Banking on a community led spatial narrative
By N Jayalakshmi | September 12, 2024
A look at how Indonesia Bank Danamon engaged British experience design agency I-AM Associates to transform their in-branch customer experience.
Spatial design and experience in the services industry is about ensuring a seamless harmony between aesthetic elements and the ambient vibe, making sure they come together as a whole to convey the brand narrative. For brands in the financial services sector, like in any other services sector, this entails keeping customer experience at the core of it. This was the central idea when leading Indonesian Bank Danamon engaged British experience design agency I-AM Associates to transform their in-branch customer experience.
The objective was to better represent Bank Danamon’s‘Guiding Light’ brand purpose and adapt to fast-changing needs of their customers in the context of their developing omni-channel banking strategy.
As I-AM Associates shared with Retail4Growth, Bank Danamon's branch transformation project happened through physical and digital spaces. The design team’s approach essentially involved having the Indonesian people, above all else, at its heart. “Our concept reverses the emphasis of the branch from transactions to relationships. We created vibrant, community-led and locally relevant venues to illuminate, connect and share - helping Danamon to guide customers towards life-led financial wellbeing,” said Paul Tynan, the project's Creative Director, I-AM. The Project management from Jakarta was done by Martin Nugrohoat I-AM.
“We are proud of our work with Bank Danamon as it was recently awarded at Asia Blaze Awards in the best Bank category. With the success of this project, I-AM now has a presence in Jakarta, hoping to enhance the experience design industry in the region,” shared I-AM.
“We love working with the Bank Danamon Team and it's gratifying to see the hard work paying off. Throughout 2023, Danamon Consumer Banking’s assets grew by 41% year-on-year through various initiatives, including our design contributions,” the I-AM team shared.
Speaking about the project, Andreas Kurniawan Chief Digital & Analytics Officer, Bank Danamon, said,“ I-AM has helped Danamon transform its retail branches from a model focused on transaction to a relationship model with a strong focus on advisory and community engagement. The lounge style design provides privacy and comfort for financial discussions, while also offering a showcase to engage our local customers. a real first in Indonesia.”
It also goes to show that community is increasingly becoming central to design thinking, whether it’s about designing a store or a bank’s branch or any other customer facing space.
