If you've ever used a Citi ATM, you've seen my work.
Clear and direct is the rule for ATM UX writing. Users must access their account, make a transaction and be on their way, all in a public setting. Speed is as much about convenience as it is safety.
I wrote almost all of Citi's ATM transactions, but this page highlights four key screens from the Check Deposit transaction flow. The complete flow (and one additional transaction) is 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 disclaimer. ADA guidelines mandate an exact font size, but again, ATM screens vary in size, which means nominal type 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. Finally, Product team members were sent to physically measure character height and width across multiple ATM screens to ensure compliance with ADA guidelines.
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.
