Designing for simplicity while engineering complexity – Our UX transformation journey

Three questions for the project team

What was the particular challenge in the project from a UX point of view?
One of the challenges was the huge data. QCR system has 3,000+ data fields and a multitude of system screens. There, we had to keep the same robust functionality while maintaining things simple for the user. Then, we had multiple and inconsistent user personas that vary from client to client, making it even harder to identify the appropriate user journeys. Finally, we needed to keep the existing user base satisfied. QCR is used by several banks, lending, and loan servicing organisations in more than 30 countries globally. The transition of the existing user base to the new UX should be the smoothest possible.

What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha! moment, was there a low point?
The low point was spotted at the beginning of the project due to the limited UI/UX knowledge of our internal teams. By hiring an external consulting agency and along with our client's feedback we managed to produce the new web UI of QCR during the time our team was building its internal UX skills.
The highlight of the process was at the end of the observation stage and client workshops. With the information we had gathered we were ready to create a comprehensive persona matrix that later led us to more than 240 user tasks accomplished through different user journeys.

Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
Our vision is to set the bar high when it comes to the experience we provide for this kind of enterprise products. Hopefully, more companies will follow our path in the delivery of similar solutions that focus on smooth user experiences, to their clients. We will also be delighted to see our existing client base shifting to the new web-based UI, which hopefully will increase their productivity and reduce their maintenance costs.