Rooted in deep user research, the AI assistant is crafted to meet the unique needs of banking customers in Abu dhabi. Culturally attuned and privacy-focused, the platform ensures secure, trusted interactions while supporting everyday banking tasks. With intuitive conversation flows, localized language support, and personalized financial tools, the assistant empowers users to manage their finances with ease. Trend-aware and innovation-driven, the experience is designed to align with the digital expectations of Abu dhabi's modern banking audience.
Challenge
Design an AI Assistant that identifies the user context and gives dynamic responses.
FAB's call center was facing a significant increase in volume of routine inquiries resulting in long wait times and agent overload. Customers were experiencing frustration due to delays in getting simple queries resolved. The average call time for routine inquiries was approximately 5 minutes.The call volume increased by 25% in the past year. The business opportunity was to reduce call volume, improve efficiency and optimize customer experience by implementing a self serve platform.
What I Did
In this project, I worked on setting clear goals and objectives to define the direction and purpose. I created user personas to understand the target audience and their needs. Then, I mapped out taskflows to visualize how users navigate and complete key actions. To gain industry insights, I conducted competitive research to analyze similar products. I started the design process with low-fidelity prototypes, creating rough wireframes to test ideas quickly. Finally, I developed high-fidelity designs, refining visuals and interactions for a polished user experience.
About the AI Assistant
An intelligent banking assistant designed to deliver seamless support and personalized financial services for First Abu Dhabi Bank customers, all within the mobile app. The AI assistant enables users to effortlessly resolve banking queries, access real-time information, and manage transactions through a natural, conversational interface. It empowers customers to raise service tickets for issues like failed transactions or card concerns, while also offering real-time updates on ticket status—eliminating the need for long wait times or branch visits.
With instant access to banking features such as account management, fund transfers, bill payments, and loan inquiries, the assistant simplifies complex processes into intuitive interactions. A strong focus is placed on trust, accessibility, and round-the-clock availability, ensuring that customers of all ages and tech levels receive clear guidance and support. By combining intelligent automation with personalized banking services, the assistant redefines customer engagement, offering a smarter, faster, and more convenient way to bank.
Goals of the AI assistant
To provide First Abu Dhabi Bank customers with an intelligent, user-friendly, and always-available digital assistant that simplifies banking interactions, resolves queries in real time, streamlines service requests, and delivers a personalized, seamless banking experience—anytime, anywhere.
Understanding the primary users
Primary Audience:
Retail banking customers, Millennial and Gen Z Users, Busy Professionals
Secondary Audience:
Elderly Customers, SME Business Owners, New Account Applicants
Objective
To conduct a Semi-Structured Interview with the potential users.
Guidelines
Use Primarily open-ended question
Ask people to show you, not tell you, when possible.
Ask for specific stories especially about anything you can’t observe.
Do not reveal the motivation of the interview instead you can tell this is a general study.
Areas Covered
Use Primarily open-ended question
Ask people to show you, not tell you, when possible.
Ask for specific stories especially about anything you can’t observe.
Do not reveal the motivation of the interview instead you can tell this is a general study.
🧑💼 Persona 1: Ahmed - The Busy Professional
Who are they ?
Age: 35
Occupation: Senior Marketing Manager
Tech Comfort: Moderate
Location: Abu Dhabi
Pain Points
Finds the FAQ section too long and hard to search through.
Gets frustrated navigating between multiple pages to find simple answers.
Waiting on customer care calls eats into his tight schedule.
Has no visibility on how long a query or issue will take to be resolved.
Had to rush to a bank branch once to fix a failed transaction – it disrupted his whole day.
Main Goals:
Quickly resolve credit card-related queries during lunch breaks or commute.
Get real-time help without long call wait times.
Needs from AI assistant:
Chat or voice-enabled smart assistant that responds instantly.
Issue tracking or status updates on problem resolution.
Clear, actionable steps or direct links for common requests.
👩🎓 Persona 2: Fatima – The Young Graduate
Who are they ?
Age: 23
Occupation: Recent University Graduate / Job Seeker
Tech Comfort: High
Location: Al Ain
Pain Points
Overwhelmed by banking jargon in FAQs.
FAQ section doesn’t match her learning style or common use cases.
Finds customer service calls frustrating and slow, especially for small questions.
Feels uncertain about when or how her issues will be resolved.
Visiting a branch for minor issues feels unnecessary and exhausting.
Main Goals:
Learn how to open and manage accounts independently.
Get quick answers to “basic” questions without judgment.
Needs from AI assistant:
A conversational and helpful interface that feels human and patient.
Step-by-step walkthroughs with illustrations or simple definitions.
Confidence-building suggestions for financial tasks (e.g., budgeting, deposits).
👴 Persona 3: Mohammed – The Retired Government Employee
Who are they ?
Age: 64
Occupation: Retired
Tech Comfort: Low to Moderate
Location: Sharjah
Pain Points
Finds app navigation confusing and text-heavy.
Scrolling through FAQs is difficult due to small text and unclear sections.
Waiting on calls is tiring and unclear if issues are being handled.
Feels anxious not knowing if his money issues are being resolved or pending.
Going to a branch is physically tiring and requires a companion.
Main Goals:
Monitor pension deposits.
Get help with mobile banking without needing to visit a branch.
Needs from AI assistant:
Arabic language support and speech-enabled replies.
Ability to ask simple questions and get straightforward answers.
Visual cues, larger text, and voice feedback.
My Clients & Colleagues say
While most of my client reviews are NDA-protected, I managed to sneak in a few favorites from my previous Managers & Co-workers.
