#26reasons: how beautiful banking empowers people according to an experience designer
Why Brazil-based experience designer Thiago Vignoli thinks beautiful banking is something we can all get excited about.
For someone like Thiago Vignoli, first impressions are everything. “I am really into minimalism. It’s always about choosing the right pictures and not being overloaded with information.”
It might have something to do with his career. As an experience designer, he works creating interfaces and interactive media for everything from video games to blockchain. Ultimately, he believes that the design of something has a big effect on feeling in control too.
“When you can find something that’s really easy to use and actually beautiful on top of that, it makes a big difference. ”
Coming from Brazil, he had met his share of inelegant bank designs.
“In Brazil, you get the feeling that they don’t really care about you and only want your money. The links are broken, the web pages don’t load. You can’t send money to another bank for free.”
He first signed up for an N26 account while staying in Germany as a way to receive payments from clients.
“It was just a simple matter of downloading the app, signing up and confirming everything.”
As it turns out, that first impression was a good one.
“Just looking at N26, it doesn’t feel like a bank. It’s a bit like going online to buy new clothes; everything is very visual and easy to use. When you design something that is aesthetically pleasing it just makes the whole experience that much better.”
Empowering others to do more with their money
“Tech shouldn’t be just beautiful for the sake of it, though. It’s about helping people do more.”
Thiago is planning to leave his native Brazil and move to Portugal, seeking a more secure, “beautiful” life as he puts it. The ability to travel around to different countries all within a few hours of each other is something he’s really excited about. To make the move easier, he’s planning it in stages, stashing money away after his paycheck into his “Portugal” space (a space is a digital sub-account that you can create instantly in your N26 account).
“That’s why I love digital banking: it’s more useful and clean. That helps you feel like you’re more in control of your money. It’s this idea that things should be simple so that everyone has access to it. This vision really makes it easier to trust a bank. And when you have more control over your money, you explore the world, your projects much more.”
It’s this gradual saving progress that makes him feel even more secure in his plans. By having the freedom to put his money where he wants and being able access it to anywhere in the world, it makes a little difference that makes a big move feel manageable.
