UX audit
What happened when I critiqued IDBI Bank's net banking on LinkedIn
What happened when I critiqued IDBI Bank's net banking on LinkedIn
A LinkedIn post about a broken banking experience turned into a Teams call with an AGM, a deck submitted to the Digital Banking team, and a lesson in how design feedback, done right, opens doors that job applications don't.
A LinkedIn post about a broken banking experience turned into a Teams call with an AGM, a deck submitted to the Digital Banking team, and a lesson in how design feedback, done right, opens doors that job applications don't.
Role :
Customer + Product Designer
Duration :
3 weeks, June 2026
Platform reviewed :
IDBI Internet Banking (Web)
Type:
UX Audit, Compliance and Stakeholder Comms
7
Documented UX findings with evidence and business impact
3 weeks
From LinkedIn post to formal deck submission
AGM
Level response from IDBI Digital Banking department
2.59
Contrast ratio found, fails WCAG 4.5 AA minimum
The starting point
I was a frustrated customer first
In June 2026, I tried to use IDBI Bank's internet banking platform for the first time. I wanted to add a beneficiary and transfer money. I never completed either task.
The beneficiary addition failed silently, no error message, no explanation, no retry path. When I tried to resolve it on desktop, I was asked to enter an "old transaction password" I had never set. The dashboard hide my account balance behind a toggle in the wrong corner of the screen. When I tried to retrieve my Customer ID, both recovery options the system offered returned a generic error with no next step.
I left the session having completed nothing I came to do.
"As a customer, I was frustrated. As a Product Designer, I was concerned.
I work in enterprise product design, B2B and B2G software where the users aren't always tech-savvy and the cost of a broken flow is high. I knew what I was looking at wasn't just inconvenience. It was a pattern.
So I wrote about it on LinkedIn.
How it unfolded
A post became a conversation
The LinkedIn post
Published a structured critique of six UX failures, framed both as a frustrated customer and a professional product designer. Tagged IDBI Bank, IDBI Intech, and two senior product and tech contacts.
What I found
Seven findings. All documented.
All evidenced.
Each finding is framed in three layers: what I experienced as a user, what it costs the user, and what it costs the bank. This is how design feedback becomes a business conversation.
finding 1
Transaction password wall across every action
Setting or verifying a transaction password is required across fund transfer, document download, and profile settings. First-time users have no setup flow, every action becomes a dead end with no recovery path.
WCAG 3.3.1 - Error Identification · 3.3.3 - Error Suggestion
finding 2
Customer ID recovery options that lead nowhere
Two recovery options offered — PAN Number or Passport Number. When neither is linked in the bank's records, the system returns a generic error with no alternative path, no branch guidance, no helpdesk escalation.
WCAG 3.3.3 - Error Suggestion
finding 3
Account balance hidden behind navigation
Balance and account number are accessible only via toggle controls positioned top-right, disconnected from the account row below. A pie chart occupies 60% of the dashboard viewport with no actionable data until toggled.
IA failure - proximity principle violated
finding 4
Navigation disappears when you need it most
Navigation bar disappears on scroll. Sub-menu items expand behind the fixed header, making them partially or fully inaccessible. Sticky navigation has been standard for over a decade.
WCAG 2.4.3 - Focus Order · Interaction design failure
finding 5
Visual hierarchy isn't doing its job
Contrast ratios as low as 2.59 against white, WCAG AA requires 4.5. Action labels at 11px. No hover or cursor states on interactive elements. Sort controls with no reset state.
WCAG 1.4.3, Contrast · 1.4.4, Resize Text · 1.4.11, Non-text Contrast
finding 6
Inconsistent date formats in the same session
Recent Transactions uses DD-Mon-YYYY. Mini Statement uses DD/MM/YYYY. Same data type, two formats, same authenticated session. A design system consistency failure that erodes trust in data accuracy.
Design system consistency failure
finding 7
Empty states are missing entirely
Transaction History with no records renders a blank content area - no message, no illustration, no suggested action. Every new user's first experience is a screen that looks broken.
WCAG 3.3.1 - Error Identification · UX empty state pattern failure
The compliance dimension
This isn't just UX. It's a
regulatory timeline.
The findings, particularly on contrast ratios and error states, sit inside an active compliance window that most people on the product team may not have fully connected to the design layer.
