If you've ever used a Citi ATM, you've seen my work; I wrote almost all of Citi's ATM transaction flows.
Clear and direct is the rule for ATM UX writing. Users must access their account, make a transaction and be on their way, usually in a public setting. Ease of use is as much about convenience as it is safety.
Here, I've highlighted four key screens from the Check Deposit transaction flow. The complete transaction and another are available here.
The sheer volume of information required here made this screen particularly challenging to write. The mid-screen instructional bullets, for example, went through multiple rounds of revisions because ATM screen sizes aren’t standardized. The Product team required they get the point across, but never wrap or truncate.
Then came the the disclaimers. ADA guidelines mandate an exact font size for them, but since ATM screens vary in pixel density, nominal font size doesn’t always translate to physical size in the wild.
Designers selected a larger nominal size, requiring that I work with Legal to trim the copy. This issue was so serious that Product team members were sent out to physically measure character size on ATM screens across the world to ensure ADA compliance.
We dubbed this screen the "event horizon" internally. It's the big moment where customers choose to continue with their deposit or forget the whole thing and back out. The copy needed an air of finality and confidence.
There was just one problem: because this is the final confirmation screen, we also needed multiple CTAs—which leads us to the "Edit Check" screen.
Sometimes, an ATM can misread the amount on a handwritten check. If the customer notices this on the "Review Your Deposit" screen, they can select "Edit Amount", leading here.
In this example case, the customer noticed the ATM read Check 3's amount as $750, but knows the correct amount is $150. This screen allows for quick, seamless correction that updates the total deposit amount in real time.
The machine has done its work, but the human needs reassurance. This screen needed to assure customers their money was accepted will be handled appropriately.
The total amount deposited is front-and-center, followed by a short reiteration of the depositing account. Done and dusted—unless the customer wants to do anything else, which we were also required to provide options for.
