From Steel Boxes to Digital Access

Digitizing the safe deposit rental service across Web, Mobile, and Branch interfaces.
Based on my work at Sberbank. Visuals were updated to meet modern UI standards — improving clarity, consistency, and mobile ergonomics while preserving the original UX thinking
Project highlights
Role
Lead UX/UI Designer. Led the design process from in-branch research to system architecture. Delivered UI specifications and interaction logic for Web, Mobile, and internal staff tools, preparing the ecosystem for backend integration.
Core issue
A disjointed, paper-heavy service backed by fragmented legacy infrastructure.
Key fix
Built an omni-channel ecosystem merging Remote Lease Management (Client) and Digital Booking (Staff).
Constraint
Joined during delivery; had to align outdated backend logic with modern user needs while coordinating across platform teams.
Context
  • The "Offline" gap
  • Renting a safe deposit box was a strictly analog process: physical visits, handwritten paperwork, and zero digital visibility.
    1. Operational friction: Physical presence was mandatory. Renewing a contract while abroad was an impossible task under the offline model, forcing clients to face overdue penalties.
    2. Lack of transparency: Users had no record of visit history or expiration dates, creating anxiety about who accessed the safe and when.
    3. Legacy infrastructure: The backend systems were fragmented and built around operational rules, not user journeys.
  • My role
    I led the UX design for the entire service loop. My role extended beyond design execution to Orchestration: I mapped the master logic, managed phased delivery streams, and coordinated with web/mobile platform teams to ensure strict consistency across the banking ecosystem.
Approach
  • Phase 1: Service blueprinting & phased delivery
  • Goal: Decompose a complex service into manageable, validated streams.
  • The architecture: The service involved dozens of scenarios (Open, Close, Renew, Proxy Access). Instead of designing screens immediately, I built a Master Logic Map to define data requirements for every step.
    • Strategy: I used this map to slice the project into delivery streams, prioritizing Remote Contract Renewal as the MVP.
    • Rationale: This solved the most urgent user pain point (access loss abroad) and allowed us to stress-test the backend integration on a focused scenario before scaling to complex booking flows.
Phase 2: Translating physical to digital
  • Goal: Prevent physical service failures through digital foresight.
  • Investigation: Research showed that elderly users were often assigned top-tier boxes they couldn't reach, leading to conflicts and re-booking at the branch.
  • The trade-off: We considered leaving box assignment to the staff (Status Quo). However, this created high operational overhead and frustration at the point of service.
  • Decision: I shifted to a Preventative Model by introducing "Position Selection" (Top/Middle/Bottom) in the app. This ensured the physical service matched the user's mobility needs before they arrived, reducing exception handling at branches.
Phase 3: The internal transformation
  • Goal: Align the employee tool with the natural service flow.
  • The issue: Staff software relied on memorized sequences, forcing employees to focus on the interface rather than the client.
  • Decision: I redesigned the Staff Interface to mirror the client's journey.
    • Unified context: The employee sees the same parameters (Size, Tier, Price) as the client, eliminating translation errors.
    • Guided workflow: I replaced hardcoded menus with a linear process, drastically reducing training time for new staff.
Impact
System-level outcomes
Operational efficiency: Digitizing renewals offloaded thousands of routine visits from physical branches, allowing staff to focus on high-value sales.

Reduced exception handling: The "Position Selection" feature minimized on-site conflicts regarding box accessibility.
Security transparency: The "Digital Visit Log" provided a real-time audit trail, increasing trust and allowing users to verify access instantly without the need for a physical branch visit.

Ecosystem consistency: Successfully aligned the new service with the bank’s global design system across Web, Mobile, and Internal platforms.
Spark
Removing delivery bottlenecks
While working with the engineering team, I noticed their internal tool (Eclipse-based) was so cluttered it slowed down the implementation of our new designs.

The fix: Although out of scope, I redesigned the developer workspace and created 200+ custom icons to improve readability.

Result: This wasn't just a visual polish; it reduced cognitive load for the engineers, directly accelerating the delivery of the main Safe Deposit product.
Redesigned interface layout and a sample of the custom icon set created to improve readability
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