The Marcus App

Overview

During my time at Goldman Sachs, I was part of the Marcus by Goldman Sachs team, the firm’s consumer-facing business dedicated to providing user-friendly online banking services. My role involved launching new features and refining the user experience, particularly through the Marcus mobile app and website.

One of my significant projects was a complete redesign of the Marcus app. Boasting over 213k ratings across iOS and Android, the app is a key tool for users to effortlessly manage their accounts.

Launched in June 2024, the revamped app has already shown positive results, including an increase in Monthly Active Users and a noticeable reduction in customer service calls.

See what Marcus has to offer: www.marcus.com

Project timeline

2022 - 2024

Role

Product Designer

Tools

Figma, After Effects, Jira, Confluence, Amplitude, UserTesting, WEVO

Adapting to New Horizons

Why the redesign?

The business was in an unique position that made us start planning for a new app:

Change in Business Focus

GS has shifted its strategy to focus on fewer products—mainly Savings accounts and CDs. We want to make sure our product experience meets the needs of this specific customer group.

Better Self-Service

Our customer service team has been handling too many requests, which is costly and frustrating for users. The redesign aims to make it easier for customers to find answers on their own, without needing to call in.

Working with Engineering

The redesign is aligned with a significant engineering initiative to rebuild the app from the ground up. It gives us a rare chance to start fresh. We can now rethink how the app looks and works, making it faster, more modern, and ready to grow in the future.

App highlights

Effortlessly check account details

Smoothly transfer funds

Accessible customer support options

The art of interactivity

Interaction Design

To enhance the user experience, we introduced microinteractions that not only add a touch of delight but also simplify the user journey.

Welcome Carousel

During onboarding, users are guided through a welcome carousel that emphasizes the app's convenience and security, making their first experience both informative and reassuring.

Account Aggregation

For customers with multiple Certificate of Deposit (CD) accounts, we implemented an accordion component. This feature allows users to quickly and easily overview all their accounts in one place.

Seamless Account Switching

Navigating between accounts of the same type is now more intuitive. Users can swipe horizontally to switch between accounts without needing to backtrack to the previous screen.

Live chat

A subtle, pulsating dot alerts users when a customer service agent is available for live chat. As users enter a chat, the dot's color shifts, providing a clear and responsive interaction cue.

When oopsies happen

Error state patterns

Not every journey is smooth, and when errors occur, they need to be handled consistently and effectively.

Collaborating closely with Product Managers and Engineers, I identified potential error states and categorized them based on their impact and context. I then documented these scenarios as reusable patterns, ensuring a consistent and thoughtful approach to error handling across the app.

The building blocks

Design system

As we embarked on creating the new app, we saw an opportunity to completely revamp our design system. This overhaul wasn't just about aligning with the new aesthetic; it was also about embracing the latest best practices, including design tokens, standardized naming conventions, consistent documentation formats, setting up component variants, and enhancing accessibility.

See you IRL

Find the Marcus app in the iOS and Android app stores:

Don’t Let the Fun End Here...

There’s more to my journey at Marcus than what’s covered here—whether it’s fun or serious, I’d love to share more about my process and experiences.

Let’s connect if you’d like to dive deeper into my work.

* A turkey illustration I created for a division-wide Thanksgiving email