ADDX is an investment platform that offers access to private market
investments with blockchain technology.
UX UI Design
Prototyping
Visual Design
Branding
Brand Guideline
Team
1 Senior Designer (Direct Supervisor)
1 Junior Designer
1 copywriter
1 Developer
1 3D Designer
2 Project Managers
July 2022 - April 2023
(10 months)
- Website
- Brand Development
- Brand Guideline
- EDM design system
With my team's support, we revamped most of the key pages that includes
- Homepage
- Investment page
- Individual investment page
- ADDX Advantage homepage
- ADDX Advantage digital asset page
Analysing the visual expressions of the global financial industry helps us understand its current visual landscape and consider factors that inspire or threaten the ADDX brand. Drawing on my experience in branding, I have conducted the RDE analysis. RDE analysis observes changes in visual and experiential brand performance through exploring market trends, consumer preferences, brand performance, and design trends. It aids in examining our current situation and exploring future brand directions.
Considering ADDX's ultra-wealthy audience, I explored how luxury brands communicate with their customers. While each brand has its unique voice, a commonality is observed among luxury brands targeting premium audiences in their visual expression strategy.
Leveraging customer surveys, interviews, and industry reports, our research gives us a clear picture of our target group in Singapore. We specifically focus on
- Mass AI (Accredited Investors)
- Early 30s to late 40s professionals
- Experienced investors in public markets
- Wants to enter private markets but unconfident/unaware of how it operates, and unsure how to enter
Resource: McKinsey & Company
ResearchIndustry opportunity
A scan of 20 relevant companies reveals that similar brands do not provide the same offerings or use blockchain technology. We should acknowledge that our strengths lie in our non-mainstream technology.
Resource: ADDX 2022
We have most of the elements for success;
we are just not presenting it well.
we are just not presenting it well.
The platform is not formatted for mobile, which contributes to a very poor engagement experience, that’s our biggest problem. The current solution is to block access to the platform on mobile and automatically route to the app page or put in a notice that strongly recommends the user to use the app for the best browsing experience.
We discovered some misleading user experiences in the previous design of the investment page.
- Exclusive offerings lose some of their appeal when presented in a laundry list of names.
- Lack of functions to facilitate effective browsing (e.g., filter, sort by).
- Much of what is sexy about these opportunities is buried in the sub-text, actual info page or greyed out tags.
We revisited the brand communication presentation since the 2021 launch of the ADDX brand and identified the following inconsistencies:
- Inconsistent brand graphic execution
- Unclear imagery style choice
- Inconsistent illustration style
- Lack of clear direction on using brand colors
We defined the brand tone of voice to determine how we communicate with our users and present our identity. The ADDX tone of voice should be a reflection of how we sound and act like as a brand. It ensures that our personality remains distinguishable at every touchpoint. Portrayed as a bold and inspiring change-maker, our brand leads the way in delivering impactful experiences to users.
The ADDX Brand Guidelines serve as an introduction to the brand identity of ADDX. The guide covers the brand’s concept and personality, in-depth design rules, as well as content style principles required to create a coherent visual language and brand expression.
I created the brand guidelines. Alongside the brand refresh process, we use the guidelines as the go-to reference when creating ADDX branded items. The guidelines are the foundation for the stories we want our brand, products, and services to tell. Here are some snippet of the guidelines.
Why prioritising web usability
“Users visiting a new site spend an average of 30 seconds on the homepage and less than 2 minutes on the entire site before deciding to abandon it. (They spend a bit more time if they decide to stay on a site, but still only 4 minutes on average.”
Hoa Loranger and Jakob Nielsen, 2006
Validate with credibility - Share about existing trends and behaviour to broaden ADDX’s narrative from a self-serving pitch to matter-of-fact reality.
- Place the top-tier funds front and center of the landing page.
- Add video walkthrough for better user understanding
Standardise a drop-down menu for all pages on the navigation bar, with a short sub-text on what that page and its sections are about. This minimises the need for people to understand the website by trial-and-error clicking.
Facilitate efficient browsing through investment offerings through adding Search, Sort and Filter options and showcasing more information for each offering in listings page.
- Offer investment recommendations
- Use known logos over abstract visuals to grab attention
- Order the product shelf to begin with the popular top-tier funds and arrange three cards in a row, allowing users to skim through them conveniently.
Add top-line information to the fund detail for easier browsing. Introduce a paywall to encourage users to sign up for an account, unlocking more confidential views.
ADDX Advantage is tailored for institutional investors and wealth managers, boasting its own distinctive brand expression with a B2B photography style and color scheme. Users should immediately engage with informative, inspiring, and actionable elements, as seen on the aspirational landing page for ADDX Advantage.
User-Centric Approach : Test early!
Despite challenges like time constraints and capacity limitations, comprehensive user testing during the prototype phase was hindered. If the project continues, I suggest prioritizing homepage testing to understand user needs and preferences. Analyzing feedback post-release will allow iterative design refinements for a more user-friendly experience.
Remote Work Challenges
Working remotely had its own challenges. Handing off the design and prototypes to the development team became a bit trickier because I couldn't just sit with the developers to fine-tune the site's responsiveness. Luckily, my direct supervisor, Acra Koh (the Senior Designer), jumped in and teamed up with the developer to ensure the site was responsive.
Even with some bumps in the road, our team has spiced up ADDX with a cool new vibe. I haven't given the whole website a makeover, but what we kicked off is a pretty exciting beginning. I'm pumped to keep going, jazz up the rest of the pages, and make sure users have a top-notch experience.