Feb 2024
Ministry of Finance, Accessibility Standards for Banking Sector issued. WCAG 2.1 AA + IS 17802 mandated.
Apr 2025
Supreme Court of India, Digital access declared a fundamental right under Article 21.
Jan 2026
RBI Digital Banking Channels Authorisation Directions 2025, effective. All commercial banks in scope.
Apr 30, 2026
SEBI, Full WCAG accessibility audit by IAAP-certified auditor must be completed.
Jul 31, 2026
SEBI, All identified accessibility issues must be remediated. Non-compliance = regulatory exposure.
What I learned
Design feedback as
professional positioning
This engagement wasn't planned as a portfolio piece or a job search strategy. It started with genuine frustration and a decision to document it professionally rather than just vent.
What it produced was something a job application rarely does, a demonstration of how I think, how I communicate, and how I engage with senior stakeholders under professional pressure.
Evidence beats opinion
Every claim in the deck was backed by a screenshot, a WCAG criterion number, or a competitor reference. That's what earns credibility with a room that includes an AGM and a vendor.
Compliance is a design conversation
Connecting visual hierarchy failures to the July 31 remediation deadline reframed the session from a critique to a risk briefing. The AGM already knew about the compliance work, but connecting specific findings to specific standards was new.
Vendor awareness matters
IDBI outsources implementation to Snapwork. Understanding that structural reality before the call meant I didn't pitch to the wrong audience. The real commercial path runs through the vendor, not the bank.
Framing is everything
The same six observations could have been a complaint or a case study. The difference was structure, business language, and a willingness to acknowledge constraints before making an ask.
Outcome
Where it stands
Not every engagement starts with a contract. Some start with credibility.
The value here wasn't an immediate brief, it was a direct relationship with the people who own the product, a formal record of structured thinking inside a regulated institution, and proof that design critique done professionally opens rooms that cold outreach never does.
What this engagement produced
Direct line to AGM-level contact inside IDBI Digital Banking
Deck on formal record with the IDBI product and tech team
Introduction to Snapwork Technologies, the implementation vendor
Compliance framing that connected UX findings to the July 31 deadline
A replicable methodology for UX critique as professional outreach
This case study, which compounds the effort beyond the IDBI outcome
"From a frustrated customer to someone with an AGM's direct email, a formal deck on record inside a government-linked bank, and a warm introduction to their vendor."
If you're a product team dealing with similar UX debt, particularly in banking, enterprise software, or B2B / B2C products, I'd be glad to have that conversation.
If you're a product team dealing with similar UX debt, particularly in banking, enterprise software, or B2B / B2C products, I'd be glad to have that conversation.
More Projects
Hi
Hi
Curious about the process behind the pixels?
Dive into the stories behind each project, how design decisions shaped better user experiences.
UX audit
What happened when I critiqued IDBI Bank's net banking on LinkedIn
What happened when I critiqued IDBI Bank's net banking on LinkedIn
A LinkedIn post about a broken banking experience turned into a Teams call with an AGM, a deck submitted to the Digital Banking team, and a lesson in how design feedback, done right, opens doors that job applications don't.
A LinkedIn post about a broken banking experience turned into a Teams call with an AGM, a deck submitted to the Digital Banking team, and a lesson in how design feedback, done right, opens doors that job applications don't.
Role :
Customer + Product Designer
Duration :
3 weeks, June 2026
Platform reviewed :
IDBI Internet Banking (Web)
Type:
UX Audit, Compliance and Stakeholder Comms
7
Documented UX findings with evidence and business impact
3 weeks
From LinkedIn post to formal deck submission
AGM
Level response from IDBI Digital Banking department
2.59
Contrast ratio found, fails WCAG 4.5 AA minimum
The starting point
I was a frustrated customer first
In June 2026, I tried to use IDBI Bank's internet banking platform for the first time. I wanted to add a beneficiary and transfer money. I never completed either task.
The beneficiary addition failed silently, no error message, no explanation, no retry path. When I tried to resolve it on desktop, I was asked to enter an "old transaction password" I had never set. The dashboard hide my account balance behind a toggle in the wrong corner of the screen. When I tried to retrieve my Customer ID, both recovery options the system offered returned a generic error with no next step.
