Evolving a site and design system for a new era in capital markets

2018–2019
VSA Partners
My role
  • Re-architected the site structure and navigation
  • Co-facilitated client worksessions for content strategy and UX
  • Ideated, wireframed, and prototyped templates and components
  • Captured robust, detailed interaction specs
Project results
  • Significant increase in account sign-ups and return visits
  • Increase in engagement with retail traders
  • CME Group applied this design system extensively—to its website, mobile app, pro apps, and emails
  • CME Group re-engaged with VSA on subsequent projects for several years
Situation
CME Group is a tech powerhouse that oversees many of the world’s largest derivatives markets. Its web and app experiences, however, were sprawling and antiquated, relied on excessive content, and lacked a modern design system.
Solution
  • A streamlined site architecture and navigation responded to existing user research and elevated the offerings that users need most.
  • New templates un-siloed useful content, provided better context and clear next steps, and removed barriers within key user journeys.
  • A rational design system and detailed interaction specs set up an offshore dev team for success.
Engagement
Brand strategy: Jessica Sochol | Creative direction: YanYan Zhang | UX: Andrew Day, Joseph Dombrowski | Content strategy: Ariel Bolles, Hannah Bishop | Design: YanYan Zhang, Luke Klenske, Jehan Cowan | Account management: Mark Rowland, Rachel Oliff | Development: CME Group
Discovery
Collaborative worksessions leveraged the client team’s deep domain knowledge and helped us quickly turn input into priorities and ux/design artifacts.
UX Architecture
I simplified site architecture to better align to the needs and motivations of multiple audience segments. Despite a huge number of products, the hierarchies within each asset class are straightforward and familiar.
Content strategy
Collaborative sessions using Core Model or content-blocking exercises helped us prioritize high-value content on new templates, boldly edit down other areas, and prepare for an external content migration.
UX exploration
I kept UX design similarly collaborative, often using whiteboard sketching with the team. I first defined experience principles and template-level section itents, then moved into higher-fidelity wireframes, prototypes, and micro-animations to demonstrate key moments in the experience.
Design exploration
I worked with the VSA design team to ensure the emerging templates and design system met our objectives, included useful affordances, and handled key interactions without friction.
Efficient delivery
I produced detailed interaction specs for each template, labeling and linking them to a large set of comps in InVision, so CME Group's offshore development team could work efficiently and independently.
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