Diana Ibrahim
Connect

Consolidated Card Application

For
Discover
Role
UX Designer

Overview

Discover’s Card Acquisition team sought to unify all their credit card application experiences into one consistent, responsive, and user-friendly interface. The goal: simplify the application process, reduce abandonment rates, and improve the end-to-end experience across all devices.

Challenge

The main problems the existing template had were: 

1
Inconsistencies
Discover's credit card products have varied application styles, labels, tooltips, and error messages. A unified, scalable approach is needed for credit card applications.
2
Lack of Responsiveness
Only the Secured Card application was mobile-optimized. We needed a design that performed seamlessly across screen sizes.
3
Ineffective Form Layout
The use of two- or three-column stacked form fields hindered readability and increased error rates. A single-column layout was proven to improve usability and completion rates.
4
No "Verify" Step
There was no opportunity for users to review their application before submission. This gap contributed to preventable errors and application abandonment.
Approach
To deliver a streamlined and accessible application experience, we followed a structured, insight-led process:
Screenlist
We began by identifying all necessary screens and unique states for the full end-to-end experience. This included various conditions like error states, confirmation messages, and mobile-specific layouts. Organizing these into a screen list helped reduce unnecessary wireframes and provided designers with clear direction from the start.
Form Field Audit
We conducted a detailed inventory of every form field across the three application flows.

Each field was catalogued with:
  • Label and whether it was optional
  • Input type
  • Placeholder text
  • Input requirements
  • Tooltip content
Fields were organized by application section:
  • Name and Contact Information
  • Financial Information
  • Security Information
This audit became the foundation for design annotations, legal review, and eventual developer handoff.
Redesign
We decided to iterate on the proven, responsive layout used in Discover’s Secured Card application—a single-page accordion format.

The new user flow consisted of:
  1. Card Art Selection
  2. Name & Contact Information
  3. Financial Information
  4. Security Information
  5. Verify Information (New Section)
The new addition to the flow was the verification step and there were two approaches we could take:
Option 1

Separate Page
Presented as a standalone screen, this option minimized cognitive load by allowing users to pause, review, and return to edit if needed.

Option 2

Accordion
Embedded within the same page as an accordion section, this option offered a more connected experience but made the page longer overall.

Client Preference:Option 2 was selected for feeling more continuous and aligned with the rest of the accordion flow.
Results

We delivered a consolidated, responsive credit card application that:

As of 2025, the Discover Card application process has been streamlined by the Discover team, now requiring less information from prospective clients. Despite the reduced input required, many similarities to our original design remain intact.