Branch Teller
Redesign

Problem

What do you do when your core banking application ages out, and you're looking at a $40M software purchase for just 16 people?

How

BLUF: Deliver a in-house solution that build on familiar patterns, eliminates painpoints, and automates regulatory compliance.

• I co-lead research with tellers, using a series of contextual and walk-a-mile immersion interviews across all employee segments.
• Managed-up with our development partners who were very new to working with an embedded design team.
• I iterated through prototypes that explored the intersection of ease of repeated use and conversational responsiveness.
• I facilitated the introduction of new OFAC requirements and security practices from development partners.
• I partnered with development to respond to unknowns and QA the final implementation with a budget around $1.2M.

Lessons learned

• Don't bury the lead - Initial relationships with development were contentious and I found myself hiding behind terminology in an attempt to pass ideas through scrutiny... I learned to sell the value of design BY listening and making things better for users AND developers.
• If it smells, point it out - I was much more junior in my career and still shaking off the hierarchy of the military, but if you see something that doesnt add up call it out - don't let a shaky truce keep you from delivering quality work.
• People are behind it all — Once we were able to develop a rapport, we actually became pretty good collegues and friends. Listening and being vulnerable > jockying for project control.

Shoutouts

To my in-the-trenches wingman Jim - thank you for your vast IA and UX knowledge and camaraderie in uncertain times. We juggled too many projects at once, but we clawed our way into their hearts in the end.