Discovery

The first 100 hours: Interviewing stakeholders.

We interviewed dozens of stakeholders over several weeks, created competitor case studies and comparative analysis, and wrote hundreds of pages of research documentation to form a strategy for approaching the Pentegra project. All of this went into the bucket from which we drew solutions in future phases.

"We spent a lot of time getting to know the Pentegra team early on. Hearing from the stakeholders around the same table, presenting our findings–this early relational trust that is formed is invaluable going forward."

Michael Smith

Volum8 Strategist Michael Smith picture

Design Strategy

Putting things where they should be.

After discovery, we moved into restructuring the informational architecture of the new platforms. Three distinct users platforms were needed, requiring hundred of processes to work together between them. We built and designed new structures for the platforms, using card sorting and other strategies to identify user flows and key roadblocks. Much collaboration with the Pentegra team was needed, and we utilized every head of their departments to gain insight on user intentions.

A system for design.

It quickly became clear that a traditional old-school design build, where every screen and every element is custom configured, would not work. The platform was simply too large and we risked inefficiency with time and lack of quality control. We also believed in the competency of the Pentegra development team and knew they could execute and translate designs without excessive guidance. Building a design system became the most efficient and best solution possible. We would build repetitive and scalable components, setting rules for usage, which would allow Pentegra to populate their own systems. Basically, we were designing the blocks, allowing Pentegra to fit them however they wished.

Conclusion

Partnering with Pentegra.

During the course of the project our developers formed a close working relationship with Pentegra’s team. We delivered every design component to their team’s requirements, meeting our own internal standards for efficiency and flexibility. Our relationship with their team continued, and we have joined other projects that required design feedback and development support. Pentegra’s platforms continue to evolve and our work has been met with positive responses across the board, from stakeholders to financial institutions to customers.