Building Strong Initiatives for Great User Experiences

In the high-paced landscape of design, where innovation is paramount, we sat down with Khun Piyachon Artkla, a visionary leader at the forefront of redefining the customer experience through design-value management frameworks and more. With an intricate team structure at Bangkok Bank consisting of Researchers, UX Designers, UI Designers, and UX Writers, Piyachon sheds light on their unique approach and the journey toward creating a bespoke and organizationally-focused workflow.

At the heart of Bangkok Bank’s digital product design success lies a cohesive collaboration strategy, seamlessly weaving together the diverse expertise of the Researchers, UX Designers, UI Designers, and UX Writer teams. Employing the double-diamond of Design Thinking, we emphasize the need for a tailored workflow, a departure from one-size-fits-all methodologies. This distinct approach allows us to navigate the complex landscape of design and deliver solutions that not only resonate with the end-users, but are also easily adopted by corporate management as well.

From Insights to Proposals

The crux of our innovative workflow lies in the discovery phase, where the team meticulously identifies customer needs. Unlike with conventional processes, our team translates these insights into tangible proposals for the business and management teams. This shift from assumptions to proposals showcases a commitment to data-driven decision-making, attempting to raise the bar for the banking industry.

Communicating Design Value in Business Terms

One of the most significant challenges in the design realm is articulating the value of user-centric designs to business stakeholders. We use a unique formula for achieving this process, which I will unveil and discuss at the upcoming event, which emphasizes the correlation between customer satisfaction and increased revenue. Moving beyond traditional metrics like Return on Investment (ROI) and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), this formula seeks to bridge the gap between design and business, elevating the discourse around the impact of design on the bottom line.

Quantifying Intangible Value and Fostering Innovation

Quantifying the intangible value of design remains an industry-wide challenge, but I can try to share our strategic approach. By conducting rigorous user testing and experimentation, and using data-driven results within our frameworks, the team is able to demonstrate the impact of their designs to internal stakeholders such as top management. However, the journey towards innovation is not without its hurdles, for example, with the intricacies of implementing Agile methodologies across all processes.

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Migrating to a Unified Ecosystem for Seamless Collaboration

Navigating the excess of collaboration tools posed an initial challenge for myself and our teams. When I first arrived, we used so many tools and platforms for collaboration including Sketch, Overflow and Zeplin. The migration to Figma emerged as a game-changer, offering universal accessibility and collaboration across various teams, whether it's the design team, dev team, or business teams. The transition, though it took from 6-12 months to complete, was challenging but it laid the foundation for streamlined collaboration, ensuring that every team - business, tech, or otherwise - could seamlessly work together on the same Figma files and collaborate in real time.

In a bid to save on implementation costs, we championed the use of design systems. The shift from hard-coded items to a system where components are pre-tested by QA ensures not only efficiency but consistency as well. It also reduces the risk associated with improper access or version control, and the unintentional altering of already established design components. This move towards a standardized approach in Figma, while impactful, comes with its own set of challenges. We introduced Fig Mayo as a solution, offering a single source of truth for design systems.

Empowering Design Teams for a User-Centric Future

The overarching objective for me is to influence design teams to rise above mere acceptance of requirements and stand unwaveringly for the user and the customer. Their journey, marked by innovation, collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of user satisfaction, serves as a beacon for design leaders navigating the constantly evolving landscape. I firmly believe that the future of design lies not only in innovation but in the intentional and strategic crafting of truly customer-centric workflows. 

“To inspire design teams to rise again”

In adopting a personalized approach, quantifying design value, and leveraging cutting-edge tools like Figma and Fig Mayo, Piyachon and his teams exemplify the true essence of design leadership. Their story serves as a roadmap for organizations seeking to revolutionize their design thinking, ensuring a future where user-centricity is not just a goal but a guiding principle complemented by a healthy workflow using customized frameworks and formulae.