I left the session having completed nothing I came to do.
"As a customer, I was frustrated. As a Product Designer, I was concerned.
I work in enterprise product design, B2B and B2G software where the users aren't always tech-savvy and the cost of a broken flow is high. I knew what I was looking at wasn't just inconvenience. It was a pattern.
So I wrote about it on LinkedIn.
How it unfolded
A post became a conversation
The LinkedIn post
Published a structured critique of six UX failures, framed both as a frustrated customer and a professional product designer. Tagged IDBI Bank, IDBI Intech, and two senior product and tech contacts.
What I found
Seven findings. All documented.
All evidenced.
Each finding is framed in three layers: what I experienced as a user, what it costs the user, and what it costs the bank. This is how design feedback becomes a business conversation.
finding 1
Transaction password wall across every action
Setting or verifying a transaction password is required across fund transfer, document download, and profile settings. First-time users have no setup flow, every action becomes a dead end with no recovery path.
WCAG 3.3.1 - Error Identification · 3.3.3 - Error Suggestion
finding 2
Customer ID recovery options that lead nowhere
Two recovery options offered — PAN Number or Passport Number. When neither is linked in the bank's records, the system returns a generic error with no alternative path, no branch guidance, no helpdesk escalation.
WCAG 3.3.3 - Error Suggestion
finding 3
Account balance hidden behind navigation
Balance and account number are accessible only via toggle controls positioned top-right, disconnected from the account row below. A pie chart occupies 60% of the dashboard viewport with no actionable data until toggled.
IA failure - proximity principle violated
finding 4
Navigation disappears when you need it most
Navigation bar disappears on scroll. Sub-menu items expand behind the fixed header, making them partially or fully inaccessible. Sticky navigation has been standard for over a decade.
WCAG 2.4.3 - Focus Order · Interaction design failure
finding 5
Visual hierarchy isn't doing its job
Contrast ratios as low as 2.59 against white, WCAG AA requires 4.5. Action labels at 11px. No hover or cursor states on interactive elements. Sort controls with no reset state.
WCAG 1.4.3, Contrast · 1.4.4, Resize Text · 1.4.11, Non-text Contrast
finding 6
Inconsistent date formats in the same session
Recent Transactions uses DD-Mon-YYYY. Mini Statement uses DD/MM/YYYY. Same data type, two formats, same authenticated session. A design system consistency failure that erodes trust in data accuracy.
Design system consistency failure
finding 7
Empty states are missing entirely
Transaction History with no records renders a blank content area - no message, no illustration, no suggested action. Every new user's first experience is a screen that looks broken.
WCAG 3.3.1 - Error Identification · UX empty state pattern failure
The compliance dimension
This isn't just UX. It's a
regulatory timeline.
The findings, particularly on contrast ratios and error states, sit inside an active compliance window that most people on the product team may not have fully connected to the design layer.
Feb 2024
Ministry of Finance, Accessibility Standards for Banking Sector issued. WCAG 2.1 AA + IS 17802 mandated.
Apr 2025
Supreme Court of India, Digital access declared a fundamental right under Article 21.
Jan 2026
RBI Digital Banking Channels Authorisation Directions 2025, effective. All commercial banks in scope.
Apr 30, 2026
SEBI, Full WCAG accessibility audit by IAAP-certified auditor must be completed.
Jul 31, 2026
SEBI, All identified accessibility issues must be remediated. Non-compliance = regulatory exposure.
What I learned
Design feedback as
professional positioning
This engagement wasn't planned as a portfolio piece or a job search strategy. It started with genuine frustration and a decision to document it professionally rather than just vent.
What it produced was something a job application rarely does, a demonstration of how I think, how I communicate, and how I engage with senior stakeholders under professional pressure.
Evidence beats opinion
Every claim in the deck was backed by a screenshot, a WCAG criterion number, or a competitor reference. That's what earns credibility with a room that includes an AGM and a vendor.
Compliance is a design conversation
Connecting visual hierarchy failures to the July 31 remediation deadline reframed the session from a critique to a risk briefing. The AGM already knew about the compliance work, but connecting specific findings to specific standards was new.
