Fund Flows
The team faced the challenge of creating a user-friendly interface for Portfolio and Equity Managers, addressed by a straightforward dashboard, along with detailed documentation and support.
Team: 1x Product Designer, 4x Engineers · Timeframe: October 2022 - January 2023
TL; DR - How I contributed
01. Led end-to-end design and strategy for the project, aligning with key stakeholders.
02. Ensured continuous improvement through agile methods and user-centric feedback.
03. Developed a 12-month vision design roadmap.
Overview
Intropic's core product, Index Intelligence, is a specialised financial forecasting solution designed specifically for index rebalance specialists.
The challenge for Fund Flows was to create a user-friendly interface for Portfolio and Equity Managers who were not familiar with the complexities of index rebalancing. We created a simple dashboard that allowed users to upload a list of equities and monitor their forecasted demand on different trade dates across several indexes. The dashboard displayed the data in an easily digestible format with charts and tables that allowed users to quickly identify potential risks and opportunities.
We also provided detailed help documentation and support to help users navigate the tool and understand the data.
Challenges
Developing the product posed a challenge as there wasn't a dedicated product manager. I stepped into that role, managing tasks like identifying user needs, conducting market research, and ensuring the product met stakeholder expectations.
To navigate this, I adopted agile methodologies, working in two-week sprints to keep the project on track and deliver continuous value. Drawing on my expertise in bug bashing and design critiques, I addressed issues during these sprints.
Additionally, research was particularly challenging given the technical nature of the product and the secrecy around portfolio management strategies. Portfolio managers are often reluctant to share details of their strategies, making it difficult to obtain the necessary insights and feedback to inform the product development process.
Despite challenges, we built an MVP in three weeks. Continuous feedback and iteration ensured that Fund Flows provided relevant insights for our target audience.
Outcome
Fund Flows was one of the most motivating projects I have worked on. Starting from scratch without a clear vision of what the final product would look like was a daunting challenge, but also an opportunity to design a product that could truly make a difference in the industry.
Over the course of the project, I was able to develop a 12-month vision design that captured the needs of our users and stakeholders, as well as identified potential areas for growth and innovation. This process involved a significant amount of research, ideation, and iteration, but it was ultimately a rewarding experience to see the product evolve from an idea to a functional tool that provided value to our users.