Our Goal

Transform the Retail website into a modern marketing tool that attracts new prospects, supports diverse personas, and effectively promotes mutual funds, ETFs, and Vanguard’s growing advice services.

The Challenge

The current Retail website was focused on education and meeting the needs of existing clients, but it didn’t cater to new investors, offer a shopping experience, or effectively position products and services in a competitive market.

The Team

As UX Manager, I directed a diverse team of 10 designers, strategists, and front-end developers, ensuring collaboration and synergy across all areas of the project. I worked closely with Michael Roberts, Chief Retail Marketing Officer, who guided the overall retail vision, and Rich Braunsberg, Director of Retail Content, who was instrumental in aligning content strategy with the design vision.

We partnered with frog design, whose expertise in innovation and customer-centric experiences played a critical role in shaping the project. Together, we navigated a 14-week engagement, from initial ideation to final execution.

Vanguard Executives 6

Vanguard Core Working Team 16

frog design 6

Strategy

Immersion, Research, and Stakeholder Interviews

Design Concepts for “Advise a New Generation”

The world is different now

Careers are unpredictable, major life moments have evolved, priorities have shifted, and individuals are taking on greater responsibility and authorship in the design of their lives.

Improved Navigation

Exploration and testing of a new navigation structure aimed at improving user experience. This involved researching current navigation challenges, developing multiple design prototypes, and conducting user testing to evaluate their effectiveness. Through iterative testing and feedback, we refined the navigation to enhance usability and ensure it met user needs effectively.

The Design

The Result

We successfully transformed Vanguard’s retail website into a more engaging, market-driven platform, enhancing its marketing functionality.

• Achieved a 22% increase in prospect engagement with key products, particularly ETFs.

• Established a strong social strategy, contributing to increased awareness and engagement in the fourth quarter post-launch.

• Laid the foundation for the successful pilot and future launch of Vanguard’s Robo Advice tool.

• Enhanced the marketing functionality of the platform, allowing for more targeted and effective campaigns.

• Strengthened the overall user experience, leading to improved user satisfaction and retention rates.