Oyster / Framfab / LBi 2005-2007

I spent most of my time at Oyster / Framfab / LBi working on the ABN AMRO WCS intranet. Taking over phase two of the project, we designed a solution to include local information on the wholesale banking intranet. The concept of local editions (to find printers, parking, local tech support, local company news, etc.) was tested and approved with local users in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Chicago, New York and Hong Kong. The solution was wireframed and retested using a Dreamweaver prototype and then documented in a Microsoft Access database, fully relating page templates to components and allowing for automatic generation of the specification document.

A slightly shorter project followed at RBS. The Connect platform was an internal CRM system for Relationship Managers in the investment bank. We produced an elegant interface after several weeks of focus groups, telephone interviews with international stakeholders, workshops and other collaborative exercises.

The AOL European Portal project was a quick piece of work to produce a set of design guidelines for AOL’s three main European websites. We conducted eye tracking research in Paris, Berlin and London and quickly proved that ad-blindness existed and prevented users from seeing that a feature video was actually on the homepage of the previous portal.

My final project at Oyster / Framfab / LBi was a redesign of the Dresdner Kleinwort site. One of my first projects to make use of personas, our first stab at the student persona was completely made up. Needless to say our typically laid back and somewhat lazy student didn’t match the client’s top of the class, top percentile, go-getter, world is their oyster student. A great lesson in making sure personas are research and evidence based, always.

ABN AMRO WCS intranet content audit of the existing site.

Sketch wireframe for the ABN AMRO WCS intranet homepage.

abn amro wcs intranet dreamweaver wireframe

ABN AMRO WCS intranet wireframe, produced in Dreamweaver to automatically create a complete clickable, testable prototype.

ABN AMRO WCS intranet final design.

ABN AMRO WCS intranet component specification, entered into a Microsoft Access database.

ABN AMRO WCS intranet page specification, entered into a Microsoft Access database to automatically relate pages to components.

ABN AMRO WCS intranet specification document, automatically generated from the Microsoft Access database.

RBS Connect card sorting session results.

RBS Connect hexagon page layout exercise result. We used this approach to collaboratively design key pages of the application.

RBS Connect requirements spreadsheet. After several weeks of card sorts, focus groups and workshops we arrived at this huge spreadsheet of requirements.

RBS Connect final page design.

AOL European Portal eye tracking research, showing eye paths and dwell times.

aol european portal eye tracking heatmap with evidence of ad-blindness

AOL European Portal eye tracking heatmap, showing that the video embedded in the page was mistaken for another advert. Nice to see real evidence for ad-blindness.

Dresdner Kleinwort site redesign persona. This single persona persuaded me that research and evidence based personas have value. Our first student persona was typically laid back and lazy, their students, however, are top of the class.

Dresdner Kleinwort sitemap, the result of workshop sessions with stakeholders.

Dresdner Kleinwort high fidelity wireframe, no Access database this time, just lean Visio.

Dresdner Kleinwort final homepage visual design.