Case Study
Split Payments
Snapshot
Focus
Help customers easily split payments with friends and family using e-Transfer
Help customers easily split payments with friends and family using e-Transfer
Help customers easily split payments with friends and family using e-Transfer
Role
Design Manager & Coach
Design Manager & Coach
Design Manager & Coach
Team
Product, Product Designer, Content Designer and Engineering
Product, Product Designer, Content Designer and Engineering
Product, Product Designer, Content Designer and Engineering
Timeline
Q4 2023 - Q4 2024
(Discovery → Pre-Launch)
Q4 2023 - Q4 2024
(Discovery → Pre-Launch)
Q4 2023 - Q4 2024
(Discovery → Pre-Launch)
TL;DR
When Scotiabank set out to modernize the e-Transfer experience, I coached a small team of designers in product design and content to bring Split Payments to life. Through clarity, collaboration, and craft coaching, we turned a complex request into a simple, delightful feature that reused existing enterprise patterns while reducing delivery risk and creating something customers immediately loved.
When Scotiabank set out to modernize the e-Transfer experience, I coached a small team of designers in product design and content to bring Split Payments to life. Through clarity, collaboration, and craft coaching, we turned a complex request into a simple, delightful feature that reused existing enterprise patterns while reducing delivery risk and creating something customers immediately loved.
When Scotiabank set out to modernize the e-Transfer experience, I coached a small team of designers in product design and content to bring Split Payments to life. Through clarity, collaboration, and craft coaching, we turned a complex request into a simple, delightful feature that reused existing enterprise patterns while reducing delivery risk and creating something customers immediately loved.
The Challenge
Customers had no simple way to split bills or shared costs directly in the app. They often had to:
Do math manually in notes or calculator apps
Send multiple transfer requests or reminders
Track payments across messy conversations
Our e-Transfer data showed a consistent 11% gap between outbound and inbound transfers, meaning users were sending money more often than receiving it.
This gap represented both a customer pain point and a business opportunity. We needed to encourage more inbound requests and help customers complete their payment loops.
Customers had no simple way to split bills or shared costs directly in the app. They often had to:
Do math manually in notes or calculator apps
Send multiple transfer requests or reminders
Track payments across messy conversations
Our e-Transfer data showed a consistent 11% gap between outbound and inbound transfers, meaning users were sending money more often than receiving it.
This gap represented both a customer pain point and a business opportunity. We needed to encourage more inbound requests and help customers complete their payment loops.
Customers had no simple way to split bills or shared costs directly in the app. They often had to:
Do math manually in notes or calculator apps
Send multiple transfer requests or reminders
Track payments across messy conversations
Our e-Transfer data showed a consistent 11% gap between outbound and inbound transfers, meaning users were sending money more often than receiving it.
This gap represented both a customer pain point and a business opportunity. We needed to encourage more inbound requests and help customers complete their payment loops.
The Approach
My focus was not to design every screen. It was to create the conditions for great design to happen. I guided a product designer and content designer through a structured discovery-to-delivery process, helping them:
Frame the problem around behaviour, not parity with competitors
Define clear design principles: Flexibility, Simplicity, Compatibility
Lead their own research conversations and usability tests with confidence
Balance creativity with delivery constraints from Product and Engineering
I partnered with Product to align on scope, set clear design checkpoints, and plan discovery windows between sprints. These steps protected design time, reduced rework, and allowed the team to stay focused on quality rather than reacting to late-stage changes.
My focus was not to design every screen. It was to create the conditions for great design to happen. I guided a product designer and content designer through a structured discovery-to-delivery process, helping them:
Frame the problem around behaviour, not parity with competitors
Define clear design principles: Flexibility, Simplicity, Compatibility
Lead their own research conversations and usability tests with confidence
Balance creativity with delivery constraints from Product and Engineering
I partnered with Product to align on scope, set clear design checkpoints, and plan discovery windows between sprints. These steps protected design time, reduced rework, and allowed the team to stay focused on quality rather than reacting to late-stage changes.
My focus was not to design every screen. It was to create the conditions for great design to happen. I guided a product designer and content designer through a structured discovery-to-delivery process, helping them:
Frame the problem around behaviour, not parity with competitors
Define clear design principles: Flexibility, Simplicity, Compatibility
Lead their own research conversations and usability tests with confidence
Balance creativity with delivery constraints from Product and Engineering
I partnered with Product to align on scope, set clear design checkpoints, and plan discovery windows between sprints. These steps protected design time, reduced rework, and allowed the team to stay focused on quality rather than reacting to late-stage changes.
