TD Bank: Defining the Digital Account
Setup Experience
Project Overview
Brief
Develop an understanding of how customers approach account setup after opening a new deposit account, and identify opportunities to improve the onboarding experience across web and mobile.
Outcome
Research insights informed key design decisions around entry points, task prioritization, and guided onboarding.
The work contributed to a shared understanding of customer needs and helped define a product-agnostic onboarding approach across banking products
Methods
In-depth interviews, Moderated usability testing, Unmoderated usability testing, Mixed-method analysis
Team Size
6 (1 Researcher, 3 Designers, 1 Content Writer, 1 Product Manager)
My Role
As the lead researcher, I designed and executed multiple rounds of research, synthesized insights, and partnered with cross-functional teams to inform design decisions and product strategy.
Project Duration
10+ months, with ~12 weeks of research
Introduction
​When customers open a new checking or savings account with TD Bank, they are guided through a digital account setup experience that helps them complete key first steps such as funding the account, setting up alerts, and activating cards.
​
​
​
​​​This case study illustrates how research informed the design of this experience at multiple points in the product lifecycle. Over the course of the project, research evolved from helping the team understand customer motivations and expectations, to evaluating design concepts, and eventually contributing to broader conversations about how onboarding should work across banking products.
Round 1: Understanding Why Customers Were Not Starting Setup
Problem
Although the feature had already launched on web and mobile, adoption was significantly lower than expected.
​
​​
Only 26–27% of new customers clicked through and completed account setup.
Research Approach
​
​​
Outcomes
Based on these insights, the design team explored two improvements:
-
Two redesigned entry points that reframed the setup process around user goals
-
A more guided setup experience to help users understand what to do next
​
​​
Round 2: Identifying the most effective experience
Problem
It was unclear which of the two entry point designs would be more effective in motivating customers to begin the account setup process. The team also lacked insight into which setup tasks customers considered most important when starting to use their new account.
​
​​
Research Approach
​
​​
Outcomes
-
Informed entry point strategy by highlighting elements that attracted attention while aligning with user needs, leading to a more balanced, user-centered approach rather than a single solution.
-
Prioritized key setup tasks (e.g., funding, alerts, card activation), enabling the team to structure the experience around what users actually needed to do first.
-
Identified critical usability gaps, helping refine navigation and guidance across the setup experience.
​​
Round 3: Shaping a Product-Agnostic Setup Experience
Problem
It was unclear how the account setup experience should be designed to work consistently across different banking products. The team needed to define a product-agnostic onboarding approach that would provide a seamless experience regardless of the product.
​
​​
Research
At this stage, my role shifted from conducting new studies to bringing research insights into product strategy discussions:
-
Presentation of findings from the previous research rounds
-
Highlighting key customer expectations and behaviors
-
Advocating for design decisions grounded in customer insights in cross-functional workshops
​
Impact
Through multiple rounds of research with 50+ participants, I helped the team identify key barriers, prioritize what mattered most to customers, and make informed design decisions around entry points, task structure, and guidance. Beyond improving the immediate experience, the work contributed to a shared understanding of customer needs and helped define a product-agnostic onboarding approach, influencing how account setup could scale across banking products.​​
As this project is currently in progress, I cannot disclose findings and outcomes in order to protect confidentiality.However, I am happy to discuss the process and other specifics offline.
View Other Projects
I love talking about my work and am very open to feedback.
Please contact me to learn more about this project or tell me what you think.