First Citizens Bank
Beyond supporting the existing website which consisted of updates to the database and other PHP revisions. I worked with an outside advertising agency in the redesign efforts of the new website. These efforts included the design and technical conversations that lead to a common goal. The goal was to design and develop a new website that addressed customers’ pain points and create an intuitive responsive website. Because prior to the redesign the current website was nonresponsive or adaptive, outdated and First Citizens Bank was supporting a separate app for the mobile experience.
EMPLOYER:
First Citizens Bank
TOOLS USED:
CSS, HTML, JavaScript, XML, Bootstrap, SQL, Sass, Git, and Notepad ++
MY ROLE:
Developer, Collaborator, Analyst, vendor management, and QA.
Where the journey began…
The Complexity
When considering designing, developing, and maintaining a financial institution’s website there are many important things to remember. First Citizens Bank’s website was not responsive and the information architecture could be improved upon. Even when redesigning or simply making updates to a website these things should be on your checklist but most important to a bank.
- Mobile-Friendly Design
- ADA Conformance (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
- Intuitive Site Architecture
- Self-Service Features
- Helpful Site Search
- Online loans and offerings
- Custom analytic tracking and plan
- Marketing/Campaign
- Privacy and Security
The Opportunity
The solution was to create a responsive, adaptive, inclusive, and intuitive website for all. The site was simplified and the additional objective was that the new site was going to be driven by a content management system. Along with the new site was going to take over the mobile experience. I currently tracked Google Tags and analytics in the old site, but it was extra important to track the user’s behavior after launch to define usability issues or reviews that might arise. And to put a proactive plan in place to continuously improve the experience.
Above: Original First Citizens Bank
Workflow
I was involved in a group effort to interview and choose an Advertising Agency to work with us on redesigning firstcitizens.com. Once an agency was chosen I was involved in the end-to-end process.
There was an initial kickoff meeting with the advertising agency to brainstorm ideas and goals. After the designs were approved, I then received the final design files to start development in a preproduction environment. When the development was completed, I worked with a team of Analysts at First Citizens Bank to launch the website. But prior to the launch, thorough testing was involved and documented through change controls. The launch went smoothly and the users’ experience has improved. I supported the websites as an individual contributor by updating, adding new features, and giving Google Analytic data readouts on user behavior.
Personas
Responsive
