Background

Client

For more than a century, RiverSource has been instrumental in guiding clients toward their financial objectives through the provision of annuities and insurance products.

Our Team

• Senior Director Brand Experience and Digital Strategy

• Product Designer (colleague)

• Product Designer (me)

• Senior Brand Manager

• Brand and Design Manager

• Content Writer

• UX Strategist

My roles as a Product Designer

• Digital brand development & implementation

• Website tool & calculator audit/recommendations

• Assisted with competitive analysis

• User flows

• Sitemap

• Sketches

• Wireframes

• Low-fi prototypes

• Visual design

• High-fidelity mockups

• Client presentations

Tools

• Adobe Illustrator

• Adobe Photoshop

• InVision

• Sketch

Problem

• Site traffic had steadily been in decline over the past few years

• The prior website was nearly a decade old and featured outdated branding

• The legacy content strategy and product information was in need of fine-tuning

• The prior website was not WCAG 2.0 compliant

Solution

• Starting with determining key demographics, we created a user-centric and easily navigable experience for all users

• After establishing digital brand principles, we reimagined and rebranded the website for the 21st century

• Through fresh sets of eyes, the content strategy and product information was clearly articulated and focused on guiding and informing the user

Discovery

Low-fidelity Wireframes

Wireframe user flows were developed for the RiverSource website to flesh out all of the details, lay the groundwork for the content structure, and determine the modularity of the various design patterns. The wires also helped key business stakeholders gain a clearer understanding of how the overall site design and various products would eventually come to life.

Execution

High-fidelity Mockups

After sketching and iterating on various low-fidelity prototypes through key stakeholder and business leader feedback, the website really came into full bloom in the high-fidelity mockup stage. Via cross-collaboration of various team members, we were able to flesh out more details and bring more fidelity to the overall site.

Conclusion

Results

• All prospective clients are now able to easily access and learn about the entire breadth of what RiverSource has to offer

• Through more succinct and clear messaging and crisp, modern visuals, the brand has been elevated to extend its market share

• This entirely new approach to RiverSource's digital product design strengthened not only the website but a whole host of other complementary digital products

• The business was able to achieve its goal of launching the website on budget and within the time allotted.

Lessons Learned

1. Think beyond the immediate problem. It's never only one thing, it's all of the things. Like a puzzle, we first examined the larger picture and sought ways to connect all of the numerous pieces together, knowing that all of the pieces weren't always there at one time.

2. Partnerships and trust matter. Our cross-functional team was able to draw upon each of our strengths as we tackled this challenge together. Through this experience, we were able to connect, be our authentic selves, and be fully engaged in the work. Not to mention, enjoy the adventure as a group.