GIC PURCHASE
GIC PURCHASE
End-to-end digitization of the BMO GIC and Savings investment application process. The initiative aimed to move traditionally in-branch, paper-based applications to a secure, online experience integrated within the existing BMO digital banking platform. Responsibilities included UX strategy, stakeholder facilitation, user research, design leadership, iterative prototyping, compliance alignment, and implementation oversight.
BUSINESS CHALLENGE
BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Currently, GIC and Savings investment products could only be purchased in person at a BMO branch. Clients had to book appointments in advance, complete extensive paperwork, provide multiple signatures, and undergo identity verification—all within business hours and subject to branch capacity limits. The process was time-consuming, inefficient, and limited accessibility, resulting in poor customer experience and restricted product adoption.
Currently, GIC and Savings investment products could only be purchased in person at a BMO branch. Clients had to book appointments in advance, complete extensive paperwork, provide multiple signatures, and undergo identity verification—all within business hours and subject to branch capacity limits. The process was time-consuming, inefficient, and limited accessibility, resulting in poor customer experience and restricted product adoption.
BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Currently, GIC and Savings investment products could only be purchased in person at a BMO branch. Clients had to book appointments in advance, complete extensive paperwork, provide multiple signatures, and undergo identity verification—all within business hours and subject to branch capacity limits. The process was time-consuming, inefficient, and limited accessibility, resulting in poor customer experience and restricted product adoption.
USER RESEARCH & INSIGHTS
USER RESEARCH & INSIGHTS
Analyzed original paper-based forms to define requirements and identify pain points.
Conducted phase-zero stakeholder workshops with business, product, research, development, design, legal, and compliance teams to gather insights and align on objectives.
User testing included a mix of unmoderated remote and in-person interviews, with over 30 participants representing typical customer demographics.
Key insights revealed frustration with appointment requirements, excessive documentation, and limited access outside business hours.
Research highlighted opportunities to simplify the process, reduce signatures, support multi-account applications, and provide real-time approval notifications.
Analyzed original paper-based forms to define requirements and identify pain points.
Conducted phase-zero stakeholder workshops with business, product, research, development, design, legal, and compliance teams to gather insights and align on objectives.
User testing included a mix of unmoderated remote and in-person interviews, with over 30 participants representing typical customer demographics.
Key insights revealed frustration with appointment requirements, excessive documentation, and limited access outside business hours.
Research highlighted opportunities to simplify the process, reduce signatures, support multi-account applications, and provide real-time approval notifications.
USER RESEARCH & INSIGHTS
Analyzed original paper-based forms to define requirements and identify pain points.
Conducted phase-zero stakeholder workshops with business, product, research, development, design, legal, and compliance teams to gather insights and align on objectives.
User testing included a mix of unmoderated remote and in-person interviews, with over 30 participants representing typical customer demographics.
Key insights revealed frustration with appointment requirements, excessive documentation, and limited access outside business hours.
Research highlighted opportunities to simplify the process, reduce signatures, support multi-account applications, and provide real-time approval notifications.
STRATEGY & DESIGN RATIONALE
STRATEGY & DESIGN RATIONALE
The digital solution aimed to replicate the in-branch application experience while removing friction and increasing accessibility:
Allow existing customers to complete applications anytime, anywhere.
Enable multi-account applications with a single sign-off.
Reduce time to complete applications to a few minutes.
Integrate real-time notifications for approval.
Ensure compliance with AML, legal, and regulatory requirements while maintaining a user-friendly interface.
Potential to reuse the experience framework for future investment products, including EFTs.
The digital solution aimed to replicate the in-branch application experience while removing friction and increasing accessibility:
Allow existing customers to complete applications anytime, anywhere.
Enable multi-account applications with a single sign-off.
Reduce time to complete applications to a few minutes.
Integrate real-time notifications for approval.
Ensure compliance with AML, legal, and regulatory requirements while maintaining a user-friendly interface.
Potential to reuse the experience framework for future investment products, including EFTs.
STRATEGY & DESIGN RATIONALE
The digital solution aimed to replicate the in-branch application experience while removing friction and increasing accessibility:
Allow existing customers to complete applications anytime, anywhere.
Enable multi-account applications with a single sign-off.
Reduce time to complete applications to a few minutes.
Integrate real-time notifications for approval.
Ensure compliance with AML, legal, and regulatory requirements while maintaining a user-friendly interface.
Potential to reuse the experience framework for future investment products, including EFTs.
PROCESS & ITERATION
PROCESS & ITERATION
Gathered requirements from paper-based forms and conducted initial ideation.
Phase-zero stakeholder workshops informed design principles and prioritized features.
Produced first-round prototypes and conducted usability testing with 30+ participants.
Iterated designs based on user feedback, stakeholder input, and compliance reviews.
Reviewed revised designs with clients; scope changes were explored but ultimately maintained focus on the original GIC/Savings flow.
Multiple iteration cycles ensured design alignment with AML, legal, and compliance standards.
Final designs were approved and implemented in the secure BMO online banking platform.
Gathered requirements from paper-based forms and conducted initial ideation.
Phase-zero stakeholder workshops informed design principles and prioritized features.
Produced first-round prototypes and conducted usability testing with 30+ participants.
Iterated designs based on user feedback, stakeholder input, and compliance reviews.
Reviewed revised designs with clients; scope changes were explored but ultimately maintained focus on the original GIC/Savings flow.
Multiple iteration cycles ensured design alignment with AML, legal, and compliance standards.
Final designs were approved and implemented in the secure BMO online banking platform.
PROCESS & ITERATION
Gathered requirements from paper-based forms and conducted initial ideation.
Phase-zero stakeholder workshops informed design principles and prioritized features.
