Scotia iTrade App - New Trading Experience

A Smarter, More Intuitive Trading Experience for Every Investor

Timeline

The entire design cycle has been from July 2026 to the present

Team

1 Product Owner
1 Senior Product Designers, 1 Design Intern
4 Engineers (App, Web and Java)
2 QA Tester

BACKSTORY

Scotia iTRADE is Scotiabank’s self-directed investing platform, enabling Canadian investors to independently trade their investments across web and mobile.

OPPORTUNITY

The self-directed investing market is attracting younger investors who expect fast, intuitive experiences, while existing iTRADE clients value familiarity and clarity. Client feedback also revealed a key friction: “Trade” opens Quote Search, with the actual trade flow buried inside. This created an opportunity to make trading more direct while balancing guidance for newer investors with efficiency for experienced ones.

MY ROLE

As the Senior Product Designer, I contributed to the end-to-end redesign of the trading experience across iOS and Android. I translated market, regulatory, and internal research into design principles, I explored different user flows and interaction patterns, and worked closely with Product, Engineering, and other designers to improve the trading experience.

CUREENT STAUS

Phase 1 for Stocks & ETFs is complete, and the project has now moved into Phase 2, focusing on the Options trading experience.

BEFORE & AFTER

Optimised Navigation for Better Investment Discovery and Trading

Separated Explore and Trade into two clear entry points. Explore expands the original search experience into investment discovery, while Trade gives clients direct access to order entry.

BEFORE & AFTER

Streamlined Trade Flow for Faster Order Entry

Simplified the trade flow by reducing unnecessary steps and keeping account selection within the trade ticket. Clients can quickly switch accounts, view key information, and place trades with less cognitive load, while improving accessibility for screen reader users.

PROCESS IN SHORT

I started by reviewing client feedback to understand the main pain points. I then looked at Order Execution Only (OEO) Guidance, market research, and competitors to identify our constraints and opportunities. These insights helped shape the design principles and guide my iterations on the trade ticket experience.

PROCESS IN SHORT

I started by reviewing client feedback to understand the main pain points. I then looked at Order Execution Only (OEO) Guidance, market research, and competitors to identify our constraints and opportunities. These insights helped shape the design principles and guide my iterations on the trade ticket experience.

PROCESS IN SHORT

I started by reviewing client feedback to understand the main pain points. I then looked at Order Execution Only (OEO) Guidance, market research, and competitors to identify our constraints and opportunities. These insights helped shape the design principles and guide my iterations on the trade ticket experience.

FINAL DESIGN

The final design brings together a clearer navigation structure, a more discoverable Explore experience, and a simplified Trade flow. By reducing unnecessary steps, improving access to market information, and providing guidance at key decision points, the experience supports newer investors without slowing down experienced clients, creating a more intuitive and confident way to invest with iTRADE.

  1. Helping Clients Discover Opportunities and Stay Engaged Within iTRADE

  1. Making the Path from Trade Entry to Execution Simpler and More Efficient

  1. Helping Clients Discover Opportunities and Stay Engaged Within iTRADE

The new Explore experience improves the original Quote Search by introducing richer list items, category chips, filters, and clearer sorting. These changes make it easier for clients to browse and compare investment opportunities, while clear post-trade actions help them continue their journey and stay engaged within iTRADE.

  1. Making the Path from Trade Entry to Execution Simpler and More Efficient

The new Trade experience provides direct access to the trade ticket, keeps account selection within the flow, and introduces a share calculator to reduce manual calculations. Together, these improvements reduce unnecessary steps and cognitive load, helping clients make informed decisions and place trades with greater confidence.