NEO · Saudi National Bank · Digital banking
Help the team find its footing. Then make the work move.
NEO was a year-long banking program with many journeys, dependencies and people to bring along. As UX Team Lead, I focused first on the conditions around the work: trust, communication and a plan everyone could see.
The situation
Complex work needs more than good screens.
When I joined, communication was making collaboration harder. Stakeholders needed a clearer view of progress, while the design team needed a steadier way to plan across the wider program.
The bank was working across important journeys including transfers, cards, family banking and Musaned. We had to make decisions in a real delivery environment, with priorities and dependencies that crossed teams.
Product context
A shared platform, adapted for the Saudi market.
NEO is a parallel digital bank from Saudi National Bank, built on the Backbase platform for Saudi and non-Saudi customers. It brings everyday banking and lifestyle services together, with product areas including multi-currency accounts, exchange, open banking, loans and loyalty.
The challenge was to make the experience feel local in both Arabic and English while preserving the strengths of the platform and working within its customization, security and regulatory constraints. Local research helped the team focus on the needs that mattered most, especially the demand for faster, mobile-first banking.
How we worked
Research, prioritise, prototype, refine.
Alongside the SNB team in Riyadh, workshops, interviews and a UX audit helped surface customer expectations and gaps in existing digital banking experiences. We used those findings to agree a roadmap with the Product Owner, prioritising onboarding, the dashboard, accounts, transactions, analytics and cards.
Prototypes gave Product and Engineering a chance to review directions early. Close work with engineering, legal and compliance helped resolve technical and regulatory questions before they became late delivery surprises.
What changed
Well received by bank leaders and the people using NEO.
The team had clearer priorities and a plan everyone could follow. The positive response from management and users reflected the care the team brought to the work.
Next: SunExpress