TL;DR
Goal: Integrate a premium lifestyle companion SDK within RAKBANK’s mobile app for elite cardholders.
Role: UX/UI Designer in a cross-functional team.
Problem: Existing credit card rewards platforms lacked personalization and dynamic lifestyle integration.
Process: User research → Persona development → Journey mapping → Ideation → Prototyping → Usability testing.
Solution: Developed a scalable, modular SDK offering travel, lifestyle, insurance, and loyalty benefits natively inside the bank app.
Outcome: Seamless launch, improved engagement with premium users, and a foundation for future loyalty integrations.
Overview
Firefly, a collaboration between RAKBANK and Mastercard, introduced a first-of-its-kind companion app tailored for Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard Credit Card holders. The SDK was designed to seamlessly integrate into RAKBANK’s mobile banking app, offering users curated lifestyle experiences and real-time offers that align with their interests and lifestyle, both domestically and internationally.
What was missing?
Premium cardholders didn’t just want boring reward points anymore — they wanted something more personal, exciting, and useful right inside their banking app.
What we noticed
Most rewards apps felt the same — kind of flat and not very exciting.
Users found it hard to discover offers that actually matched their location or interests.
Plus, because this had to live inside a serious banking app, we had to make sure the new features felt smooth and natural — not like they were just stuck on top.
Process
Empathize → Define → Ideate → Prototype → Test
Empathize:
Conducted interviews with premium users across the UAE to understand their travel, spending, and loyalty behaviors.
Identified gaps between user expectations (personalized, real-time offers) and existing platform offerings (generic listings).
Define:
Developed detailed personas focusing on busy professionals and lifestyle-driven frequent travelers.
Mapped out emotional highs and lows experienced by users when interacting with typical banking and rewards apps.
Ideate:
Created multiple moodboards:
Merged calming aesthetics with energetic UX flows to achieve a premium yet engaging feel.
Prototype:
Designed scalable modules offering travel, dining, wellness, and insurance benefits.
Developed a modern soft UI design language (subtle neumorphism) to create a tactile and welcoming experience.
Test:
Conducted iterative usability testing with internal users and stakeholders.
Refined navigation, offer discoverability, and dynamic personalization flows based on user feedback.
Solution
Seamless SDK Integration: Firefly SDK blended into RAKBANK’s app without disrupting traditional banking workflows.
Dynamic Personalization Engine: Location-aware, profile-based content surfaced the most relevant offers without overwhelming users.
Lifestyle-Focused Exploration: Travel, dining, and insurance perks accessible through easy filtering, smart recommendations, and bite-sized insights.
Modern Visual Language: Subtle shadows, soft edges, and focused content blocks created a sense of exclusivity without complexity.
Outcome
Successful Integration → Enhanced User Engagement → Positive User Feedback → Scalable
After designing and testing the Firefly SDK, we successfully integrated it into the RAKBANK mobile app without disrupting the existing banking experience. Users could now easily find personalized travel, dining, and lifestyle offers, which made the app feel more exciting and useful. We also received positive feedback — users loved having everything in one place, without needing to jump between different apps. On top of that, the SDK was built in a modular way, making it easily grow and be used for other credit cards or banking partnerships in the future.
Specific Contribution
Worked along with the lead designer on user research and behavioral analysis for high-net-worth users. Designed core user flows for city-based discovery, benefit browsing, gamification for accumulated points.
Developed visual systems like moodboards, style guides, and component libraries and used clean visuals for the UI to provide a premium look and feel.
Throughout the process, I also collaborated with developers checking the feasibility of new ideas and features. Early and time to time discussions with the PM and Devs helped us avoid confusions and lay a strong timeline for completion and handoff.
Learnings
Designing for Modularity:
Building flexible systems within rigid banking infrastructures emphasized the importance of future-proofing experiences without overcomplicating current releases.
Framing Scalability Clearly:
While the backend supported broader use cases beyond RAKBANK, it became evident that making scalability obvious to users is crucial—ensuring they immediately perceive evolving value.
Balancing Brand vs. Lifestyle:
Integrating a vibrant, lifestyle-driven experience into a serious banking environment required deliberate minimalism—crafting a UI that feels premium without being flashy.