Vendor awareness matters
IDBI outsources implementation to Snapwork. Understanding that structural reality before the call meant I didn't pitch to the wrong audience. The real commercial path runs through the vendor, not the bank.
Framing is everything
The same six observations could have been a complaint or a case study. The difference was structure, business language, and a willingness to acknowledge constraints before making an ask.
Outcome
Where it stands
Not every engagement starts with a contract. Some start with credibility.
The value here wasn't an immediate brief, it was a direct relationship with the people who own the product, a formal record of structured thinking inside a regulated institution, and proof that design critique done professionally opens rooms that cold outreach never does.
What this engagement produced
Direct line to AGM-level contact inside IDBI Digital Banking
Deck on formal record with the IDBI product and tech team
Introduction to Snapwork Technologies, the implementation vendor
Compliance framing that connected UX findings to the July 31 deadline
A replicable methodology for UX critique as professional outreach
This case study, which compounds the effort beyond the IDBI outcome
"From a frustrated customer to someone with an AGM's direct email, a formal deck on record inside a government-linked bank, and a warm introduction to their vendor."
If you're a product team dealing with similar UX debt, particularly in banking, enterprise software, or B2B / B2C products, I'd be glad to have that conversation.
If you're a product team dealing with similar UX debt, particularly in banking, enterprise software, or B2B / B2C products, I'd be glad to have that conversation.
More Projects
Hi
Hi
Curious about the process behind the pixels?
Dive into the stories behind each project, how design decisions shaped better user experiences.
UX audit
What happened when I critiqued IDBI Bank's net banking on LinkedIn
What happened when I critiqued IDBI Bank's net banking on LinkedIn
A LinkedIn post about a broken banking experience turned into a Teams call with an AGM, a deck submitted to the Digital Banking team, and a lesson in how design feedback, done right, opens doors that job applications don't.
A LinkedIn post about a broken banking experience turned into a Teams call with an AGM, a deck submitted to the Digital Banking team, and a lesson in how design feedback, done right, opens doors that job applications don't.
Role :
Customer + Product Designer
Duration :
3 weeks, June 2026
Platform reviewed :
IDBI Internet Banking (Web)
Type:
UX Audit, Compliance and Stakeholder Comms
7
Documented UX findings with evidence and business impact
3 weeks
From LinkedIn post to formal deck submission
AGM
Level response from IDBI Digital Banking department
2.59
Contrast ratio found, fails WCAG 4.5 AA minimum
The starting point
I was a frustrated customer first
In June 2026, I tried to use IDBI Bank's internet banking platform for the first time. I wanted to add a beneficiary and transfer money. I never completed either task.
The beneficiary addition failed silently, no error message, no explanation, no retry path. When I tried to resolve it on desktop, I was asked to enter an "old transaction password" I had never set. The dashboard hide my account balance behind a toggle in the wrong corner of the screen. When I tried to retrieve my Customer ID, both recovery options the system offered returned a generic error with no next step.
I left the session having completed nothing I came to do.
"As a customer, I was frustrated. As a Product Designer, I was concerned.
I work in enterprise product design, B2B and B2G software where the users aren't always tech-savvy and the cost of a broken flow is high. I knew what I was looking at wasn't just inconvenience. It was a pattern.
So I wrote about it on LinkedIn.
How it unfolded
A post became a conversation
The LinkedIn post
Published a structured critique of six UX failures, framed both as a frustrated customer and a professional product designer. Tagged IDBI Bank, IDBI Intech, and two senior product and tech contacts.
What I found
Seven findings. All documented.
All evidenced.
Each finding is framed in three layers: what I experienced as a user, what it costs the user, and what it costs the bank. This is how design feedback becomes a business conversation.
finding 1
Transaction password wall across every action
Setting or verifying a transaction password is required across fund transfer, document download, and profile settings. First-time users have no setup flow, every action becomes a dead end with no recovery path.
WCAG 3.3.1 - Error Identification · 3.3.3 - Error Suggestion
finding 2
Customer ID recovery options that lead nowhere
Two recovery options offered — PAN Number or Passport Number. When neither is linked in the bank's records, the system returns a generic error with no alternative path, no branch guidance, no helpdesk escalation.
