Macquarie Business Bank

Overview

A human-centred design engagement with Tobias for Macquarie’s business banking division — researching and identifying opportunities for the transformation of their client-facing portal, culminating in a customer-validated prototype from a focused Design Sprint.

My Role

The Challenge

To identify opportunities and provide a prioritised direction for the transformation of Macquarie’s business bank client-facing portal — across a spread of client types from existing to emerging segments.

Process

Research

We conducted research with stakeholders, internal staff, and clients across existing and emerging segments to observe existing behaviours and identify client banking needs. The approach followed a five-phase process: Understand, Diverge, Converge, Prototype, and Test.

Transcript and task analysis was conducted across interview sessions, with findings collated onto synthesis boards for affinity mapping. A comprehensive experience map was built across client and relationship manager touchpoints.

Task mapping and profiling

Task-based profiles were developed across four client types:

• Client (Operational) — day-to-day banking tasks, high frequency, time-sensitive
• Client (Strategic and Proactive) — planning and oversight, lower frequency
• Client (Tactical and Reactive) — responding to events and exceptions
• Relationship Manager — supporting and managing client needs across the portfolio

High-level task mapping across these roles identified six core banking task areas spanning strategic, tactical, and operational needs: account administration, authorisations, login, balances and cashflow, transaction history and statements, and payments.

Prioritisation and Design Sprint

Opportunities from the research were prioritised for ideation. For the highest-priority opportunity area — user management and permissions — a five-day Design Sprint was facilitated to ideate and prototype solutions.

The prioritised opportunity was framed around a key user need: how might we grant the right rights to the right people at the right time? The validated user story from rounds one and two of testing was:

When I log into online banking, I want to see my net position over set periods for each and all of my accounts — so I can observe and learn from the rhythms, cycles and patterns of money flowing in and out of my accounts.

Outcome

Clarity and consensus on a prioritised direction for the business bank, with a customer-validated prototype of a specific functional slice for the new platform.