Bradesco - International Account
INDUSTRY:
Banking / Fintech
COMPANY:
Bradesco Bank
ROLE:
Product Designer (UX Research, Strategy, UI)
summary.
Bradesco offers two international account products: MYA (My Account) and Bradesco Bank. Despite being distinct, users struggled to understand the difference between them. Many perceived MYA as just a debit card, not a full international account. This confusion led to drop-offs and hesitation during the onboarding journey.
I led UX research and co-designed a new experience focused on increasing clarity, surfacing key benefits earlier, and improving user decision-making — all while working within strict naming and structural constraints.
challenge & Research
Users didn’t understand what MYA was or how it differed from Bradesco Bank
Key benefits were buried deep in the flow and rarely accessed
The product comparison wasn’t visible or actionable
The team couldn’t rename or restructure either product
MethodologyApproach: Qualitative interviews using a prototype
Format: Remote (via Teams)
Period: June 30 to July 11, 2025
Sample: 10 participants (5 My Account users, 5 users of other international accounts)
Profile: Frequent travelers (ages 25–65), responsible for financial planning, all experienced issues with physical or contactless card payments abroad.
Key Issues Identified
Card failures (digital and physical) caused insecurity, stress, and embarrassment
Perceived causes: terminal issues, card network, country-specific limitations, or random glitches
Workarounds: alternative payment methods and help from others
Support: Lack of effective assistance during travel; issues couldn’t be resolved via app
Common problems:
Digital card failed, requiring physical card
Contactless payment didn’t work, requiring insertion
Transactions declined without clear reason
Preventive card blocks
Temporary disappearance of balance in app
Delayed transfers
Confusion between debit and credit modes
Insights.
Strengths:
Exchange rate alerts
Clear interface for card blocking and contactless activation
Areas for improvement:
Confusion around multi-currency balances and “Operations Position” feature
Opportunities:
More prominent access to the international account in the app
Addition of features like transaction history, investments, contextual FAQs, dedicated support channels, and benefits section
App Usage & Perception
Apps are seen as intuitive, simple, and functional
Users value transparency in fees and currency conversion
Transaction history is key for expense tracking during trips
Push notifications are appreciated for security and real-time updates
Challenges & Desired Improvements
Transfers between institutions are complex, with high fees and long processing times
My Account users find the international account hard to locate in the app
Users want:
A dedicated section for the international account
Investment options to grow unused travel funds
A USD credit card to avoid IOF (Brazilian tax)
Faster, more effective support via the app
User Behavior
The international debit card is the main payment method abroad (physical, contactless, or digital wallet)
Users always carry backup options in case of low battery or no internet access
solution.
We redesigned the international account selection experience to:
Bring account comparison upfront and above the fold
Label each product with contextual tags (“For Travelers” vs. “For Global Savers”)
Highlight key differences in fees, features, and benefits
Reinforce that users could open both accounts if needed
We validated the new flow through unmoderated usability tests with 84 participants. The new layout significantly outperformed the original carousel design.
result.
54% direct success rate
18% drop-off rate (down from 28%)
83% of users found the comparison helpful
Improved user understanding of each product’s purpose and features
💡 What I Learned
This project reinforced how powerful low-code tools like Framer can be for small teams — enabling fast delivery without compromising on design quality. It was also a valuable exercise in designing with scalability and maintainability in mind, ensuring non-designers could easily manage the site moving forward.
