Unify & Simplify:

enhancing user experience at on global scale at Citi

AVP Visual Design, Global UX

05.2022 - 07.2024

Introduction

During my two years as AVP of Design on Citigroup’s Global UX Team, I had the privilege of working alongside, and learning from, an exceptional team of designers and creative leaders, as well as world-class subject-matter experts in the areas of research and analytics. One of my key contributions was collaborating with senior leadership on the organization and establishment of Citi's first UX Center of Excellence, which became an important touchstone for Citi UX teams worldwide.

To protect the interests of Citigroup, I have omitted confidential information and unreleased features. The content of this case study is focused solely on my own experiences and work. It does not necessarily reflect the views or official positions of Citigroup.

Institutional Challenges

Siloed Design Teams without clear lines of communication
Overlapping user journeys and a complex system of personas
10 Separate Portals, each with fragmented & complex UX
Fragmented API and inconsistency across the Developer Experience

Organization-Wide Goals

Unified Digital Storefront with simplified UX
Simplified API-based out-of-the-box connectivity
Unified Digital Experiences across FX & Cash/Trade
Brand consistency across all enterprise products
Establish a UX Center of Excellence as single source of truth for Citi UX

Role & Responsibilities

My responsibilities encompassed a range of activities, from developing global design strategies to hands-on design work for critical projects. Broadly speaking, my role & responsibilities can be divided into the following three primary areas:

Strategy and Operations
Collaborated directly with senior UX leadership to establish Citi’s Global UX best practices.
UX Mentorship
Acted as liaison between UX leadership and teams across the larger organization to provide education on UX best practices and design fundamentals, along with actionable UX solutions to non-UXers across numerous teams.
Hands on Design
When a project or team lacked required skills, or simply needed extra support, I stepped in to provide fresh eyes and an extra set of hands.

Select Projects & Initiatives

The Citi Developer Portal & API Marketplace

Under the direction of the Global Head of UX Design, I collaborated closely with the Head of Developer Experience, and the dual Heads of UX Research on a comprehensive audit of the existing Developer Portal and overall Developer Experience.

In addition to participating in high-level strategy meetings, I worked directly on features prioritization and created detailed, multi-year roadmaps.

CitiVelocity Notifications Panel

Worked on the redesign of the CitiVelocity Notification Panel, which was an integral part of the larger CitiVelocity Redesign. The project aimed to streamline communications and improve user engagement by delivering timely and relevant dashboard notifications while not inundating users with unnecessary information or interruptions.

ICG Global Design System

Acted as liaison to the DS Team for the Global UX Team Made meaningful contributions to the ICG Design System and the Design System Documentation.
Created on Components for the Notifications Library, including push notifications, in-app notification panels, and notification badges.
Owned documentation (initial creation and ongoing maintenance) for the following sections: Notifications, Typography, Color, and Design Tokens.

Since joining Citi, Maggie has been a fantastic teammate and partner to my team. Her skills are versatile and she has made significant contributions to the design and communication language for the developer experience, including designing presentations for high-level stakeholders ... and advising on content for communications and making sure that our messages and calls-to-action are appropriate and impactful.

Claire Olsson

Director of Developer
Experience at Citi