GIC History e-Book
GIC • 2014
The founding of GIC was a game changer in how Singapore would manage its foreign reserves. Yet, unconventional as it was then, GIC has a pre-history - its roots anchored in ideals and values affirmed in the crucible of the financial challenges facing the nation in its formative years. Uncovering bold beginnings of GIC and Dr Goh Keng Swee’s pivotal contributions to the reserves management and the GIC legacy.
Overview
In 2014, we helped GIC in creating a corporate education platform through a digital experience. This platform was designed to inspire GICians to be bold, progressive, and innovative, by highlighting how GIC has intertwined with Singapore's growth during its formative years.
This platform was reviewed by then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and was made publicly available in 2016.
Background
I was Lead User Experience Designer responsible for the experience strategy and the interaction design of the iPad app and the supporting website.
My role
Scoping and Planning
User Experience Strategy
Interaction Design
Activities
Challenges
When I took on the project, the company was in a period of transition. My colleague had left, a new Creative Director had arrived, and a Planning Team had just formed, all eager to make an impact.
The team had already presented a lofty concept and strategy to the client and it was rejected.
As the new guy, I wanted the new proposal to be grounded on the users. I needed to get the team on board with my approach. During a regroup, I initiated a workshop to model the user and their activities on the app.
We collectively agreed that our users were educated and motivated adults from GIC, who would use the app to read the manuscript casually. We resolved not to treat them like students, as proposed before I joined the project, requiring them to complete quizzes and rankings, as this could give them the impression of reading propaganda. To encourage usage, the platform should be conducive simply for reading, so GIC employees would not find it a chore to engage with the manuscript.
Discover
Desktop research and user interviews
4
GIC employee interviewed
10+
Apps and platform scanned
We did an extensive study on apps and websites with the same user goal. Many of them created different experience layers, such as note taking, learning, social, for the readers with reading as the base and the main focal point of those layers. The experience layers were designed not to be in your face, and they surface contextually based on what the users need.
We interviewed 4 GIC employees about their reading behaviour and what they expect in a reading app as well.
Design
Ways to Read and Navigate
WAYS TO READ Offer options to allow users to read the way they want to at the start.
WAYS TO NAVIGATE Highlight and allow users discover and to go to key events in the manuscript with ease.
WAYS TO NAVIGATE Easy to understand and learnable chapter navigation allow users to navigate to bookmark, chapters and parts of a chapter without opening a menu. Being able to see where you are in the manuscript creates a sense of anticipation as well.
USABILITY Text must be highly readable and easy on the eyes.
Design
Features and Personalisation
FEATURE Features and tools are subtly introduced as users read the manuscript.
PERSONALISATION Highlight and allow users discover and to go to key events in the manuscript with ease.
Conclusion
After an initial hiccup, both our GIC client and the Prime Minister of Singapore were pleased with the app, deciding to release it to the public. We also assisted GIC in creating a preview and resource website to support the app.
The app received a W3 2016 Awards Silver for Websites in General Website Categories for Government.