Innovation Center Homepage
UX Design | UI Design | Prototyping
I was part of a small team that was tasked with designing and building an internal, informational website for a large, Boston based, financial institution's Innovation Center. To protect their proprietary information the site has been white-labeled for this case study.
The Research Phase
The first step was for my team and I to get acquainted with the organization, it's values, and the website's users. We did this by sitting down with the decision makers, interviewing them, and having in depth discussions about their expectations. It was important for us to be thoroughly informed on what service they provided as well as what their future goals are. Innovation, technology, and being the first and only division within their parent company to use the agile project management strategy were paramount.
“As the designated point of contact between my team and the client, I was responsible for all communications including presentation of deliverables.”
The Design Phase
With informed values and goals explicitly outlined, our team started sketching homepage designs. The site would include video, blog entries, and most importantly a call to action for interested employees to volunteer for user testing. We presented each version to users, watched them navigate and comment on the styles, and reiterated on the designs. Components from each were assembled into a low fidelity wireframe which was presented for users again. After several homepage iterations we had a layout that pleased both users and the stakeholders.
Visual Identity
The young department also was lacking in visual and brand identity. This gave us the opportunity to design temporary logos, color schemes, and iconography to be used on the site without being restricted by the larger corporations legal and branding guidelines. Our designs were meant to communicate confidence, security, innovation, and boldness.
The Final Product
The final site successfully provided a place for interested internal employees of the financial institution to learn about Innovation Center. In addition to learning about it's novel approaches to business management and product design, site visitors were also encouraged to sign up as product testers, encouraging offline involvement in their projects.
