Client: Forage x Lloyds Banking Group | Year: 2026 | Category: UX Research | Duration: Simulation | Live: PDF available on request
This is a simulation conducted via Forage as part of a virtual work experience programme. It is positioned honestly throughout.
A UX research simulation with Lloyds Banking Group via Forage. The task was to review the competitive landscape of digital banking, evaluate customer behaviour data, and identify gaps in spending tracking and bill sharing features. The output was three focused design recommendations grounded in both competitor benchmarking and user research findings.
What surprised me was that 74 percent of users rated the app good or excellent, but nearly half wanted better spending tools. High satisfaction and unmet needs existing at the same time is not a contradiction. It is where the real design opportunity sits.
Simplicity and depth are not opposites. That tension is where the most interesting design problems live.
The goal was not to redesign the app. It was to find where the real gaps were and make a case for fixing them.
Two research streams ran in parallel.
Competitive Analysis. Three direct competitors were reviewed: NovaBank, FinEdge, and SecureFunds. Each was evaluated against unique capabilities, UX strengths, and gaps in their spending and bill sharing features.
User Research. A customer survey of 50 participants ran alongside an observational study of users completing key tasks inside the Lloyds mobile app. The research focused on satisfaction levels, feature usage patterns, and unmet needs.
Note: Research data was provided as part of the Forage simulation brief.
Three competitors were analysed to understand how leading digital banks handle spending tracking and bill sharing, and where Lloyds has room to move.
NovaBank — SpendTrack
Strong on real-time alerts and personalisation. External account integration gives users a complete financial view. The interface is clean and low friction. The gap: SpendTrack is largely reactive. It shows what happened. Lloyds can differentiate by introducing predictive, forward-looking financial insight.
FinEdge — ShareEasy