internal user research and robust application redesign

European Investment Bank (EIB)

their promise

boost technological, and social progress

The European Investment Bank (EIB) in Luxembourg plays a crucial role in supporting European companies by extending loans commissioned by the EU.

Their mission is to ensure that allocated funds, such as the €20 billion allocated for green energy projects for the years 2022-2024, are accessible to eligible applicants. This commitment to facilitating significant financial initiatives underscores EIB’s dedication to fostering sustainable development across Europe.

Their brand promise is: “boost growth, prosperity, technological, and social progress in individual member states, across the whole EU, and around the world.”

the challenge

internal user research and application redesign

EIB needed a comprehensive redesign of their Loan Grading platform, an internal tool used to identify loan risks and assess the overall risk the bank is undertaking. Despite various team-driven efforts to enhance specific parts of the customer journey, EIB faced a fragmented customer experience due to siloed operations. Each team had an unique approach, leading to inconsistencies and a disjointed overall experience.

By partnering with Essense, EIB aimed to enhance its digital tools to better serve its stakeholders through user-centric design and research-driven insights.

The redesign of their LG-platform, teaches EIB to work user-centric. This way the project is used as a flagship, because the benefits of this way of working (1. listening to users on time, 2. only investing time and energy on aligned ideas) directly enhances the customer and employee satisfaction.

“This redesign has truly transformed our approach, enabling us to better serve both advanced and regular users with a more intuitive and efficient tool.”

Fadi Mansour

Head of IT Credit Risk Unit, EIB

our approach

1. customer research

We began by conducting in-depth customer research to understand the needs and pain points of both advanced and regular users. This involved:

  • Conducting User Interviews: We interviewed loan grading users to gather detailed insights into their experiences, challenges, and needs.
  • Defining User Roles: Based on the interviews, we defined 11 distinct user roles, each with specific needs and responsibilities.
  • User Needs Overview: We created an overview mapping user needs to the respective roles, ensuring the redesign addressed all critical requirements.
  • Extracting Insights: Insights from previous research were analyzed and incorporated into our design strategy.
  • Card Sorting Exercise: We performed a card sorting exercise to inform the new information architecture, leading to well-structured and intuitive navigation.

2. inspiration session

To inspire EIB, we held an inspiration session focusing on employee experience and other successful design projects. This session, attended by key figures such as the manager of three business units, the IT team, and the head of innovation, showcased the potential of user-centered design thinking.

3. team building

We organised team-building sessions to strengthen collaboration between business users and the development team. These sessions helped bridge the gap between different departments, fostering a more cohesive working environment.

4. UX design

Our UX design process was iterative and highly collaborative, incorporating feedback from our validation sessions. Key activities included:

  • Designing Wireframes: We designed and validated wireframes with users to ensure the layout and functionality met their needs

  • Information Architecture: We created a validated site map for the EIB intranet, structuring information intuitively.

  • Interaction Patterns and Navigation: Developed interaction patterns and navigation structures based on user needs and flows.

  • Visual Consistency: Brought wireframes to life with visual consistency and interactivity using the MUI React library with EIB branding.

5. design review sessions

Leveraging insights from our customer research, we held weekly design review sessions with the advanced users of the Loan Grading tool. Their feedback was invaluable in shaping the core functionalities and ensuring the tool met the high standards required for managing significant loans.

6. preparation and execution

  • Prototyping: We prepared a detailed prototype using Figma, which was used during validation sessions.
  • Questionnaires: Developed comprehensive questionnaire papers with instructions, scenarios, and spaces for individual feedback.
  • Group Sessions: Conducted group sessions to discuss feedback collectively, encouraging open communication and idea sharing.

7. usability testing

To ensure the tool was also accessible to regular employees, we conducted validation sessions using focus groups. Next to this we conducted 1-on-1 usability testing, allowing us to gather diverse perspectives and foster discussions about the tool’s usability.

the outcomes

enhanced usability

The redesigned Loan Grading tool is now more intuitive and user-friendly, catering to both advanced users and regular employees.

improved collaboration and positive feedback

Team-building activities have strengthened the relationship between business users and developers, ensuring better collaboration on future projects.

positive feedback

The inspiration session received high praise from EIB’s management and innovation teams, validating our approach and execution.

increased user engagement

The validation process ensured that the tool met the needs of all user groups, resulting in higher engagement and satisfaction.

flagship project

The Loan Grading redesign has become a flagship project for design thinking at EIB, setting a new standard for future initiatives.

Giulia Fiorista

Product Owner Customer Research & UX design

Want to know more about Customer Research and UX design? Get in touch.

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