Newton, a smart and user-friendly app for the CEE market’s digital future.

How to disrupt the market as the only digital-first mobile banking in Eastern Europe with capabilities to integrate different branches, verticals, credit and debit cards while educating older generations of existing customers.

PROJECT SETUp and context

With the rise of startup banks and digital-first companies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) sought to define its brand principles, modernize its mobile experience, and translate its heritage into the digital world.

The goal was to accelerate the design and development of new products while increasing brand recognition in a highly competitive market.

CHALLENGE AND APPROACH

Banks in the CEE region were struggling with outdated mobile solutions and fragmented systems across network banks (NWBs). With the introduction of PSD2 legislation, the banking landscape was disrupted, opening opportunities for third-party providers and monetization of customer behavior data. RBI needed to embrace this shift and deliver a fresh approach to banking in the region.

To address this, we collaborated with RBI to launch Newton, a digital and mobile-first solution designed to increase customer engagement and attract new users. The project involved multiple work streams, including:

• Creating a comprehensive design system to ensure scalability and consistency.

• Forming cross-functional feature teams with developers and business analysts.

• Conducting research sprints and competitor benchmarking to validate new features.

• Onboarding and mentoring new designers to establish an in-house design team.

OUTCOME

Over 18 months, we designed a smart, user-friendly banking experience for iOS and Android, focusing on simplicity and intelligence. The process included developing new features, validating solutions through user research, and empowering internal teams to carry the project forward.

The final product delivered not only a robust mobile banking solution but also a scalable design system to streamline future development and maintain design consistency across RBI’s digital offerings.