This article follows my personal journey as a User Experience Designer over three and a half years within a traditional American bank undergoing a merger and transformation. Through this narrative, I aim to convey the complexities I faced in navigating corporate networks, fostering innovation, and addressing customer needs while upholding the bank's core values. Four critical areas of focus—Commitment to the Whole, Innovation, Collaboration, and Exploration—will be explored, providing insights into my evolution from a Senior User Experience Designer to a User Experience Manager and eventually a Principal User Experience Designer.
Truist Digital Wealth - Experience Design
As I embarked on my role as a Senior User Experience Designer, I collaborated with my manager to build a talented team dedicated to establishing the client dashboard experience for Truist Wealth, a banking solution tailored to wealth clientele. Together, we integrated aggregation and vendor solutions into our workflow, applying design thinking and interaction design methodologies to address client needs. Over time, our team grew stronger, enabling us to deliver comprehensive experiences that aligned with our client's expectations.
Commitment to the Whole
Throughout my journey, my guiding principle was to deliver the "why" behind our work to the bank's leadership, ensuring they fully embraced our efforts and recognized the value we could provide to our clients. I forged numerous conversations and relationships, focused on supporting and empowering my colleagues, expanding their spheres of influence, and leveraging their unique skills and practices.
Innovation
I was presented with a remarkable opportunity to be one of the first individuals tasked with igniting the dormant Makerspace, transforming it into a visible and effective innovation hub that would connect with the overall innovation objectives of Truist. By embracing this role, I played a pivotal part in shaping the ITC Makerspace into a meaningful platform where STEAM practices and Design Thinking converged, fostering creativity and driving innovation across the organization.
Collaboration
Truist Design was structured into multiple departments, including Inclusive Design/Accessibility, Service Design, Design Systems, and Research. I actively pursued improved collaboration with these departments, extending beyond the boundaries of our usual sphere of influence during discovery and planning processes. By breaking down silos and fostering cross-functional collaboration, we were able to deliver exceptional experiences that transcended traditional banking boundaries.
Exploration
With the concept of Nomadic Design, I ventured beyond our immediate industry to uncover the intrinsic human values behind goals across diverse industries and cultures. These explorations took me to local communities, agriculture businesses, and communal spaces where individuals gathered to promote the common good. Through these journeys, I brought back fresh perspectives and outlooks that enriched the Truist organization as a whole.
Conclusion
My evolutionary journey as a User Experience Designer within a transforming bank necessitated a deep understanding of the complexities of corporate networks. Demonstrating unwavering Commitment to the Whole, fostering Innovation, embracing Collaboration, and embarking on Exploration, I contributed to the bank's transformation while ensuring customer needs were met. This personal narrative underscores the indispensable role of User Experience Design in shaping the future of banking, ultimately delivering exceptional experiences to our valued clients and customers.