Where architectural calm meets mechanical grace.

Arclight

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EXPERIENCE DESIGN

Credit Suisse’s existing loan application process was lengthy and complex, creating friction for clients and relationship managers. Our goal was to streamline this process to improve client experience, empower relationship managers, and transform risk management.

SERVICES

Design Thinking
User Experience

INDUSTRY

Financial Services

Using design thinking and rapid automation we reimagined the loan approval process, enabling a seamless experience for both end users and internal teams.

KEY INSIGHTS

Common themes emerged around the frustrations and bottlenecks in the loan application process.

Stakeholder needs centered around improving speed, reducing complexity, and enhancing overall usability.
There was a shared consensus on the importance of automating time-consuming tasks to increase efficiency.

We kicked off the project by immersing ourselves in the complexities of the loan process through extensive user research. In just 11 days, we conducted interviews with 23 users across 8 different business areas, gathering critical insights from stakeholders in Zurich, Hong Kong, New York, and London. These insights illuminated key pain points and user needs, which helped identify the major areas for improvement.

RESEARCH & DISCOVERY

PHASE ONE

KEY INSIGHTS

Common themes emerged around the frustrations and bottlenecks in the loan application process.

Stakeholder needs centered around improving speed, reducing complexity, and enhancing overall usability.
There was a shared consensus on the importance of automating time-consuming tasks to increase efficiency.

RESEARCH & DISCOVERY

PHASE ONE

SERVICES

We employed a structured approach to ideation, helping the team:

Dive deep into the user insights.
Explore diverse ideas and solutions to solve the identified issues.
Prioritize solutions that would deliver the most impact in the shortest time frame.

With research insights in hand, we gathered a team of subject matter experts for a collaborative ideation workshop. Over several sessions, we defined a shared vision for the redesigned process. Our goal was to bridge the gap between the current experience and the desired outcome, creating a more efficient, user-friendly, and automated system.

ideation

PHASE two

SERVICES

our iterative process

Refine: Iterative cycles of refining the prototype were conducted, incorporating feedback and eliminating ineffective solutions.
Build: Initial prototypes were built to represent our ideas.
Test & Learn: We continuously gathered user feedback to evaluate what worked and what didn’t.
Evaluate: We validated that our solution truly addressed the pain points and enhanced the user experience.

Armed with a collective vision and a clear set of priorities, we rapidly moved to prototyping. Within 14 days, we delivered an interactive clickable prototype demonstrating the new, improved automated loan application process. This allowed us to visualize the flow and quickly test assumptions with real users.

rapid prototyping

PHASE three

SERVICES

The iterative process culminated in the creation of an MVP that automated the loan approval journey. By the end of the project, the streamlined process empowered relationship managers by freeing them from manual tasks and reducing the complexity of the loan offering. The automated system helped mitigate risks and ensured a smoother, faster loan approval process for clients.

delivery & mvp

PHASE FOUR

SERVICES

time savings

The new system significantly reduced processing times, allowing for quicker approvals.

Improved User Experience

Clients and relationship managers reported an enhanced experience, with a simpler and more transparent loan application process.

Risk Mitigation

The automated process introduced stronger risk management capabilities, ensuring greater consistency and accuracy in decision-making.

Feedback Loops

Ongoing feedback mechanisms were established, ensuring continuous improvement post-launch.

results & impact

By leveraging rapid research, iterative prototyping, and user-centric design thinking, we successfully transformed a complex and outdated loan approval process into a streamlined, automated solution. This project exemplifies how fast-paced, collaborative approaches can drive innovation and tangible business outcomes.

time savings

The new system significantly reduced processing times, allowing for quicker approvals.

Improved User Experience

Clients and relationship managers reported an enhanced experience, with a simpler and more transparent loan application process.

Risk Mitigation

The automated process introduced stronger risk management capabilities, ensuring greater consistency and accuracy in decision-making.

Feedback Loops

Ongoing feedback mechanisms were established, ensuring continuous improvement post-launch.

results & impact

By leveraging rapid research, iterative prototyping, and user-centric design thinking, we successfully transformed a complex and outdated loan approval process into a streamlined, automated solution. This project exemplifies how fast-paced, collaborative approaches can drive innovation and tangible business outcomes.