Context
Commonwealth Bank (CBA) is one of the big four banks in Australia. I decided to challenge myself to improve one aspect of the mobile banking app in one day.
Problem
Users are getting "blinded" by the bright elements when checking their balance in a dark environment.
Approach
I observed popular social media apps and other competitors to better understand which colours they changed to create dark mode. I also reviewed best practices for dark mode in Material Design by Google and Human Interface Guidelines by Apple.
Challenges
I noticed that CBA's existing wallpaper choices in light mode are very bright and don't look good with dark components. In my competitor analysis, I found that Macquarie Bank has two sets of wallpapers: one for light mode and another for dark mode.
Exploration
I experimented with different dark mode wallpaper backgrounds that reflect CBA's new dynamic brand identity 'Can Lives Here', which is about optimism and striving to build a brighter future for the community.
Experimenting with other wallpapers to represent CBA's 'Building a brighter future' brand
Final Design
CBA could include a feature that the user can turn on, where the wallpaper transitions between light mode during day time and dark mode at night time.
Outcome
Users feel comfortable interacting with the CommBank app in a low-light environment. Having a dark mode option allows users to set their aesthetic preference and to personalise their experience.
