This document provides an overview of working as a user experience designer in the financial services industry. It discusses the diverse markets and projects in the industry, the fast-paced trading floor environment with multiple monitors and legacy systems, and considerations for UX design such as terminology, data visualization, and modular interfaces. The document is intended as an introduction to someone new to UX design in the financial domain.

1. UX and the City
An introduction to user experience design in the financial services industry
Amir Dotan / LAB49
http://www.flickr.com/photos/harshilshah/1508319950/

2. About
me
User Experience architect at LAB49; a technology consulting firm that
builds advanced solutions for the financial services industry
Previously:
- Researcher at the Centre for HCI Design at City University London
- Multimedia degree lecturer at SAE Collage (London)
- Flash developer at SHAPE Interactive (Israel)
BA (Hons.) Multimedia Arts (Middlesex University)
MSc Human-Centred Systems (City University London)

3. I’m
going
to
talk
about
1.
Working
as
a
UX
professional
in
the
financial
services
industry
2.
The
trading
floor
work
environment
and
its
impact
on
UX
work
3.
User
Experience
Design
considera3ons

4. Working
in
the
financial
services
industry
Diverse
markets
Foreign
exchange,
stocks,
commodiFes,
futures
contracts,
Bonds,
credit,
rates
and
more
h2p://www.flickr.com/photos/funadium/913303959/

5. Working
in
the
financial
services
industry
Typical
projects
Trading
systems
(Single
and
MulF-­‐Dealer
PlaPorms)
Risk
Management
systems
Market
data
(research)
Strategic
planning
Lab49
-­‐
BEA
Fixed
Income
PorKolio
Pricing
Demo

6. Working
in
the
financial
services
industry
Diverse
user
groups
Internal
and
external
users
Individuals,
small-­‐medium
businesses,
large
corporates,
insFtuFonal
investors
(hedge
funds,
pension
funds,
governments
central
banks
etc.)
h2p://www.flickr.com/photos/d-­‐kav/4629934426/

7. Working
in
the
financial
services
industry
Different
banks
–
Different
procedures,
terminology
etc.
h2p://www.lindsayfincher.com/albums/greenwich/thames_canary_wharf.sized.jpg

8. Working
in
the
financial
services
industry
Developing
projects
for
a
global
audience
http://www.flickr.com/photos/horiavarlan/4270078348/

9. Working
in
the
financial
services
industry
Extremely
compeFFve
industry
h2p://www.flickr.com/photos/pues/2552993021/

10. An
advice
I
was
given
#1
“Start
reading
the
Financial
Times”
h2p://www.flickr.com/photos/riceyrice/3032227676/

11. Working
in
the
financial
services
industry
ConfidenFal
projects

12. Working
in
the
financial
services
industry
The
right
usable
user
interface
can
help
make
billions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ari/3731724596/

13. Working
in
the
financial
services
industry
RegulaFon
and
internal
legal
departments
http://www.flickr.com/photos/somegeekintn/3709203268/

14. Working
in
the
financial
services
industry
“Fat
Finger”
syndrome

15. Working
in
the
financial
services
industry
Limited
access
to
what
compeFtors
are
doing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/practicalowl/314989744/

16. Working
in
the
financial
services
industry
Limited
professional
literature
http://www.flickr.com/photos/betsythedevine/1387463115/

17. An
advice
I
was
given
#2
“Find
someone
nice
in
the
bank
and
never
let
them
go”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuseeger/226628124/

18. The
trading
floor
work
environment
Working
in
front
of
3-­‐6
monitors
h2p://www.flickr.com/photos/27244534@N08/2539318470/

19. The
trading
floor
work
environment
Displaying
a
wealth
of
diverse
informaFon
http://thomsonreuters.com/products_services/financial/eikon

20. The
trading
floor
work
environment
Rear-­‐view
mirrors
a2ached
to
the
computer
screens

21. The
trading
floor
work
environment
Legacy
systems
A
complicated
network
of
different
systems

22. The
trading
floor
work
environment
Diverse
communicaFon
channels
h2p://www.flickr.com/photos/xospecialk/2247393752/

23. The
trading
floor
work
environment
Use of diverse alert sounds
h2p://www.flickr.com/photos/uzvards/129244063/

24. The
trading
floor
work
environment
Busy
and
ohen
unavailable
users
http://www.flickr.com/photos/artemuestra/2941677924/

25. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
Developing
interfaces
using
Flex
and
SilverLight

26. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
Use
of
colours
Colour
blindness
consideraFons

27. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
Standard
components
–
The
blo2er,
SPOT
panels,
charts

28. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
Maximising
screen
real-­‐estate

29. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
Not
always
possible
to
use
real
data
in
prototypes
and
mockups
h2p://www.flickr.com/photos/fredjk/276849773/

30. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
Keyboard-­‐friendly
interfaces
hLp://www.flickr.com/photos/paul_garland/2268928575/

31. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
Typography
and
numbers
h2p://www.flickr.com/photos/zoezolka/313115700/

32. Swap
SPOT
Call
User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
VolaFlity
Put
Terminology
CCY
Short
Liquidity
Hedge
Straddle
Pip
Principal
Bid
Margin
Maturity
Delta
PosiFon
Yield
Blo2er

33. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
Modular
interfaces
h2p://www.flickr.com/photos/seven13avenue/2080281038/

34. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
Branding
consideraFons

35. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
Data
visualisaFon
h2p://www.flickr.com/photos/second_story/3120736445/

36. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
Mobile
apps

37. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
ImporFng/exporFng
Excel
files
http://www.flickr.com/photos/niallkennedy/58697937/

38. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
Using
Fcking
numbers
in
prototypes
http://www.flickr.com/photos/artnoose/2263480871/

39. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
Snapshots
&
Drilldowns
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28481088@N00/1577594077/

40. User
Experience
Design
considera3ons
SomeFmes
the
killer
app
is
a
simple
form,
not
a
fancy
UI
and
complex
data
visualisaFon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/second_story/3120728429/

41. Thank
you
amirdotan1@gmail.com
www.amirdotan.com
(UX
blog
in
Hebrew)
Twi2er
@UX_links,
@UX_for_Finance
http://www.flickr.com/photos/harshilshah/1508319950/