Capital One had the infrastructure of America's #8 bank and the ambition of a tech company. Engaged via KHD Studio, I led research-driven design strategy across SMB banking, mobile T&E, virtual card, and the Capital One Café. I also contributed to Project Elements, a radical reimagining of the credit card.
The Ecosystem Concept Model
For the ICCE (Integrated Commercial Card Experience) initiative, I led 20+ in-person empathy interviews with small business owners, phone interviews with existing customers for the Virtual Card program, and 6 taped webcam sessions for remote validation.
From this research I built a comprehensive Ecosystem Concept Model: mapping all the tasks a small business owner performs at every cadence (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually) against their internal attitudes and external relationships. This radial model became the foundation for SMB product strategy and was adopted by multiple product teams.
Key insights surfaced three user archetypes: ICCE Mobile (T&E), Virtual Card Users, and Decision Makers, each translated into driving principles and a features roadmap that moved insights directly into planning.
The credit card, radically redesigned
Project Elements by Capital One Labs was the most ambitious work I contributed to during this engagement. The premise: the credit card is a physical object you carry every day. It should feel like it belongs to you, not your bank.
The credit card is a physical object you carry every day. It should feel like it belongs to you, not your bank.
The project reimagined every aspect of the card: its shape, material (bamboo, leather, textured metal), and visual identity (personalized with your signature and chosen aesthetic). Cards had names: Bamboo. Coral. Lemon. Each told a story about the person who carried it.
The project launched as a physical installation in San Francisco, a gallery-style experience where people could interact with card prototypes, explore materials, and experience a version of financial product design that treated the cardholder as a creative collaborator.
Banking meets hospitality
I contributed UX strategy to the Capital One Café initiative, the bank's flagship physical-meets-digital experience designed to make financial services approachable and community-oriented. I helped design the welcoming kiosk experience and ambient digital displays, reinforcing the "everyone's welcome" positioning at every touchpoint.