Customer Portal Transformation
Türkiye Finans offers customers a wide range of innovative and high value-added products, services and solutions in the commercial/ corporate banking and retail banking segments through its strong service platform which is comprised of 3,661 employees, 306 branches and effective alternative distribution channels.
Role: UI/UX Design Consultant
Challenge
Turkiye Finans set out a two-pronged goal for this digital transformation project. We were asked to establish a unique and bold visual identity, as well as improve the experience of the client portal.
As one of Tukey’s largest banks, Turkiye Finans wanted to celebrate its country through a unique visual language; as the bank went through a massive digital transformation project to improve its client experience within all digital channels.
What we did
We began by diving into the current portal and performing a heuristic evaluation of the existing experience. Through this exercise, we identified that the current experience was complex and difficult to navigate for low-tech clients. The new architecture was aimed at creating a more intuitive and natural experience for the user.
For the visual identity, we explored various color palettes to establish a deep link between Turkish culture and the brand. Through this exploration, we recognized the country’s unique subcultures and architecture. However, certain palettes really resonated with our test participants. Cool, calm colors were favored over warmer colors; additionally, an affinity towards showcasing Turkish architecture, landscape, and people was quite evident when looking at photography.
The end result was to celebrate Turkey as the user enters the portal and carries a thread of cool palette to connect the entire experience together. This bold color palette along with a simpler experience architecture transformed the bank’s customer portal into a unique and reliable experience for its users.
Process and Approach
We began by performing a heuristic evaluation of the existing client portal, and then conducting in-depth interviews with guided tasks to better understand the struggles and pain points of the users. Through research we identified 3 key areas of improvement in the existing portal:
Complex navigation leads to clients struggling to find the right information
Lack of clear indicators for actions and suggestions
Lack of visibility of value add features that the business wanted to expose
These problems were resulting in client attrition from using the online portal and redirecting them to tellers in branches.
As we reorganized the information architecture the focus was on organizing and presenting financial information in a clear, intuitive, and user-friendly way. Since Turkiye Finans has a large number of clients in the 55 and above segment, the intent was to ensure the portal does not seem daunting to them.
We began by simplifying complex financial jargon, reorganizing content into relevant categories, and creating a hierarchy of information that met clients’ expectations. We also reorganized menu items and created clear calls-to-actions that highlight key functionality within the portal.
Final Designs
Once the IA was finalized, we moved on to wireframing and prototyping. Getting all stakeholders to align was efficient through using these artifacts, and allowed the team to use an iterative approach to create the final product. The visual design definition included the color scheme, typography, imagery, and other visual elements of the portal. These were to establish the initial identity which the bank would then use throughout its transformation.
Overall, it was a complex and challenging process that required a deep understanding of user needs, business requirements, and technical constraints. By focusing on the user experience and using a human-centered design approach, we were able to deliver a client portal that is easy to use, intuitive, and meets the needs of Turkiye Finans clients.
