When banking meets imagination:
A workshop to remember
There are days that leave a lasting impression, and the collaboration day with GEMS Education was exactly that.
A room full of bright young minds, a blank canvas of ideas, and a few guiding frameworks; what unfolded was an inspiring intersection of education, creativity, and banking innovation.
The day kicked off with a simple yet powerful challenge: pick a concept from the world of banking and unpack it. Students were grouped and encouraged to think deeply about why this concept might be important, from both a business and user perspective. It was eye-opening to witness how quickly they connected real-world financial systems to daily lives, weaving empathy into logic with ease.
From there, we moved into storyboarding. With colorful markers and whiteboards in hand, the students mapped out user scenarios, visualizing how and where banking would play a role. These weren’t your typical financial personas; their characters were diverse and full of life, from a teenager saving for a concert to a parent budgeting for groceries. Their interpretations brought fresh angles to problems we often overcomplicate.
Then came the “Crazy 8s”: the rapid ideation phase. In just eight minutes, each student sketched eight different ideas to solve the challenge their team had picked. The energy in the room was electric. Some drawings were detailed, others scribbled and raw, but all of them pulsed with imagination. There were ideas around gamifying savings, intuitive interfaces for better decision-making, and playful onboarding experiences. One group even reimagined how a banking app might greet its users based on their mood!
As they shared their concepts and wireframes, it was hard not to admire how clearly they prioritized users. Their designs didn’t just look good, they felt right. Simplicity was a theme. So was joy. And most importantly, choice. The students instinctively gravitated toward giving users freedom and transparency, principles we often lose in the complexity of building financial products.
What struck me the most wasn’t just their creativity, but their clarity. They saw banking not as a set of transactions, but as an experience — something that should be friendly, personal, and even fun. It was a reminder of why we design in the first place: for people.
By the end of the workshop, the whiteboards were full, and so were our minds. The day wasn’t just about introducing students to the world of design and banking; it was about seeing our world through their eyes. And what we saw was filled with curiosity, intention, and optimism.