CIBC True North

See more. Do more. Get more. Introducing the new CIBC design.

 

CIBC’s redesign introduced lower navigation to boost usability, engagement, and personalization—aligned with leading banking apps. Driven by the “See More. Do More. Get More.” strategy and powered by the True North Design System, it delivered a consistent, accessible, and seamless experience across all devices.

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With 58% of digital clients using mobile banking, CIBC needed a more intuitive navigation that aligned with modern usability trends. The goal was to improve discoverability, reduce transaction friction, and enhance personalization, making key financial tools and services more accessible and engaging.

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As design lead, I drove CIBC’s redesign strategy, delivering a seamless, responsive experience across mobile and desktop. Centered on four core tabs—Home, Move Money, Advice, and More—the new navigation enhances accessibility, usability, and engagement while aligning with industry best practices.

The redesign was reinforced by the True North Design System, standardizing UX/UI across CIBC’s platforms to ensure consistency, improve accessibility, and streamline development.

The impact was transformational: the system achieved 100% adoption, boosted design speed by 25%, and cut development costs by 33%. Fully WCAG-compliant, it unified UX/UI across platforms and redefined how digital experiences are delivered at CIBC.

Results & impact

  • User feedback indicated that the new layout felt intuitive as it mirrors patterns seen in other top banking apps.

  • Increased engagement post-homepage redesign, with key content impressions growing from 10.4M to 33.7M per month.

  • Transaction efficiency gains, such as a 1.92pp increase in everyday mobile transactions and a 12-month high for eTransfers at 58.8% usage rate.

  • Self-service containment improvements, including a 5% rise in credit card management interactions (e.g., card locking and lost card reporting).

  • Enhanced chatbot adoption, with usage in the first three months post-launch equaling the total volume seen in the preceding seven months.

  • Sales conversion improvements, with click-through rates for redesigned “Ghost Account” features increasing by 217%.

The implementation of lower navigation has:

  • Enhanced accessibility by placing high-usage features within the natural thumb zone.

  • Improved client engagement through intuitive design and increased personalization.

  • Driven higher conversion rates, especially in key financial transactions and product discovery.

  • Positioned CIBC competitively, as many leading banks had already adopted this pattern.