Produced first-round prototypes and conducted usability testing with 30+ participants.
Iterated designs based on user feedback, stakeholder input, and compliance reviews.
Reviewed revised designs with clients; scope changes were explored but ultimately maintained focus on the original GIC/Savings flow.
Multiple iteration cycles ensured design alignment with AML, legal, and compliance standards.
Final designs were approved and implemented in the secure BMO online banking platform.
COLLABORATION & LEADERSHIP
COLLABORATION & LEADERSHIP
Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams including business stakeholders, product owners, designers, researchers, developers, legal, and compliance specialists. Facilitated workshops, synthesized research, presented iterations for client and stakeholder approval, and guided the project to ensure alignment between business objectives, user needs, and regulatory requirements.
Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams including business stakeholders, product owners, designers, researchers, developers, legal, and compliance specialists. Facilitated workshops, synthesized research, presented iterations for client and stakeholder approval, and guided the project to ensure alignment between business objectives, user needs, and regulatory requirements.
COLLABORATION & LEADERSHIP
Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams including business stakeholders, product owners, designers, researchers, developers, legal, and compliance specialists. Facilitated workshops, synthesized research, presented iterations for client and stakeholder approval, and guided the project to ensure alignment between business objectives, user needs, and regulatory requirements.
CONSTRAINTS & PROBLEM SOLVING
CONSTRAINTS & PROBLEM SOLVING
Ensuring compliance with AML, legal, and regulatory requirements while simplifying the user experience.
Accommodating multi-account applications in a digital workflow.
Maintaining secure identity verification while reducing friction.
Adjusting to evolving business priorities, including exploratory EFT investment options.
Working within the constraints of the existing BMO digital banking platform and CMS.
Ensuring compliance with AML, legal, and regulatory requirements while simplifying the user experience.
Accommodating multi-account applications in a digital workflow.
Maintaining secure identity verification while reducing friction.
Adjusting to evolving business priorities, including exploratory EFT investment options.
Working within the constraints of the existing BMO digital banking platform and CMS.
CONSTRAINTS & PROBLEM SOLVING
Ensuring compliance with AML, legal, and regulatory requirements while simplifying the user experience.
Accommodating multi-account applications in a digital workflow.
Maintaining secure identity verification while reducing friction.
Adjusting to evolving business priorities, including exploratory EFT investment options.
Working within the constraints of the existing BMO digital banking platform and CMS.
FINAL SOLUTION
FINAL SOLUTION
Delivered a fully digitized GIC and Savings application experience that:
Allows secure, anytime/anywhere applications for existing BMO clients.
Supports multiple account applications with a single signature.
Completes the process in minutes versus hours in branch.
Provides real-time approval notifications.
Integrates seamlessly with BMO’s online banking platform.
Maintains full compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
Delivered a fully digitized GIC and Savings application experience that:
Allows secure, anytime/anywhere applications for existing BMO clients.
Supports multiple account applications with a single signature.
Completes the process in minutes versus hours in branch.
Provides real-time approval notifications.
Integrates seamlessly with BMO’s online banking platform.
Maintains full compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
FINAL SOLUTION
Delivered a fully digitized GIC and Savings application experience that:
Allows secure, anytime/anywhere applications for existing BMO clients.
Supports multiple account applications with a single signature.
Completes the process in minutes versus hours in branch.
Provides real-time approval notifications.
Integrates seamlessly with BMO’s online banking platform.
Maintains full compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
OUTCOMES & METRICS
OUTCOMES & METRICS
Reduced application time from hours in branch to minutes online.
Increased accessibility and convenience for clients, improving adoption potential.
Streamlined workflows, reducing branch workload and appointment bottlenecks.
Positive feedback from user testing regarding ease of use and clarity.
Established a reusable digital framework for future investment products.
Reduced application time from hours in branch to minutes online.
Increased accessibility and convenience for clients, improving adoption potential.
Streamlined workflows, reducing branch workload and appointment bottlenecks.
Positive feedback from user testing regarding ease of use and clarity.
Established a reusable digital framework for future investment products.
OUTCOMES & METRICS
Reduced application time from hours in branch to minutes online.
Increased accessibility and convenience for clients, improving adoption potential.
Streamlined workflows, reducing branch workload and appointment bottlenecks.
Positive feedback from user testing regarding ease of use and clarity.
Established a reusable digital framework for future investment products.
KEY LEARNINGS
KEY LEARNINGS
Digitizing complex financial products requires balancing user convenience with regulatory compliance.
Early stakeholder engagement across business, legal, compliance, and technical teams ensures smoother approvals.
Iterative testing with real users identifies friction points and drives better adoption.
Creating scalable, reusable frameworks can accelerate future product digitization initiatives.
Clear communication and phased alignment are critical when scope or product priorities shift mid-project.
Digitizing complex financial products requires balancing user convenience with regulatory compliance.
Early stakeholder engagement across business, legal, compliance, and technical teams ensures smoother approvals.
Iterative testing with real users identifies friction points and drives better adoption.
Creating scalable, reusable frameworks can accelerate future product digitization initiatives.
Clear communication and phased alignment are critical when scope or product priorities shift mid-project.
KEY LEARNINGS
Digitizing complex financial products requires balancing user convenience with regulatory compliance.
Early stakeholder engagement across business, legal, compliance, and technical teams ensures smoother approvals.
Iterative testing with real users identifies friction points and drives better adoption.
Creating scalable, reusable frameworks can accelerate future product digitization initiatives.
Clear communication and phased alignment are critical when scope or product priorities shift mid-project.
©2026 CARLOS RUBIO DESIGN
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©2026 CARLOS RUBIO DESIGN
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