Trading Platform Redesign
Redesigned and modernised a legacy pre-trade analysis platform to help institutional investors and portfolio managers make more efficient trading decisions
FinTech
B2B
Agile
Data Visualisation
Project Overview
Easing Complex Pre-Trade Analysis
This summer, I joined Instinet to redesign two key legacy components of their pre-trade analysis platform, as part of their global trading service. The platform serves institutional investors and portfolio managers in managing their portfolios.
My goal was not just to give the UI a modern makeover but also to optimise the data analysis experience and make it more customisable, empowering users to make more informed, quick, and tailored investment decisions.
My Role
UX Designer
Project Type
Internship
Timeline
Summer, 2024
Team
2 other Designers, Product Manager, Product Lead, Developers
Outcomes
Created high-fidelity wireframes and prototypes after iterations, ready for implementation
Led design sessions for sharing, defining, ideation and sketching
Delivered presentations in weekly critique sessions to gather feedback
Qualitative Impact
Andre Nogueira
Global Product Manager, Analytics
“Jenny took up a significant UX challenge effortlessly, in face of a compressed timeframe and the presence of many constraints, all limiting the range of solutions available. In spite of all that, she delivered not only an elegant solution, but a solution the whole team was happy to implement as quickly as possible, a reflection of the true value of the time she spent with us.”
Design Process
Design Sprints
We followed an iterative sprint-based approach focused on business value and product strategy. Each week began with research and ideation sessions, where I collaborated closely with the team to understand the user problems. After prototyping, we held focused design critiques with product managers and the engineering team. This strategic feedback loop enabled us to:
Validate technical feasibility early in the design process
Align design solutions with product vision and market needs
Prioritise features based on business impact
Ensure designs met specific user requirements
Maintain rapid iteration cycles through clear product direction
Design Collaboration
Use Various Ways to Present Ideas
Throughout the project, we found that mixing up different ways to present our ideas really helped quickly get everyone on the same page. Within our UX team, I ran several brainstorming sessions that encouraged everyone to use whatever format they wanted to visualise their ideas efficiently. When it came to sharing with stakeholders outside our team, we kept things practical by starting with sketches and even AI-generated prototypes to get early feedback, rather than jumping into detailed prototypes. This approach saved us tons of time and helped us zero in on the right direction faster.
Takeaways
Collaborating with Design Activities and Frequent Alignments
Through this project, I gained valuable experience in navigating design processes within a financial product team. Leading design sessions taught me how to facilitate creative discussions while keeping them focused on business goals. I also learned to adapt my communication style when presenting to different stakeholders, from quick sketches for immediate feedback to more detailed prototypes for further validation.
The frequent alignment meetings with product managers were particularly insightful, making me understand the product problems and prioritisation logic. This regular cadence of feedback and iteration helped me maintain project momentum while ensuring our design decisions were strategically sound.
Key learnings:
Facilitating effective design sessions that encourage diverse perspectives
Adapting presentation methods based on audience and project phase
Maintaining alignment between design vision and product strategy
Building efficient feedback loops with stakeholders