BlackRock Campaigns
Challenge
How might we create a system to close the communication gap between advisors and Central Office users?
My Role
UX Design, Research, Interaction Design, Prototyping, Usability Testing Ideation, UI Design.
Year
2024
Timeline
3 Months
Tools
Figma
Campaign Dashboard
Campaign Types
Filter Parameter Search Step
Security Exposure Search Step
Campaign Publish Step
Campaign Details
01
Background
Context
After the launch of both platforms Focus and Vision, a new use-case appeared; communication based on data the tools display. Both tools were created to monitor and optimize client portfolio accounts. Vision is the Central Office user’s tool and Focus is the Advisor’s tool.
The communication gap between the Central Office users and advisors became evident when client teams discovered how they shared notes/data via emails and phone calls. Vision users were already running campaigns regarding client portfolio accounts in a hacky, roundabout way.
The process of bulk emailing can be a very manual task for repetitive use. Sending emails is a time-consuming way to communicate client data while also using 3rd party applications to finish a task- e.g. - email, phone calls, spreadsheets, etc…
Business Problem:
Through conversations and feedback with Central Office users, a clear picture emerged of the business’s pain points:
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Relationship management - Clients Choosing to solve problems outside of the tool can have a negative effect on relationships and longevity of client tool usage.
User Problem:
Communication gap - Central Office users found it necessary to email advisors in bulk regarding client accounts after viewing data on Vision.Custom workflows - Different clients have different needs and practices for the tool/communication.
How might we allow the process of ‘in bulk communication’ while creating a streamlined, configurable tool?
02
Gain Confidence
Ideation
I sketched out several different interaction models for the campaign’s workflow with my PM and team.
The biggest challenge for this project was creating a comprehensive design that allowed users to perform a filtered parameter search based on portfolio attributes and a second parameter search based on security exposure. These were the two major use cases for campaigns.
Filters and exposure search in the left rail
Exposure search in the workspace and filters in the left rail
Filters and exposure search in left rail with tabs for discover-ability
Bifurcation step for complete division between the two searches
The team and I discussed the pros and cons of each direction and decided on option D as it was the best option that showcases a distinction between the two use cases most clearly and better aligns with our design system than the other options. Option D allowed each search process to have exclusive design flows rather than compromising functionality and sharing one flow.
Validate + Iterate
Finally, I created the final handoff file for ENG and a final prototype. My team and I ran usability testing for the final concept.
Based on testing, my team and I rolled out the following changes:
Additional access to campaign details
To access additional details about a campaign, the user has to click the campaign row, resulting in the details panel appearing. When asking participants to complete this task, they looked for it in the actions menu. “View Details” has been added to the actions menu to solve this problem.Tool education
Though the testing participants are not our clients and are not used to BlackRock’s tool suite, we found there may be parts of the tool’s process that may not be 100% clear because of the finance complexity. A guided tour was added to the tool to walk the user through its capabilities, ensuring successful usage.Language change
When asking the participants to reopen a draft campaign, the word edit did not register to most as an indicator to finish a campaign saved as a draft. The action Edit was changed to “Continue” to clear up any confusion.
03
Polish
Final Designs
This new Campaigns feature for the tool Vision has gone live with BlakcRock’s current clients in Q4 of 2024. Vision is now equipped with a campaigns feature that allows Central Office users to communicate with advisors via campaign launches for client suitability issues and product opportunities.
04
Conclusion
Results
Any of the following outcomes would suggest that the design is successful:
Successful Communication - Home Office users can successfully communicate issues effectively to Financial AdvisorsSearch and target - Home Office users can create highly targeted campaigns to resolve issues or find opportunitiesShorter time to process requests - The automation of a campaign’s time management, allows users to find new business opportunities to increase revenueDesigned for Configurability - The campaigns tool was created as a default “out the box” product with the intention for the client to mold and configure to specific needs.Increased User Retention - < this new tool, users will not use 3rd party systems such as virtual meeting rooms, calls, emails, or spreadsheets to communicate suitability issues