the learning branch:
bank branch of the future
MIT Mobile Experience Lab x Banco Bradesco (2014-2016)
This was one of my first sponsored-research projects I led at MIT Design Lab. During this 2 year long project, we conducted research on the needs and issues within banking branch spaces, future digital banking technologies and service trends, to propose a concept for a ‘learning branch’. The project also involved construction of a full-scale spatial prototype in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which was used as a ‘living-lab’ to body storm and test digital and service interactions with stakeholders.
The branch of the future for financial learning and personal services
The Learning Branch
What will happen to the branch space when transactional banking moves to the digital? We envisioned a branch space that is dedicated to improving financial and digital literacy.
Quick ATM and lounge
Tangible information table
Wisdom bar to learn about digital banking
Wisdom bar and flex consultation space
Creating a full-scale spatial prototype
Full-scale spatial foam prototype for in-situ testing of digital/service experiences
Distributed digital media and services are becoming more integrated to the spatial experience. This experience of the digital-hybrid needs a tangible method to asses its spatial legibility, digital interaction, and user experience. We propose a two-phased body-storming design and testing, to evaluate a novel concept of the Learning Branch for the financial industry, a flexible space that supports learning of digital financial services.
The body storming exercises in both phases occurred within a full-scale, low-fidelity spatial prototype, where proposed interior environment was simulated with lightweight foam construction. The prototyped space was overlaid with digital experiences by introducing mobile apps and interactive media, from touch screens to visual projections. Final layer of service experience was added during the workshop sessions through enactment of service scenarios to test interactions between potential users and employees.
Bodystorming in a Spatial Prototype
Bodystorming Workshop
The two-phase testing involved over 130 employees in the corporate bank, from various departments. Overall, the full-scale bodystorming provided an opportunity to have a ‘living-lab’ where new services could be evaluated through physical simulation, perform in-situ iteration and brainstorming of ideas, as well as uncover related issues and values related to HCI, such as privacy, in/exclusivity, complexity, acceptability, and implement-ability.
For more information about the workshop, please refer to this publication:
Lim, Yihyun, and Federico Casalegno. "Contextual Evaluation of Digital Media Through Experience-Focused Participatory Bodystorming in a Full-Scale Spatial Prototype." International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. Springer, Cham, 2019.