Discovery
We did not have the budget to engage with our formal Research team, so I leveraged my own research background to guide the designers through a lightweight but rigorous approach to discovery. I helped them plan interview guides, facilitate sessions, and synthesize insights into clear opportunity areas. Together, we completed 6 stakeholder interviews and 15 customer sessions.
This hands-on approach gave the team direct exposure to customer behaviour and strengthened their ability to connect qualitative insights to product decisions. From our findings, we identified two primary segments most likely to use the feature:
HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet), active social spenders who frequently split costs with friends
Early Career Customers, digital natives who regularly share expenses like rent, subscriptions, and utilities
We did not have the budget to engage with our formal Research team, so I leveraged my own research background to guide the designers through a lightweight but rigorous approach to discovery. I helped them plan interview guides, facilitate sessions, and synthesize insights into clear opportunity areas. Together, we completed 6 stakeholder interviews and 15 customer sessions.
This hands-on approach gave the team direct exposure to customer behaviour and strengthened their ability to connect qualitative insights to product decisions. From our findings, we identified two primary segments most likely to use the feature:
HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet), active social spenders who frequently split costs with friends
Early Career Customers, digital natives who regularly share expenses like rent, subscriptions, and utilities
We did not have the budget to engage with our formal Research team, so I leveraged my own research background to guide the designers through a lightweight but rigorous approach to discovery. I helped them plan interview guides, facilitate sessions, and synthesize insights into clear opportunity areas. Together, we completed 6 stakeholder interviews and 15 customer sessions.
This hands-on approach gave the team direct exposure to customer behaviour and strengthened their ability to connect qualitative insights to product decisions. From our findings, we identified two primary segments most likely to use the feature:
HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet), active social spenders who frequently split costs with friends
Early Career Customers, digital natives who regularly share expenses like rent, subscriptions, and utilities
The image above highlights the results of my facilitation of analysis and synthesis. The key insights were:
Customers wanted fewer steps, not more options
They did not want another calculator; they wanted a sense of shared control and transparency
Reusability mattered; customers and stakeholders expected this feature to build on existing e-Transfer patterns, not reinvent them
The image above highlights the results of my facilitation of analysis and synthesis. The key insights were:
Customers wanted fewer steps, not more options
They did not want another calculator; they wanted a sense of shared control and transparency
Reusability mattered; customers and stakeholders expected this feature to build on existing e-Transfer patterns, not reinvent them
The image above highlights the results of my facilitation of analysis and synthesis. The key insights were:
Customers wanted fewer steps, not more options
They did not want another calculator; they wanted a sense of shared control and transparency
Reusability mattered; customers and stakeholders expected this feature to build on existing e-Transfer patterns, not reinvent them
Design Process
With a clear understanding of our users and design principles, the team moved into iterative exploration. I coached them through 6 design rounds and 4 usability tests involving more than 24 participants. Each round deepened their understanding of where clarity, trust, and simplicity mattered most. We refined:
Entry points from Send Money, Request Money, and Recent Contacts
Calculation logic for dynamic share editing and even-split defaults
Tone of voice for reminders to feel friendly, clear, and non-awkward
With a clear understanding of our users and design principles, the team moved into iterative exploration. I coached them through 6 design rounds and 4 usability tests involving more than 24 participants. Each round deepened their understanding of where clarity, trust, and simplicity mattered most. We refined:
Entry points from Send Money, Request Money, and Recent Contacts
Calculation logic for dynamic share editing and even-split defaults
Tone of voice for reminders to feel friendly, clear, and non-awkward
With a clear understanding of our users and design principles, the team moved into iterative exploration. I coached them through 6 design rounds and 4 usability tests involving more than 24 participants. Each round deepened their understanding of where clarity, trust, and simplicity mattered most. We refined:
Entry points from Send Money, Request Money, and Recent Contacts
Calculation logic for dynamic share editing and even-split defaults
Tone of voice for reminders to feel friendly, clear, and non-awkward
As their coach, I facilitated regular critiques focused on narrative and intent. I helped the designers articulate their decisions, present rationale over visuals, and communicate trade-offs confidently to Product and Engineering. These sessions helped the team grow from presenting designs to leading conversations about design impact.
