1] BTN: How have you drawn members to the internal design and experience team?
Gound: We have brought in people with experience in other delivery channels and with experience in customer service. We have also included people with IT and telecom backgrounds, mobile technology and strong project management skills. We are now handling everything connected to user experience. That includes everything from the early focus groups to testing to development for mobile and web.
[2] Why did the credit union decide to do internal work on design and experience?
It was time to do so. Our mobile and online offerings had gotten to the point where we needed to have [a team] onsite fulltime dedicated and focused on member experience. The easy answer is everything is important in terms of user experience. Every little detail that goes into the sites impacts how members experience the web and mobile, even things that the users don't notice.
[3] Are there recent examples of how the new team has made changes that have impacted user experience?
We removed the requirement that users of the iPhone and Android platform have to register for mobile banking via SMS. [Direct registration] is a more seamless way to register for mobile banking, which is helpful whether members need to access the service internationally or at home. Users can also now save their information for quick access. The site was also redesigned to make it easier to find information.
[4] How are the actual features being updated?
We're adding mobile deposit for iPhone and are adding an Android app for mobile deposit very soon. We're also adding bill payment, and will update transfers...The credit union will additionally release an iPad app next year.
[5] Do your members have unique needs that require a different release schedule?
For the most part our members are normal people who are doing their jobs day to day. But all of our members need to access their accounts wherever they are, so we have introduced some features that are particular to military personnel, like currency converters and enabling people to log in wherever they are located... A big part of working on experience in house was to streamline releases. We have developed an agile approach that allows us to release updates more frequently.
