ING Bank: Scaling Digital Banking in the Philippines & China

Lead UX Designer

Introduction

The banking revolution in Europe was well underway. Challenger banks were disrupting traditional institutions, pushing them to either adapt or risk losing their market share. ING recognised an opportunity to bring this transformation to Asia, specifically targeting the Philippines and China, where traditional banking was still slow, outdated, and heavily reliant on in-person interactions.

I was brought in to scale the team, refine the product, and ensure a seamless multi-lingual banking experience across platforms. My role covered:

Building, managing, and scaling a world-class, cross-disciplinary design team.

Developing a research-led strategy to shape an intuitive, regulatory-compliant banking app.

Balancing user needs with financial laws, ensuring compliance while delivering a frictionless experience.

What started in the Philippines quickly expanded, leading me to fix design inefficiencies in China, ensuring the product’s success in multiple markets.

ING aimed to disrupt banking in the Philippines & China through digital-first solutions.

My focus was to scale the team, refine the product, and introduce structured design processes.

Success required navigating cultural differences, regulatory constraints, and rapid expansion.

The project expanded from the Philippines to China, where I tackled design bottlenecks and inefficiencies.

“Transforming banking isn’t just about technology—it’s about people, culture, and designing for real-world user needs.”

User Research: Understanding Real Banking Customers

Building a great digital banking experience required more than just technical excellence—it needed a deep understanding of how real people managed their money. Banking habits in the Philippines and China were vastly different from those in Europe and the UK, meaning traditional Western UX patterns wouldn’t always apply.

To ensure the product was truly user-centric, I led a multi-pronged research strategy that included:

Guerrilla research—Quick, informal testing with real users in public spaces to gather immediate insights.

Longitudinal studies—Tracking user behavior over time to identify engagement trends and long-term pain points.

Customer service team interviews—Analysing support tickets and speaking with customer service representatives to identify recurring issues.

These insights directly influenced feature development and UX refinements, ensuring ING’s banking experience was tailored to real customer needs, not just assumptions.

Guerrilla research, longitudinal studies, and customer service insights shaped the banking experience.

Research ensured that ING’s digital product solved real frustrations rather than making assumptions.

Findings directly influenced feature development, usability refinements, and product strategy.

“A user-friendly banking app isn’t just about great UI—it’s about solving real frustrations that users face every day.”

Image: Old Audi Website

Building a Team in a Different Country: Adapting to New Ways of Working

Scaling a team in the Philippines required more than just hiring skilled professionals—it required an understanding of cultural differences, work styles, and values that were very different from the UK and Europe.

Whereas UK workplaces tend to be hierarchical and fast-moving, Filipino work culture values consensus, mentorship, and personal relationships. Leadership isn’t about simply giving directives; it’s about building trust, ensuring respect, and creating an environment where collaboration feels natural.

To navigate these differences, I spent significant time outside of work with my colleagues, learning about their backgrounds, professional expectations, and broader cultural influences. These insights allowed me to:

Adapt my leadership style, balancing structured processes with cultural flexibility.

Encourage open dialogue, ensuring every team member felt valued and empowered.

Foster a strong team culture, where collaboration was at the heart of our work.

This human-first leadership approach led to stronger team cohesion, higher retention, and a team that was fully invested in ING’s success.

Work styles in the Philippines were vastly different from those in the UK & Europe.

Building trust and relationships was key to successful collaboration.

Spending time outside of work with colleagues helped me adapt my leadership approach.

A strong team culture resulted in higher retention and long-term team success.

Image: Workshop Team Photo

“You don’t build a great team by imposing your own way of working—you build one by listening, adapting, and creating a shared vision.”

Fixing Design Bottlenecks in China

After successfully growing ING’s design presence in the Philippines, I was brought in to fix design inefficiencies in China, where slow processes were delaying product releases.

The biggest challenge was design debt—workflows were outdated, inconsistencies were common, and the design team was acting as a bottleneck for development. In just a few weeks, I was able to:

Streamline the design process, ensuring faster iteration and development cycles.

Implement scalable design systems, reducing redundancy and improving efficiency.

Bridge the gap between design, product, and engineering, aligning cross-functional teams.

These changes ensured that ING’s digital banking experience remained high-quality, scalable, and competitive across multiple markets.

The China team was struggling with slow progress and inefficiencies.

I restructured workflows, removing design as a bottleneck.

Design systems were implemented, ensuring consistency across markets.

“The best design teams aren’t just fast—they’re efficient, structured, and aligned with product goals.”

Final Thoughts & Lessons Learned

This project reinforced essential lessons about scaling design in complex, highly regulated industries.

User research is critical—Guerrilla research, longitudinal studies, and customer service insights led to real improvements.

Cultural adaptation is key—Understanding Filipino work culture improved team collaboration and retention.

Structured design frameworks like the Double Diamond improve quality at scale.

Fixing inefficiencies is just as valuable as adding new talent—sometimes the best solution is simplification.

“Scaling design isn’t just about growing teams—it’s about building the right environment for people to succeed.”

Let's Work Together

If you’re looking to scale a high-performing design team, improve digital products, or transform your UX strategy, let’s chat.