WCAG 3.3.3 - Error Suggestion
finding 3
Account balance hidden behind navigation
Balance and account number are accessible only via toggle controls positioned top-right, disconnected from the account row below. A pie chart occupies 60% of the dashboard viewport with no actionable data until toggled.
IA failure - proximity principle violated
finding 4
Navigation disappears when you need it most
Navigation bar disappears on scroll. Sub-menu items expand behind the fixed header, making them partially or fully inaccessible. Sticky navigation has been standard for over a decade.
WCAG 2.4.3 - Focus Order · Interaction design failure
finding 5
Visual hierarchy isn't doing its job
Contrast ratios as low as 2.59 against white, WCAG AA requires 4.5. Action labels at 11px. No hover or cursor states on interactive elements. Sort controls with no reset state.
WCAG 1.4.3, Contrast · 1.4.4, Resize Text · 1.4.11, Non-text Contrast
finding 6
Inconsistent date formats in the same session
Recent Transactions uses DD-Mon-YYYY. Mini Statement uses DD/MM/YYYY. Same data type, two formats, same authenticated session. A design system consistency failure that erodes trust in data accuracy.
Design system consistency failure
finding 7
Empty states are missing entirely
Transaction History with no records renders a blank content area - no message, no illustration, no suggested action. Every new user's first experience is a screen that looks broken.
WCAG 3.3.1 - Error Identification · UX empty state pattern failure
The compliance dimension
This isn't just UX. It's a
regulatory timeline.
The findings, particularly on contrast ratios and error states, sit inside an active compliance window that most people on the product team may not have fully connected to the design layer.
Feb 2024
Ministry of Finance, Accessibility Standards for Banking Sector issued. WCAG 2.1 AA + IS 17802 mandated.
Apr 2025
Supreme Court of India, Digital access declared a fundamental right under Article 21.
Jan 2026
RBI Digital Banking Channels Authorisation Directions 2025, effective. All commercial banks in scope.
Apr 30, 2026
SEBI, Full WCAG accessibility audit by IAAP-certified auditor must be completed.
Jul 31, 2026
SEBI, All identified accessibility issues must be remediated. Non-compliance = regulatory exposure.
What I learned
Design feedback as
professional positioning
This engagement wasn't planned as a portfolio piece or a job search strategy. It started with genuine frustration and a decision to document it professionally rather than just vent.
What it produced was something a job application rarely does, a demonstration of how I think, how I communicate, and how I engage with senior stakeholders under professional pressure.
Evidence beats opinion
Every claim in the deck was backed by a screenshot, a WCAG criterion number, or a competitor reference. That's what earns credibility with a room that includes an AGM and a vendor.
Compliance is a design conversation
Connecting visual hierarchy failures to the July 31 remediation deadline reframed the session from a critique to a risk briefing. The AGM already knew about the compliance work, but connecting specific findings to specific standards was new.
Vendor awareness matters
IDBI outsources implementation to Snapwork. Understanding that structural reality before the call meant I didn't pitch to the wrong audience. The real commercial path runs through the vendor, not the bank.
Framing is everything
The same six observations could have been a complaint or a case study. The difference was structure, business language, and a willingness to acknowledge constraints before making an ask.
Outcome
Where it stands
Not every engagement starts with a contract. Some start with credibility.
The value here wasn't an immediate brief, it was a direct relationship with the people who own the product, a formal record of structured thinking inside a regulated institution, and proof that design critique done professionally opens rooms that cold outreach never does.
What this engagement produced
Direct line to AGM-level contact inside IDBI Digital Banking
Deck on formal record with the IDBI product and tech team
Introduction to Snapwork Technologies, the implementation vendor
Compliance framing that connected UX findings to the July 31 deadline
A replicable methodology for UX critique as professional outreach
This case study, which compounds the effort beyond the IDBI outcome
"From a frustrated customer to someone with an AGM's direct email, a formal deck on record inside a government-linked bank, and a warm introduction to their vendor."
If you're a product team dealing with similar UX debt, particularly in banking, enterprise software, or B2B / B2C products, I'd be glad to have that conversation.
If you're a product team dealing with similar UX debt, particularly in banking, enterprise software, or B2B / B2C products, I'd be glad to have that conversation.
More Projects
Hi
Hi
Curious about the process behind the pixels?
Dive into the stories behind each project, how design decisions shaped better user experiences.