Delivering a new Research Portal
Redesign and relaunch their client-facing Institutional Research Portal.
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Challenge
The project was planned as a multi-year transformation to modernise the user experience, re-architect the tech stack, and build a foundation for AI-powered decision-making.
Overview
- Design a world-class Research platform, making it platform of choice for our client’s clients around the world.
- Increase readership by making it a more engaging experience.
- Deepen the value gained by readers, helping them to make lucrative investment decisions.
Current state analysis
We used a variety of techniques to thoroughly understand the current state landscape and uncover the problems and opportunities for competitive advantage.
- Stakeholder interviews
- Content audit
- Competitor analysis
- Accessibility audit
- Usage data analysis
- User journey mapping
- Desk research
- User research analysis
- Persona creation
Strengthening the Design system
We leveraged the client’s centralized design system to ensure consistency and maintain brand integrity across the Research Portal. By adhering to established guidelines, we were able to create a seamless user experience that aligned with other internal tools and platforms.
To strengthen the design system, we identified opportunities to improve accessibility and mobile responsiveness, incorporating more flexible UI components and refining colour contrasts for better legibility.
Approach
Our team led a comprehensive redesign process, first by creating a new design system specifically tailored for the Research Portal. However, during the build phase, we encountered challenges when aligning with the global design system to ensure consistency across all of Morgan Stanley's platforms. To overcome this, we held multiple workshops and collaborative meetings with global design teams to synchronize the systems, incorporate best practices, and ensure a smooth integration. We conducted extensive user testing throughout the project to refine the design based on analyst feedback, ensuring the portal was both functional and visually appealing.
Outcome
The redesign resulted in a more intuitive, faster portal, with better information architecture and a streamlined user interface. Analysts reported improved efficiency, and the portal saw a notable reduction in time spent navigating the platform. The successful integration with the global design system also set a precedent for future projects within the organization.
Impact
The redesign led to a measurable increase in user satisfaction and engagement. The collaborative effort between our team and the global design system ensured a consistent and cohesive experience, leading to a smoother transition and better adoption across teams. Analysts now have access to a more modern, user-friendly portal that significantly improves their ability to find and act on critical research insights quickly.