Whenever a new conference pops up, skepticism is pretty high. The George UX Conf proved everyone wrong.
The doors opened on time at 08:00 at Erste Campus. More than 1,300 people from all over the world, from New Zealand to France, joined the very first George UX Conference remotely and on-site. And it was a total success.
When asked about what they expected, the majority of the attendees said that they want to hear “something about UX design”. Of course, the George UX Conf 2022 focused on design-related topics, but forming a connection between the attendees and taking a look at what’s coming in the future was at least equally important.
George UX Conf 2022
© Tamás Künsztler
Let’s eliminate complexity when it comes to finances
The question with the most challenging answer to find is still: how can we simplify the use of our financial applications?
“When people talk about finances, they seldomly connect it to design. And that’s bad. Designers are able to dissolve complexity and there is nothing more complex than the finance industry. Banking is not only for bankers anymore. It’s for everyone. Everyone here has a bank account.”
Maurizio Poletto, Chief Platform Officer at George Labs.
During the interesting talks from high-profile speakers, the audience got an insight not only into the struggles and challenges but also into the glory moments of designers from other companies. It became soon clear that nobody in the Grand Hall at Erste Campus was alone with their issues as UX designers.
George UX Conf 2022
© Tamás Künsztler
UX designers must keep up with constant changes
The field of UX design is surely an emerging one. Each and every day, designers are facing changes in their field and must tackle them within the blink of an eye. Also, the requirements of applications change fast.
“Technology doesn’t matter anymore. It’s important to create value. User experience is the only thing that matters now.”
Chris Crespo, Fintech Magazine
The George UX Conf did not only serve as a vibrant, fancy conference to gather visit cards. The primary purpose was to find out what UX designers are working on, how they cope with problems, and how they try to shape the future – the future of finances.
George UX Conf 2022
© Tamás Künsztler
But what will wait for them in the future?
Anything we do in our lives is connected to our money. So why don’t do it where the money lives?”
Ndubuisi Anyaoku, Revolut
Ndubuisi clearly sees the future of financial applications in connecting services to the bank account. At Revolut, customers are able to book a hotel directly via the bank. This function is called “Stay”. The goal is to increase value for the customer and thus create happy ones.
Banking is for everyone, so make bank applications for everyone.
The European Union adopted a new legal act with the aim to make the digital world more inclusive. Thus, from 2025, companies (except for microenterprises) must make their digital products and services accessible so anyone can use them.
“Accessibility does not serve unknown customers. We do that for our friends, families and all people that use our services.”
Stefanie Prinz, Head of UI/UX at Erste Group
George UX Conf 2022
© Tamás Künsztler
So what are the key takeaways from the George UX Conf 2022?
If we were cheesy, we’d say “the only constant is change”, but we truly see user experience design as a growing, developing area in the digital world. Also, the connection of services and products within banking applications is no wishful thinking anymore, it is already happening. So what important trait must UX designers have in order to be successful? They must be able to think outside of the box. Also, being fast is not a bad thing. Or at least being able to keep up with what’s happening around them.
George UX Conf 2022
© Tamás Künsztler
If you are interested in what makes George’s design so unique, take a look at this blog post.
