Scaling without sacrificing unique experiences
By thinking not only about today, but what tomorrow would mean for Yuh, we were able to develop a truly scalable structure that could flex and overcome future challenges and challengers. The experience strategy we crafted provided a roadmap for requirements development and integration, whilst also allowing prioritisation and validation as we moved through the tight timescales.
This can be seen in each and every detail of the app and site today. And it also meant scaling outside of digital. We even looked at how the design would be applied on physical debit cards, using metal blanks printed with sample branding to see if designs would translate well as well on and off screen.
Equally, we knew that this was not just about an app. There was potential that a web-based service would also emerge and so we knew that any IA should be developed with one eye on other platforms, too.
An atomic approach
We applied an atomic approach so Yuh could scale. This meant creating a structure that could keep feeding the expansion of the proposition and the products within it.
We also worked out that the visual design needed to mirror the IA approach, providing a structure with flexible and relevant options so that either marketers or product owners would have greater chance of responding quickly to user needs.
Our design system had to be bold, playful and, most importantly, human. Being human was vitally important as it’s one of Nomensa’s core values, too. Shared values and purpose often result in a shared focus and therefore, better outcomes. This was certainly true working with the Yuh team. It allowed us to craft a unique style of experience.
Illustrating a universe
What we needed was a unique style that would not only support and strengthen the brand but deliver a joyful feeling to every interaction with the app. And our illustration library wouldn’t just be great to look at, it represented a vital component of the overall design system that we provided.
It included both animated and static versions from the outset allowing us to build a design system strategically and intentionally with consistency, versatility and scalability at the core.
Watch our webinar ‘How to use illustration to improve UX’
Our atomic approach meant illustrations were boiled down to their most intrinsic parts (think backdrop, props and characters) and could be rebuilt by their team in a myriad of ways.
Our close collaboration with Swissquote captured their ambitions throughout the process and instilled in them confidence to continue using the design system across their estate long after launch.
Designing a global mindset
Knowing that the app rollout would eventually be global, we felt having a visual language led by a modern illustrative style would be key to clear communication and international recognition.
Initial languages were English, French, Italian and German, and we tested label lengths and text-based components to ensure consistency. This is especially important with the German language due to its famously long construction. This underlined the importance of getting the IA right from the start.
We knew that if the design supported German, without breaking the experience and style we were good to go. But we also went further to make sure that different global alphabets (Cyrillic, Far East especially) would also work in the font and designs chosen as we knew this would minimise future work when adapting the interfaces for specific markets.
Launch and legacy
By supporting the Yuh development team right up to launch, they were able to apply the design framework exactly as conceived and tested. Like all our strategic design work, this was about the potential outcome and not the outputs.
A significant aspect of our legacy has been the the partnership we formed with Swissquote and the Yuh project team – a testimony to the way we worked. Blending Swissquote’s sector knowledge and their passion for the Yuh brand with Nomensa’s experience design skills has set Yuh up for maximum advantage.