Ameriprise
The Story of a Dashboard: Redefining Mobile for Ameriprise
Overview
Ameriprise Financial revamped its mobile app by introducing a personalized, user-friendly dashboard to streamline account access and task management.
Through competitive research, iterative design, and usability testing, the team created a seamless, intuitive experience that aligned with the desktop platform, enhancing client engagement and efficiency.
INDUSTRIES
Financial Services
Wealth Management
Asset Management
Financial Planning
ROLE
Product Designer
DISCIPLINES
UX / UI
TIMELINE
2020
TOOLS
Sketch
InVision
A Financial Giant with a Missing Piece
Ameriprise Financial, a Fortune 500 leader in wealth management, had a mobile app that fell short of client expectations. It lacked a cohesive dashboard, leaving users to manually search for key account information and task locations. Worse yet, the mobile experience didn’t align with its desktop counterpart, creating friction for users navigating between platforms.
With personalization and ease of use as top priorities, our team set out to design a dashboard that could do it all: provide clients with a customizable hub, simplify tasks, and deliver a seamless, consistent experience across devices.
Building a Foundation: Research and Insights
Crafting the Product Hypothesis
We believed the dashboard could elevate the Ameriprise client experience by combining customization with quick access to essential tools. Our goal was to exceed expectations in mobile functionality while standing out in the competitive financial app landscape.
Learning from the Best (and Worst)
We didn’t start from scratch. Using insights from the Ameriprise UX Strategy team and my own competitive analysis, we evaluated disruptors and traditional financial giants. This deep dive revealed which features resonated with users, where competitors fell short, and how we could blend familiarity with innovation.
Key takeaway?
The best financial apps are intuitive, actionable, and laser-focused on user needs. We set out to do exactly that, only better.
From Concept to Creation: Designing the MVP
High-Fidelity Mockups in the Fast Lane
In our fast-paced, agile environment, speed was critical. We developed high-fidelity mockups for both iOS and Android, ensuring the dashboard was not only visually appealing but also functionally consistent across platforms.
Each mockup explored different UI/UX solutions, from customization features to navigation flows. This iterative approach helped us zero in on designs that felt intuitive and modern while maintaining Ameriprise’s brand identity.
Design Decisions That Made a Difference
Customization at the Core: Users could tailor their dashboard, choosing what content and tasks they wanted front and center.
Simplified Navigation: Key tasks, viewing accounts, transferring funds, contacting advisors, were always just a tap away.
Alignment with Desktop: We brought the mobile and desktop experiences into harmony, making transitions between devices effortless for clients.
Putting It to the Test: Usability Feedback
Testing was where the magic happened. We conducted A/B and unmoderated usability tests with target users to validate our designs. Their feedback was clear:
Some icons weren’t intuitive and led to confusion.
The customization process felt clunky and unclear.
Certain UI elements were missing or felt out of place.
Instead of seeing these as setbacks, we embraced them as opportunities. Every piece of feedback informed the next iteration, ensuring the dashboard felt as natural as it was powerful.
Results: A Dashboard That Delivers
The Ameriprise dashboard MVP launched on time and set a solid foundation for future iterations. It gave clients a hub where they could view account information, complete tasks, and access personalized content, all with just a few taps.
While further enhancements are planned, the MVP proved that a well-designed mobile app can simplify complex financial services.
Lessons Learned: Designing for the Future
User Research is Non-Negotiable: Testing helped us identify and address issues before launch, saving time and resources.
Iteration is Key: The MVP succeeded because we embraced feedback, revised designs, and solved problems quickly.
Collaboration Fuels Innovation: Diverse perspectives across our team from developers to researchers ensured the product met user needs and business goals.
Balance is Everything: Building a dashboard required us to navigate competing priorities: innovation, user needs, and tech constraints.
The Ameriprise mobile app dashboard began as a vision of personalization and efficiency. It’s still evolving, but the MVP is proof that thoughtful design, grounded in research, can transform how clients interact with their financial world.