Case Study:

Creating a Concept Design that Inspires Strategic Innovation and Unlocks Product Potential

Mar 2023–Aug 2023 UX architect User Research

LookOut is a leading trade surveillance solution for regulatory compliance, designed to help officers monitor potential market abuses. While the software is highly regarded for its capabilities, its suboptimal user experience frustrated compliance officers during onboarding and daily operations, causing them to spend more time navigating the tool than on their core responsibilities.

To unlock the full potential of this software, we were commissioned to deliver a concept design with improved user experience that would inspire strategic product innovation.

In order to comply with a non-disclosure agreement, I have omitted confidential information in this case study. The content presented is based on information available to the public and does not reveal any confidential procedures.

Market Surveillance Wireframe.
Alert Analysis Wireframe.

Market Surveillance Wireframes

My role

I was one of the two User Experiece Architects working on this project. Together with my fellow designer, we conducted user research studies, worked on solution mapping, and created detailed wireframes for a concept design, later transformed into high-fidelity screens by a Visual Designer. I also created a realistic click-through prototype using Figma, which we utilized for usability testing with the client.

 

User Research

Learning About Our Clients and Users

Before recruiting participants for the user research study, we held multiple meetings with internal stakeholders to discuss business goals and understand our clients’ roles and workflows. In the long run this helped us tailor the design to each user group. We also conducted desk research and a competitive analysis to identify differentiation opportunities and understand the software’s market position.

Collaborating with PMs and SMEs

Given the complexity of this practice in the financial industry, collaborating closely with Product Managers and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) was invaluable. They played a crucial role in helping us recruit and interview 12 participants, and their presence during interviews allowed for immediate clarification on complex topics unique to the industry.

However, we also recognized that stakeholders can unintentionally disrupt best practices in user research by engaging too directly with participants. To address this, we established clear guidelines for participation, ensuring everyone understood the importance of limiting their interactions during interviews. This approach maintained the integrity of the research and allowed us to gather unbiased insights directly from participants.

Measuring Usability

To measure the product’s usability, we asked participants to complete the System Usability Scale (SUS), a widely used survey tool designed to assess the overall usability of a product. The SUS survey includes ten standardized questions that capture users’ perceptions of ease of use, satisfaction, and comfort with the interface. While the SUS score alone does not identify specific usability issues, it provided a valuable benchmark for usability, guiding design improvements by allowing comparison against industry standards. This score enabled us to track changes in user perception across different iterations of the product.

Example of SUS survey.

Solution Mapping and Concept Design

Insights from the user research revealed the main tasks users needed to perform and the problems with these workflows.

Example of a persona and their tasks.

For example, compliance officers needed to analyze hundreds of alerts for potential market abuses, but the cluttered interface with no clear hierarchy made this process time-consuming. Additionally, key information and advanced functionalities were not easily discoverable by users.

Our goal was to develop solutions for these issues. To inspire the team to introduce innovative changes, we began working on a concept design. This concept aimed to set a long-term direction for the product, focusing on revolutionary possibilities rather than feasibility. To ensure our direction aligned with users’ needs, we scheduled usability testing sessions. During these sessions, we challenged our design choices and measured the effectiveness of these changes.

 

Outcome

With this project, we reviewed the information architecture and delivered a refined look and feel for the application, in addition we unlocked the product’s potential with a Concept Design. We gathered extensive qualitative and quantitative data, which we used as metrics for the Objectives and Key Results defined at the beginning of the project. Lastly, we positively impacted the UX maturity of the stakeholders involved, who now recognize the true benefit of including designers early in the process.

 

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