As their coach, I facilitated regular critiques focused on narrative and intent. I helped the designers articulate their decisions, present rationale over visuals, and communicate trade-offs confidently to Product and Engineering. These sessions helped the team grow from presenting designs to leading conversations about design impact.
As their coach, I facilitated regular critiques focused on narrative and intent. I helped the designers articulate their decisions, present rationale over visuals, and communicate trade-offs confidently to Product and Engineering. These sessions helped the team grow from presenting designs to leading conversations about design impact.
Solution
The final experience allowed users to:
Select multiple contacts from their existing e-Transfer network
Auto-split or customize amounts for each recipient
Track requests and reminders in one streamlined view
Resend automated reminders without social friction
It was elegant, fast, and consistent with the rest of Scotiabank’s e-Transfer ecosystem. No heavy rebuilds. No unnecessary UX debt.
The final experience allowed users to:
Select multiple contacts from their existing e-Transfer network
Auto-split or customize amounts for each recipient
Track requests and reminders in one streamlined view
Resend automated reminders without social friction
It was elegant, fast, and consistent with the rest of Scotiabank’s e-Transfer ecosystem. No heavy rebuilds. No unnecessary UX debt.
The final experience allowed users to:
Select multiple contacts from their existing e-Transfer network
Auto-split or customize amounts for each recipient
Track requests and reminders in one streamlined view
Resend automated reminders without social friction
It was elegant, fast, and consistent with the rest of Scotiabank’s e-Transfer ecosystem. No heavy rebuilds. No unnecessary UX debt.
"I love this feature, can't wait to start using it to split my bills without having to use multiple apps."
"I love this feature, can't wait to start using it to split my bills without having to use multiple apps."
Research Participant, Scotia Customer
Outcomes
By pre-launch, the feature was performing well against success metrics defined with Product and Business. We defined a 15% adoption target within target segments, informed by competitive benchmarks and user demand data. Early usability and pilot testing showed:
Higher completion rates across multi-contact requests
Increased awareness and confidence in the Request Money feature
Faster development and release readiness through reuse of existing infrastructure
These outcomes reflected the team’s focus and alignment, which I helped build through consistent coaching, research planning, structured critiques, and clear design principles.
The most meaningful outcome was internal. The designers I coached grew in confidence, clarity, and strategic ownership. They presented directly to senior leadership and handled feedback with maturity and rationale.
Split Payments became a story of growth, not just delivery.
Looking back, this project reinforced how coaching and alignment can unlock impact faster than individual contribution. It proved that design leadership is not about doing the work. It is about enabling others to do their best work. Through coaching, critique, and alignment, I helped the team connect strategy with empathy and simplicity with speed.
By pre-launch, the feature was performing well against success metrics defined with Product and Business. We defined a 15% adoption target within target segments, informed by competitive benchmarks and user demand data. Early usability and pilot testing showed:
Higher completion rates across multi-contact requests
Increased awareness and confidence in the Request Money feature
Faster development and release readiness through reuse of existing infrastructure
These outcomes reflected the team’s focus and alignment, which I helped build through consistent coaching, research planning, structured critiques, and clear design principles.
The most meaningful outcome was internal. The designers I coached grew in confidence, clarity, and strategic ownership. They presented directly to senior leadership and handled feedback with maturity and rationale.
Split Payments became a story of growth, not just delivery.
Looking back, this project reinforced how coaching and alignment can unlock impact faster than individual contribution. It proved that design leadership is not about doing the work. It is about enabling others to do their best work. Through coaching, critique, and alignment, I helped the team connect strategy with empathy and simplicity with speed.
By pre-launch, the feature was performing well against success metrics defined with Product and Business. We defined a 15% adoption target within target segments, informed by competitive benchmarks and user demand data. Early usability and pilot testing showed:
Higher completion rates across multi-contact requests
Increased awareness and confidence in the Request Money feature
Faster development and release readiness through reuse of existing infrastructure
These outcomes reflected the team’s focus and alignment, which I helped build through consistent coaching, research planning, structured critiques, and clear design principles.
The most meaningful outcome was internal. The designers I coached grew in confidence, clarity, and strategic ownership. They presented directly to senior leadership and handled feedback with maturity and rationale.
Split Payments became a story of growth, not just delivery.
Looking back, this project reinforced how coaching and alignment can unlock impact faster than individual contribution. It proved that design leadership is not about doing the work. It is about enabling others to do their best work. Through coaching, critique, and alignment, I helped the team connect strategy with empathy and simplicity with speed.