As a part of Rule Financial UX Team I took part in a few great projects related to financial services. In this story I would like to describe one of them - an internal, web-based application for bank employees. My role in the team was a UX designer (generalist), we've been working on this assignment in a team of two.

CHALLANGE:
Design an internal, web-based application for the bank representatives who contact bank customers directly and discuss the investments products. The application goal was not only to simplify the work of the bank employees by providing the context information about the customer or calendar to keep track the appointmens, but also give possibility for the managers of the bank to track the work of their employees. 
In addition, design the mobile application containing selected functionalities, according to the data confidentiality.

The first step of the UX process in Rule Financial was always held onsite. We've been visiting our client's office, hang around watching the users doing their day-to-day job or conducting the interviews. It was always the best way to understand the users, their every-day struggles, flows, paths and problems. 

In parallel, we've been doing the competitive analysis or checking the commercial solutions for corresponding problems.  

The functionalities were really complex. We've decided to start with web application and make sure we've got all requirements covered.
At the end of the two-week research we've been already sketching the ideas. We wanted quickly confront them with the users, while we're still in the clients office.

We've been brainstorming and drawing the ideas on the paper, sometimes even Starbucks napkins, but for the presentation purposes we transfered everything into digital wireframes, designed in Balsamiq.

wireframes for the project

The project assumed the design of complicated functionalities addressed to different types of users: part of the application was dedicated for the bank representatives / marketing, the other part - for the managers. 
Moreover, the business required a mobile application as well! The application was about to contain only a part of the functionalities, due to privacy policy.

It was quite a challange to join all these expectations in one, consistent and fluid app. But we took a try!

The further steps of the design process were conducted remotely. The wireframes were instantly combained into clickable prototypes and shared to the users. 

Once a week we organized an online conference with the users and the stakeholders to discuss the designs. Thanks to that we received feedback very quickly.

This iterative process was repeated number of times. When the prototype was prettey stable, we prepared the visual design. For high-fidelity mockups we used Adobe Photoshop. After presentation the colorful windows the project was moved to the developement phase. 

Visual Designs for the project, created in Adobe Photoshop

At this point the intense work of UX team was reduced a little bit. We've been colaborating with the developers and testing the MVP before it was passed outside the team. We've been taking part in online conferences, gathering the feedback and introducing improvements in the designs. 

Visual Designs for the project, mobile application, created in Adobe Photoshop