The client's original requirement asked users to search for their recipient's bank using either a bank name or a SWIFT code as the first primary input.

This breaks down for large international banks. For an example Standard Chartered operates in over 50 countries and each with its own SWIFT code. Searching by bank name returns a long, undifferentiated list. A user sending money to Singapore and a user sending to South Korea would see the same bank name appear multiple times.

The only differentiator is the country code buried inside the SWIFT string, an information most users won't recognise. In an international transfer, selecting the wrong branch means funds sent to the wrong destination.

Before proposing the solution, I mapped out how SWIFT codes actually work. A SWIFT code has four parts:

Country is the second element in the code and the most meaningful filter for users initiating an international transfer. (With the assumption) users mostly will know which country they're sending to. They may not know the complete exact bank name, and they almost certainly don't know the SWIFT code upfront.

I reviewed how DBS, UOB, and Revolut handle the same flow. No formal usability study was available — the project timeline didn't allow for it. But the pattern across platforms was consistent enough to make a case.

Country is always the first filter, across every platform reviewed. Combined with the structural logic of SWIFT codes. With this and the Standard Chartered SWIFT code example, this made a strong enough case to mention to the client.

I proposed to change the search sequence to mirror how users naturally think about an international transfer: country first then bank name to follow.

Once a country is selected, the bank name field filters to institutions registered in that country only, reducing the list and eliminating cross-country duplicates. The core team (BA and SA) discussed this ideation of the SWIFT code structure and the competitive examples. The change was accepted by the team.

The "Transfer to" section opens with a country selector as the first input. Bank name and branch fields follow, progressively revealed as the user narrows down.