The Ultimate in Corporate UX

Hey everyone!

No, I'm not trying to flatter myself with this title: this is the very last post for UXploration. With Winter session starting soon, I'm wrapping up Fall with a couple examples of companies that offer several services to the users.

The Good: Credit Karma

I confess: I use Credit Karma. I further confess that using CK got me out of debt. Or rather, keeping active tabs on my credit score was a huge motivation for me to improve my credit utilization and clean up my finances.

Credit Karma now offers many services, including personalized credit card and loan offerings (how they make money so that you can have free services), fee-free savings and checking accounts. Their website is clean, everything is clearly defined, with easy-to-find information about the many different services available. If you're in need of a pristine example of UX, Credit Karma is, in my opinion, the model to follow. They make a topic that is big and scary (PERSONAL FINAAAANCE!) and make it easy to navigate.

Needs Improvement: Diller Scofidio + Renfro

While the photos they've chosen for their site are beautiful and interesting, a careful perusal of their homepage tells you absolutely nothing about the company. Folks, if your website does not immediately tell your users what your business does, you have failed in the most basic way. Add to it that DS+R's site has only a few buttons, none of which are especially specific, and you have a very fancy, very fast depletion of your audience's goodwill. 

On an oddly specific note, I'd like to address my fellow designers. Guys and dolls, please consider: most users will likely have only a vague idea of what "index" means, and it will usually make them think of the back of a textbook. Please, make your navigation simple and clear.

I hope you've enjoyed these posts as much as I have, and that you've learned a little more about how to make design that works for users. Now get out there and keep UXploring!