Turning a knob clockwise tightens it. English words are read from left to right. The brake pedal is to the left of the gas pedal, and stop signs are red. Whether one realizes it or not, humans regularly rely on consistent conventions and standards in order to carry out everyday tasks.
This idea of predictability is crucial to navigating the Bloomberg Terminal. It’s also a key usability heuristic for user interface design, as outlined by the Nielsen Norman Group.
Given the depth of our software, and its thousands of functions, consistency of the interface is critical to ensuring our clients are able to navigate through noise and access the data they need — quickly.
How does Bloomberg ensure its application provides a consistent end-user experience, despite the number of “chefs in the kitchen”? How are UI enhancements made to a product that’s “always on”? And, how does the User Experience (UX) team advocate for a predictable experience on the Terminal, so clients can access data they don’t even know they need yet?
Here are three of the many “principles of consistency” that Bloomberg’s UX team abides by:
Listen to the client
Increasingly, Bloomberg’s UX team has aligned closely with Sales teams, to act as the authority on consistency and predictability concerns. Whether working in the office or remotely, the UX team is in constant communication with Sales, ensuring that customer feedback is always highlighted. Among the questions typically discussed are: what workflows can be improved? and what are the disparities between what clients expect and how the interface responds?
This close partnership between Sales and UX has helped identify opportunities for product improvement. Even tweaks that might seem minor — such as increasing the prominence of a setting that lets a user “view more content,” or adding a default “autosave” feature to a settings screen — can have a tangible impact on how users discover and adopt new functionality. These efforts, in aggregate, have bolstered the UX team’s goal to provide a consistent and satisfying user experience to clients. This has also created a feedback loop that allows for ongoing improvements. By building a knowledge-base of client feedback, the UX team is able to refine and apply some of that expertise every time a new UI is released to clients.
Embed Consistency in the Software Development Lifecycle
While Bloomberg prides itself on adapting its tools in rapid response to market events, consistency isn’t a box that can be checked as the last phase in the release process. To truly deliver a unified product to clients, the organization bakes in consistency throughout the software development lifecycle. How?
We’ve fostered a community of UX advocates throughout our Engineering department who evangelize consistency and design and act as sounding boards to their partners. Also, Bloomberg makes UX standards documentation (both design and technical content) readily accessible through internal collaboration systems, so all stakeholders have access and are held accountable to them. Engineers are expected to live up to high standards for product uniformity, and are given the resources and support to ensure their success.
In addition, training is provided to new hires in various departments, ensuring they are made aware of the design conventions in the Terminal’s UI — and are applying these concepts from the earliest stages of their application design and development.
Create an Enterprise Culture of Consistency
At Bloomberg, all stakeholders contribute to delivering a unified experience to our clients regardless of team or role. Engineers ensure they are implementing the latest rendering technologies, salespeople work to articulate the most relevant product knowledge, technical writers ensure robust online help and enhancement notifications, and customer support leaders ensure that our clients receive a quality help desk experience regardless of what day or time they call.
Given the various touchpoints a client may have with Bloomberg, it’s crucial to foster an environment where everyone advocates for the client experience. Some ways Bloomberg does this are:
- Internal ticketing systems allow every employee to submit a request and vocalize areas for development;
- Designers, project managers, technical writers and engineers collaborate on teams dedicated to UX standards;
- Bloomberg provides open forums for employees to comment on emerging UX guidelines
Consistency isn’t ever ‘finished’ or ‘perfect’; it’s an ever-evolving conversation around what design conventions should be. These principles help bring consistency to Bloomberg’s dynamic interface, ensuring the Terminal’s iconic design continues to shape financial markets for years to come.
We’re hiring! Browse open job opportunities