Patents
Interactive Loans
Patent Number: US-20240112416-A1 | Publication date: 2024-04-04
As part of a collaborative effort to modernize the Truist banking app, my team and I developed an innovative AR feature designed to transform how clients access loan information for homes and cars. This concept aimed to simplify the borrowing process and enhance the overall user experience.
Imagine a client interested in purchasing a new home or car. Instead of navigating the tedious process of filling out traditional loan applications, they simply use their phone to scan the property or vehicle. The AR feature instantly retrieves loan details based on the client's current financial health, pulling relevant data from their banking profile, including assets, debt, and credit score.
This streamlined process offers several key benefits.
First, clients gain instant access to personalized loan insights, empowering them with information tailored to their personal financial situation. The ability to quickly identify properties through an MLS database and vehicles via window stickers adds a layer of efficiency that traditional methods lack.
Moreover, because the feature is integrated within the Truist banking app, clients enjoy the advantage of preloaded personal information, allowing for rapid loan decisions on approval and affordability. This immediacy not only saves time but also enhances decision-making, enabling clients to act swiftly when opportunities arise.
By utilizing AR technology, we aimed to create an engaging and modern user experience that aligns with clients' expectations for convenience and efficiency in banking. Ultimately, this project not only showcased our commitment to enhancing financial services but also reinforced the importance of user-centric design in addressing real-world challenges.
Home loan mock up
Auto loan mock up
Financial Literacy
Patent Number: US-20240054905-A1 | Publication date: 2024-02-15
During Truist’s annual Innovation Challenge, I had the opportunity to team up with a small group of fellow designers from across the bank. The challenge invited us to imagine the future of the Truist mobile banking app—specifically five years ahead—and to develop features that would elevate the overall user experience. At the time, Truist was keenly focused on drawing in a younger demographic. For our team, we saw potential in reaching an audience that often went underserved in banking: those who might be underbanked due to factors like age, education level, race, or demographics.
We decided to design a feature to bridge this gap, making financial wellness accessible and engaging. We envisioned an augmented reality (AR) experience built into the Truist app that would teach healthy financial habits by gamifying money management. This experience would include interactive daily challenges, leaderboards, virtual prizes, and personalized reminders, all crafted to make learning about finances not just approachable but genuinely fun. Through AR, users could dive into this experience wherever they were, transforming mundane tasks into immersive opportunities to learn and grow.
With this unique approach, our concept didn’t just capture attention; it ultimately won the challenge, and we secured a U.S. patent for our idea. Our team's innovation opened a new path for how banking could serve and empower the underbanked, and it remains one of my most rewarding projects.
Video mock up
Wireframes & documentation
Value Prop Analysis
Is it compelling?
Clients will access a personalized financial Challenge Center, where they can track progress toward financial wellness in an engaging way and earn rewards for building healthy financial habits.
We’ll measure the concept’s impact through login frequency, increased use of online banking features, and improved financial habits.
How does this meet a pain point?
The pain point is that people see banking as a chore. The Challenge Center changes this by turning banking tasks into a visual, future-focused journey.
It’s a fun, engaging experience that people look forward to—like booking an Airbnb.
What behavior changes does this encourage?
This will transform how clients engage with online banking, by going beyond basic tasks like checking balances. Enhanced touchpoints will encourage frequent logins, reward opportunities, and more proactive account management. By providing educational resources interactively, it will boost financial literacy and develop long-term financial health.
How might this help truist engage the banking market?
Hesitant clients may feel more at ease with Truist’s augmented approach. Challenges range from basic financial literacy to AR/VR world-building, offering helpful lessons based on each client’s goals and financial activity which could be appealing even to non-gamers.
Will this be common within banking or make Truist distinct?
While some NeoBanks and FIs are adopting gamified finance and popular "edutainment" apps exist, Truist will be distinct by integrating AR/VR technologies as touchpoints within personalized challenges. These challenges will be customized to clients' goals, set during signup and refined through periodic check-ins.