Change of bank details. (GDS)

Change of Bank Details

Designing a secure, accessible pension journey using GDS standards

APRIL - MAY 2026

3 PERSON TEAM - PRODUCT OWNER & MYSELF

MY ROLE

End-to-end UX design
GDS alignment and design system application
Content design (plain English)
Journey mapping and flow creation
Stakeholder collaboration

PROJECT OVERVIEW

I designed a Change of Bank Details MVP for a digital pension platform (COMET), transforming a traditionally paper-heavy process into a clear, self‑service digital journey.

The key focus was to apply GOV.UK (GDS) design principles and design system components to create a service that is:

Simple and easy to follow
Accessible for older members
Secure and trustworthy
Consistent across the end-to-end journey

The Problem

Changing bank details in pensions is a high-risk, high-friction journey.

Users often experience:

Complex forms and unclear instructions
Lack of confidence in whether changes were successful
Confusing verification requirements
Heavy reliance on letters and manual processes
This leads to user anxiety, errors, and increased operational effort.

User Need (GDS-led)

Following GDS, I defined the core need:
“As a pension member, I want to securely update my bank details online, so I can be confident my payments go to the correct account.”

This drove all design decisions:
- Reduce cognitive load
- Provide reassurance at every step
- Make security clear but not overwhelming

Design Approach: Applying GDS Principles

I deliberately aligned the solution to key GDS principles:

✅ Start with user needs

Broke down the journey into simple, sequential steps
Removed unnecessary or duplicated inputs

✅ Make things simple and intuitive

Linear flow (no branching complexity in MVP)
One question per page

✅ Use plain English

Clear headings like:
- “Change your bank details”
- “Check your bank details”
Avoided jargon (replaced technical terms with guidance)

✅ Be consistent (GOV.UK patterns)

Reused recognised patterns:
- Back link
- Form inputs
- Error summary
- Radio button questions
- Confirmation screen

✅ Build trust and transparency

Clear validation messages
Confirmation with case reference
Explanation of what happens next

Using the GOV.UK Design System

The experience was designed using the Comet Design System, a UI toolkit built on the foundations of the GOV.UK Design System (GDS). Comet follows established component standards, accessibility guidance, and regulatory requirements, ensuring that all designs align with best practices for usability and inclusion.

Key components used:

Back link
→ Helps users recover easily without losing progress

Error summary + inline validation
→ Clearly highlights issues (e.g. missing sort code or account number)

Form fields (input + hint text)
→ Structured data entry (sort code, account number)
→ Guidance text placed directly above fields

Radio buttons
→ Used for simple decisions (account type, confirmation step)

File upload component
→ Supports document verification in a familiar pattern

Primary / secondary buttons
→ “Continue” vs “Cancel” clearly differentiated

Confirmation panel
→ Strong visual feedback on successful submission

End-to-End Journey (What I Designed)

1. Entry point (Dashboard)

Users access the journey from: “View and change bank details”

👉 Follows GDS principle:

start from a clear user action

2. Before you begin (Guidance page)

Explains:

What details are needed
UK vs overseas requirements
When to update (timing considerations)

👉 Applies:

Plain English
Clear content hierarchy
Task-focused design

3. Account type selection

Simple radio selection:

UK bank
Building society
Overseas account

👉 Uses standard GDS selection pattern

4. Enter bank details

Sort code
Account number
Validation rules clearly shown

👉 Key GDS patterns:

Input validation
Inline error messaging
Error summary at top

Desktop- Add UK Bank details (Error).png

5. Check your answers

Clear summary of entered details
Yes / No confirmation

👉 GDS principle:

Help users check before submission

Desktop - Confirm UK Bank document details.png

6. Upload documents

File upload component
Clear requirements (file type, size, recency)
Upload status feedback (Uploading / Uploaded)

👉 Enhances:

Transparency
Trust in verification

7. Confirmation screen

“Successfully updated” message
Case reference number
What happens next

👉Critical GDS pattern:

Closure and reassurance

Accessibility Considerations (GDS-aligned)

Design decisions intentionally support:

Older users (80+)
Low digital confidence users
Neurodiverse users

Implemented through:

Simple sentence structures
Clear visual hierarchy
Generous spacing
Consistent layout across pages
Avoidance of dense forms

Key Design Decisions

1. One task per page
Reduces overwhelm and improves completion rate

2. Strong error handling

Clearly visible
Explained in plain English
Linked directly to fields

3. Reassurance at critical points

Before submission
After submission
During document upload

4. Consistency across screens
Users always know:

Where they are
What to do next

Outcome & Value

This MVP demonstrates how a regulated, risk-heavy process can be simplified using GDS principles.

Business & user value:

Reduces reliance on paper processes
Improves user confidence and completion rates
Lowers support queries
Provides a scalable foundation for further automation

What I’d Improve Next

Real-time bank validation (MVP2)
Progress indicator (multi-step tracker)
Save and return later
Status tracking after submission

Summary

By applying GDS principles and GOV.UK design patterns, I transformed a complex and high-risk process into a clear, accessible, and user-centred digital journey.
The MVP shows how consistency, simplicity, and trust-building design can significantly improve pension experiences.