Making trust visible.
Work with BNP Paribas on customer-facing digital experiences where design is not decoration but the surface on which trust is either confirmed or lost. The subject was clarity, credibility and control, expressed at the speed of a scroll.
In high-trust categories, design is not decoration. It is how confidence becomes visible.
The challenge
In finance, small design decisions carry disproportionate weight. A misaligned number, an unclear label, an over-designed illustration can quietly erode the confidence that took years to build. The existing experience had accumulated exactly these small erosions.
The internal appetite was for a refresh. The actual need was for a set of principles that could be applied consistently by many teams, in many countries, without a designer in the room every time.
What I did
Defined the principles that separate design from decoration in a high-trust context, and made them practical for teams to apply.
Led the creative direction on the flagship experiences where the principles were tested first.
Built the artefacts — patterns, guidance, review rituals — so the standard could hold across markets and teams.
The result
The work made the bank's confidence visible without ever announcing it. Customers moved through decisions more calmly, and the internal teams had something they could point to when the standard was under pressure.
- 22%
- 1.6x
- 12
Reduction in support enquiries on the flagship journey
Increase in confidence scores at decision points
Markets adopting the standard within a year
Financial brands must communicate clarity, credibility and control. In these environments, design has a direct relationship to trust. It helps people understand, decide and feel safe.
About the company
BNP Paribas
One of Europe's largest banking groups, operating across markets with different regulatory, linguistic and cultural expectations. The work had to travel without losing its edge.
- Banking and financial services
- Design principles, creative direction, standards
- Multi-market engagement
- Finance and high-trust digital experience
“In high-trust categories, design has to reduce doubt before it creates desire.”