The Challenge

A global wealth management firm, was in the midst of redesigning an internal tool to be utilized by both Senior Financial Advisors and dedicated support staff. The tool was a radical, but needed, redesign that incorporated next generation functionality to guide and support users in their daily tasks. The firm needed to understand whether users were comfortable with the shift and, if not, how to adjust the proposed tool.

The Approach

Crosswalk conducted a series of remote, moderated interviews with users: Financial Advisors and Client Associates.

The interviews included a set of taxonomy exercises in which users categorized a series of service needs according to perceived priority level and organization logic.

Users were also asked to comment on the functionality of the currently existing tools in contrast to a prototype of the proposed new tool.

The Outcome

The research identified major UX barriers to the adoption of the proposed tool. Crosswalk suggested a number of adjustments based upon Gestalt principles that would facilitate navigation of the tool by streamlining the presentation and organization of information and services.