at HSBC Bank

Over nearly two decades, Richard played a pivotal role in the evolution of HSBC’s public website experience. His ability to balance brand, customer needs, regulatory constraints, and commercial priorities made him an invaluable partner in some of our most complex and high-visibility initiatives. Whether doing a full redesign, redesigning core product journeys or driving improvements to content structure and navigation, his work consistently elevated the quality and clarity of our digital presence.

image of community involvement for a furniture store
Tracy Wong
Head of Public Website for HSBC Bank Canada

Richard played a key role in shaping the evolution of our public website into a more personal, relevant and customer-focused experience. His ability to align brand, customer needs, regulatory considerations and commercial goals made them an invaluable partner across our most visible digital initiatives.He worked seamlessly across product, engineering, marketing and compliance teams, helping us move from static information delivery to tailored journeys and more intuitive paths to product discovery.

community outreach event: educational workshop
Kerri Dawson
Head of Digital Channels for HSBC Bank Canada

Working with Richard made an immediate impact on product quality. He proactively involved QA during design reviews, clarified edge cases, and documented behaviors that used to show up as late-stage defects. Our team felt empowered instead of reactive, and it significantly improved collaboration between QA, design, and development. I can confidently say UX played a major role in reducing defects and making our releases smoother.

[interface] image of a tablet showing a saas product interface (for an ai saas company)
Graeme Taylor
Senior Digital QA & Test Manager

Across many years and countless digital sales campaigns, Richard proved to be one of our most reliable and insightful UX partners. Beyond exceptional design skills, his breadth of digital knowledge — spanning UX, content, SEO, performance, accessibility and customer behaviour — made him uniquely effective at turning complex propositions into clear, relevant and commercially strong customer journeys.

image of office environment [interface]
Naomi Dias-Hawe
AVP Digital Sales at HSBC Bank Canada

Richard was a key contributor to HSBC Bank Canada's digital transformation programme. His strong UX expertise helped us redesign and streamline critical customer journeys, especially onboarding and account opening.Richard’s user-centered approach removed major friction points, resulting in smoother, more intuitive experiences, lower drop-off rates, and faster time-to-value for new customers. His collaborative style and focus on measurable impact made him an excellent partner in delivering a world-class digital banking experience.I highly recommend Richard for any UX or digital product role—he consistently puts the customer first and delivers results.

image of team member explaining a conservation project
Jun Shen
Head of Online and Mobile Banking Channels at HSBC Bank Canada
View on LinkedIn
[digital project] image of a graphic design on a screen (for a web design agency)
Case study

Designing for AI - HSBC Wealth Compass

HSBC Wealth Compass is a hybrid digital advisory platform that combines robo-style investing with access to human advisors for guidance and reassurance.

I was responsible for defining the experience vision, designing and testing user journeys, and managing product delivery, making the Wealth Compass a seamless, personalized, and compliance-ready digital advisory platform.

View case study

Let’s build your next success

Ready to discuss your project or see more case studies? Share your email to connect and explore how we can elevate your digital experience.

Thanks! We’ll be in touch soon.
Sorry, there was an error. Please try again.