High-net-worth and institutional investors expect clarity, confidence, and speed. The digital experience must reflect fiduciary credibility. Northern Trust Asset Management (NTAM) engaged Huge to reimagine their website experience for professional investors and asset allocators. The challenge was not aesthetic refresh, it was digital credibility. Information density, product navigation, performance data, and regulatory constraints all needed to coexist without overwhelming users. I was brought in to lead research and usability validation across the build.
The challenge
Financial complexity creates friction fast.
Navigation, product comparison, and performance data must feel effortless.
The existing experience struggled with product discoverability, dense performance data, and blurred distinctions between institutional and retail-facing content. Navigation required users to work too hard to understand where they were and what they were seeing.
In financial services, friction equals doubt. If users hesitate while interpreting performance tables or comparing funds, credibility erodes. The challenge was to simplify without diluting complexity, and to create confidence without oversimplifying the product story.
My approach
I led research across prototype iteration, moderated testing, and insight-to-design translation.
I led the research workstream across planning, moderation, synthesis, and iteration. I authored the research plan, structured scenario-based usability sessions, developed discussion guides, and moderated interviews with target investor profiles. I worked in close partnership with designers throughout the build. Wireframes were reviewed together before testing. Prototypes were refined between rounds based on structured synthesis. Insight translation happened in real time, not weeks later. Research was embedded inside the sprint cadence, influencing decisions while they were still fluid.
The work progressed through iterative prototype validation cycles, beginning with information architecture and navigation logic before visual design was finalized. Early sessions focused on how users located funds, interpreted grouping structures, and formed mental models of the site. As fidelity increased, we tested interactive prototypes under realistic investment scenarios. Participants were asked to compare products, retrieve performance data, interpret disclosures, and navigate between asset classes. Moderation focused on confidence and decision flow, where hesitation occurred, where hierarchy failed, and where labeling introduced ambiguity. Each round concluded with prioritized synthesis that translated directly into design adjustments. Navigation labels were clarified, filtering logic refined, data tables restructured, and comparison experiences streamlined, then retested to validate improvement.
The impact
Validated Information Architecture, and interaction model prior to full development.
Investors seek structural clarity before visual polish. Navigation confidence determines exploration depth. Clean hierarchy, consistent grouping, and legible performance data build trust faster than visual innovation ever could. Comparison workflows were central to engagement. When side-by-side evaluation felt intuitive, perceived sophistication increased. When users struggled to orient themselves within performance tables, confidence dropped quickly. Subtle trust markers, documentation accessibility, regulatory transparency, disciplined typography, reinforced institutional credibility when presented without interruption.
The final website launched with a validated information architecture and interaction model. Navigation clarity improved early orientation, comparison flows supported investor workflows, and performance data became easier to interpret without oversimplification.
The result was not just a polished interface. It was a de-risked digital experience, shaped through structured iteration and tight collaboration between research and design.