The Approach
The live stage sessions aimed to provide a hands-on experience of designing and developing with the Engagement Banking Platform. However, in 2019, the idea of creating a bank in just an hour was highly unrealistic – although watch this space, as the advancements in Ai make this feels almost in reach!
Lesson 1.
START WITH A BRAND AND ITS AUDIENCE. EVERY STEP THAT FOLLOWS IS A NO-BRAINER 🧠
Given this seemingly impossible task, numerous technical discussion ensued that challenged every convention of the design and software development process. It was only upon returning to the basic premise of “Who are these experiences actually for?” that we pioneered a path forward.
Potential niche user groups of Neo Banks were determined and this fundamentally influenced the team, session structure, and resulting design. Four proto personas were agreed that generated effective decision making and influenced unique brand and assets.
Lesson 2.
BOLD IDEAS ARE OFTEN DEEMED AHEAD OF THEIR TIME, BUT IT DOESN'T STOP THEM INSPIRING THE FUTURE DIRECTION💡
The limitations of the live event inspired creative solutions, and innovation that informed our future products and processes. Two areas that I would highlight in particular would be:
1. Evolution of a centralised Design Token Architecture
Our experiments delved into generating device-agnostic theming using design tools and plugins. Before the event, the vision for automated theming faced internal resistance. Afterward, the concepts became more widely accepted and the prototypes significantly shaped our current approach within the Backbase Design System. This experimental approach led to the development of the 'Visualizer' – a proprietary widget and workflow that seamlessly enables automatic exports to development.
2. Ability to express a brand through motion
The mobile app of each session required distinct differentiation and personalisation to the UX of the persona. The (former) limitations of the mobile entry experience inspired the team to try LottieFiles as a standardised format. These tests paved the way for how we integrated animation into the Backbase Design Language (more to follow on this topic), making it an essential tool for storytelling and user engagement.
Lesson 3.
STORYTELLING IS THE TOOL THAT LEAVES A LASTING IMPRESSION 📖 !
Talking to attendees, it was clear that while the final apps made an impact, what stood out most was the storyline and setting. The bold startup garage vibe, the familiar challenges, and details like the neon countdown, all left a lasting impression.
It was a simple reminder that storytelling, brand distinction, and thoughtfully crafted details work together to subconsciously shape our experiences.
Beyond the outcome, the experience showed me just how much a lean, interdisciplinary team on a mission can accomplish when tackling a series of wicked problems. The results owe a lot to the preparation, collaboration and bold creativity of the team, including: Cameron Tickell, Estée Kreher, Dimitiris Rolidis and Richard Jones👏.
THE RESULTS
The session was featured in Fintech Futures and soon went viral. On the day, it became so popular that attendees had to be turned away!
What provided me with a genuine sense of pride was to see the outcome recognised as a representation of the company’s core values. It has since been included in the onboarding program for all new joiners.
