Global Navigation
How do we Create More consistency across the site without disrupting the uniqueness of each line of business?
The Context
The purpose of this study is to generate design opportunities for Global Navigation. We aim to understand visitors' needs, aspirations, and struggles when navigating the Public site.
Note: I researched some awesome stuff, but I can’t show you everything. Below is a case study that summarizes the research I did with a client.
The Challenge
The purpose of this study is to generate design opportunities for Global Navigation. We aim to understand visitors' needs, aspirations, and struggles when navigating the Public site. This was also a highly political project, because it touched on multiple lines of business (LOBs)
Target Audience
Ages: 25-60+
Any level of education
Annual income between $100,000 and $500,000
Mix of current customers and non-customers
People who have sought out customer service or online support in the financial industry
People who applied or considered applying for one of the three major product LOBs in the last 30 days
• Consumer bank (i.e., Applied for a new checking or saving)
• Credit card (i.e., Applied for a new credit card)
• Home lending (i.e., Applied for a mortgage)
• Auto (i.e., Applied for a car loan)
My Role
UX researcher alongside additional product designers, brand specialists, and product managers
My Tools
Zoom for stakeholder interviews
UserTesting
Figma
Timeline
4 months
Why was this important?
Because of the political nature of this project, a mindful and strategic approach was necessary in order to move forward with design recommendations. Without changes, customers may experience confusion, frustration, and decide the workarounds are not worth continuing to do business with this company. The main themes that emerged were:
Consistency & Clarity: Visitors are looking for reliability (and not quite finding it)
Navigation menu inconsistency was obstructive: it made elements like hamburger menus unreliable
Inconsistent visual palette gave some an impression of fragmentation
Trouble Way-finding: Visitors don't always know where they are
Visitors are not always clear where they are at any given time. For example, they will be on an educate page but think they are on a product/sales page
Visitors are going back to the homepage to reorient themselves every time they want to switch to another line of business
Explore & Take Action: Visitors are either on the site to research or act
Visitors doing research come to the site for the most up-to-date product details while they read review websites
Explorers comparison shop and look for "real numbers" like fees and rates
Action-takers are done researching and come to the site to apply and take the next step
“The change in color seemed like it was a third-party scammer site.”
Research Goals:
What attitudes and beliefs do visitors have about navigating
What needs do they have when they navigate the site?
What are they currently relying on to self-solve?
How is the current site meeting visitors where they are in their financial lives?
What did I do?
In this project, I conducted stakeholder interviews to understand the current state for main LOBs. After managing schedules, finding patterns, and sharing out those observations across vital leadership meetings, I created a research plan and conducted in-depth interviews (IDIs) with 12 participants.
Research Recommendations
Give visitors instant access to calls to action (CTAS)
Visitors need instant access to find and apply for product offerings, such as credit cards and mortgages
Often, visitors are on the site after researching extensively on their own. Therefore they are ready for action by the time they make it to the site
Create an experience that supports comparison shopping and research
Details and comprehensive information about products is vital to visitors
When they are in the research phase, they need detailed and in-depth specifics to help them compare and make informed decisions
