HSBC Kinetic

HSBC launched Kinetic to compete with digital-first challengers. I led its user experience from the restructure of the design team through to market launch: a multidisciplinary team of 20–25, a hybrid model and user-centred process, and direct work with the Managing Director and product leadership throughout. Kinetic shipped on iOS, Android, and Web and has held a 4.8 rating from over 22,000 App Store reviews, and the design organisation behind it became a model within HSBC.

A new bank needed a new kind of design team.

HSBC launched Kinetic as a standalone digital bank for small business owners. The ambition was to compete with the likes of Monzo, Starling, and Tide, but within the regulatory and operational framework of one of the world's largest financial institutions.

There was a design team in place, but no clear structure, no established UCD process, and siloed ways of working that kept design away from real influence on the product. Growing the team was only part of the job. The way it operated had to change, and design had to earn its place in product decisions.

Reshape the organisation, then the product follows.

I grew the team significantly, hiring across UX, UI, Research, and Content Design. The bigger challenge was structural: the design function needed to be reorganised so it could work effectively at scale, follow a user-centred process, and break down the silos that were slowing everything down.

I introduced a hybrid team model: designers reported into a centralised design function for career development, quality standards, and community, but were embedded in product teams day-to-day. This gave designers the support and progression of a dedicated design org while keeping them close enough to product decisions to have real influence. I established a UCD process that connected research findings directly to product decisions, and set up a dedicated research practice so design decisions were grounded in evidence rather than opinion.

I created a shared toolkit covering patterns, components, and copy guidelines, giving the team a common language and a consistent standard. And I worked directly with the Managing Director and product leadership throughout: presenting the design direction, bringing research evidence into strategy conversations, and making sure design was in the room when product decisions were made.

A design org that shipped, scaled, and sustained.

The team grew to 20–25 people at its core across UX Design, UI Design, UX Research, and Content Design, a mix of permanent staff, contractors, and agency partners. The restructured design organisation became a model within HSBC for how to embed design in product development.

Kinetic launched successfully and competed directly with digital-first challengers. It has since won over 10 industry awards, including Best App-Based Business Account four consecutive years at the Moneynet Awards, Best Mobile Initiative for Business at the Banking Tech Awards, Best Digital CX for Account Opening, and a Webby Awards nomination for Best User Experience in 2021. The app maintains a 4.8/5 rating from over 22,000 App Store reviews. The lasting impact was organisational: a mature design practice with clear career paths, consistent standards, and genuine influence on product strategy.