Vanguard Experience Innovation

Vanguard’s DNA is the red thread that enables its success - A leader of innovation. A pursuer of bold ideas. A trusted partner. These are the non-negotiables that separate Vanguard from competition.

As part of the commitment to invest in digital, a dedicated innovation team was determined to be paramount. Tapped to lead and build out an innovation practice centered on identifying business opportunities and consumer value propositions that cut across the 3 ambitions of innovation - core, adjacent, transformational. Developed concepts and market ready MVPs within untapped whitespace driving market differentiation.

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Key Outcomes:

  1. Developed native iOS app - first in Institutional Investor Group history

  2. Built and launched advice decision tool - algorithm based CUI experience with 45% click thru into advice services

  3. Created and launched website chatbot

  4. Built a Google Assistant voice bot in response to CARES Act

Role: Sr. UX Director

  1. Stood up and developed innovation practice as a core competency

  2. Led team of designers, strategists and researchers

  3. Set OKRs with measurable outcomes

  4. Pitched concepts to investment committee for full product funding

  5. Infused positive psychology and behavioral finance into experience strategy

Approach and Process:

  • By leveraging the double-diamond process and application of design thinking exercises, solved the right problem with the right solution.

    • zero based design - north star visioning and systematically walking backwards into an MVP

    • LUMA - facilitated design-thinking exercises and workshops

  • Designing features and experiences with intent, targeted at driving behavior change

    • Goal setting theory - motivational impact through goals (goals + feedback = better task performance)

    • Current vs future-self - leveraging insights and work from Hal Hershfield’s visualization of self and Walter Mischel’s 1972 marshmallow test

  • Encouraging participants to take action on the back of behavior based psychology

    • Nudges and next best actions

    • Endowment Effect - #1 reason why freemium models work

  • Employed several user experience research tactics to help identify, solidify and validate our stated hypothesis:

    • generative - primary and secondary research

    • qualitative - in person 1:1 conversations

    • quantitative - surveys at scale

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