A passing thought on bank architecture

By: Michael Lipe, creative director, February 19, 2009

The other day I was driving around town and noticed how impressive (and increasingly modern) the architecture behind some of the small community banks has become.

Clearly, a “design” arms race has evolved within the banking industry with each bank trying to out do the next with some of the sharpest architectural and interior design around. And it got me to thinking, this arms race has not yet infected the world of online banking. Some of the banks that have the most beautiful buildings also have some of the most underdeveloped website interface designs.

As online banking becomes more the norm, fewer and fewer customers will rely on the design of the bricks and mortar of their banking institutions, and more on the design and functionality of their bank’s web presence to determine where they do their business. Now, that is not to say that onsite image/branding/curb appeal is not a critical factor for a bank to reach their customer base. But what I am saying is that a bank’s website should be every bit as sharp and appealing as their building’s facade.

We have had the opportunity to develop a few different financial institution websites over the years, and in fact, we will be releasing a new design for a local Credit Union in a few weeks (stay tuned for that) that we hope will more effectively reflect the progressive nature of their products and services. It’s been an interesting experience, and is one that will be a great “before and after” piece to show how the same information can be greatly enhanced with an interface overhaul.

I have often said, and will say again, although your mother taught you not to judge a book by its cover, if you consider what our habits are when browsing through the shelves of a bookstore, we are, in fact, looking for a compelling cover. The cover should be a visual forerunner to the content of the book, therefore making the design of the jacket a crticial part of the success of the book. Now, a great cover will not make a book a best-seller, but it can make a best-seller fly off the shelves. That is colloboration of form and function (again back to the architectural references), and is a critical aspect of marketing that is often overlooked.