Summit Credit Union and L9 Change the Definition of a Credit Union Website

For about the past year now, the team at L9 has been working closely with the team at Summit Credit Union to re-create their credit union's website. Yes, "re-create". Usually when we work with a credit union to develop a new website, we would refer to it as a "re-design", but this has been much more, and it has been one of the most exciting and challenging projects

Phone Numbers Should Have Dashes, Not Dots

I would like to ask Cloud 9 readers a question... Why does everyone use dots in phone numbers now? Phone numbers are not web addresses, they are phone numbers. The convention that has potentially been around since Alexander Graham Bell is dashes. Why would we take it upon ourselves to change that convention? Is it because we think it looks cool? Well, obviously we do because it's all over the place now. Its so 1998.

The first time I saw the use of dots in phone numbers was probably about 14 years ago when I first started working as a designer. It was the "in" thing for designers to do way back then, and I also thought it was cool to put dots in phone numbers on designs like business cards, brochures, websites, etc. That is until I started to realize how important readability is. 

However unreadable it was, 14 years ago it was kind of original. Now its just annoying. For those of you that are wondering, here's how I believe a phone number should be formatted...

(800) 895-5988

or even...

800-895-5988

but not like this...

800.895.5988

I've even found other bloggers to ask... "Which one is more readable?"

So let's take a poll... Please comment to express which version you think is more readable and stylistically proper. If the majority of the world is now using dots and I'm just clueless, then please prove me wrong. If not, anyone who designs anything with a phone number on it, please stop using dots.

Why An Accelerated Timeline is Bad for Your Website Re-Design

The Declaration of Acceleration

We often get requests for "accelerated timelines" when we design and develop credit union websites. More often than not, its less of a request and more of a declaration by the client, "We have an accelerated timeline" they'll say. "We need the site to go live in 2 months". This has happened to us multiple times in recent years, and I am always disappointed when I hear it. Not because it means we'll have to work faster or harder or more diligently to produce the site; we already work to the fullest extent of our ability with as much swiftness as possible with every project we take on, but because it means that it is very possible that the client won't get the best result in the end. We never rush through a project because in our eyes, quality is more important than an accelerated delivery. It is very difficult to attain both.

Crucial Content Elements - What Members Look for First

What Really Matters for Credit Union Websites: REVISITED - Part Five

Because we are lucky enough to work with one type of industry, credit unions, we have a better opportunity to employ standards that we know work. This aligns with the types of content that credit union websites offer. Once the user gets past how to use your interface, they move on to how to find what they came for. Here are a few tips for credit union website content placement...

A Customer Experience Gone Bad Because of Poor Vendor Integration

First lets clear the air... I am officially admitting that I am a credit union traitor. I use a big bank. I have been a "customer" of TD Bank for almost 10 years. TD Bank is their fourth brand identity since I became a customer of the Franklin Lamoille Bank of Vermont in 2000. Then it was "Banknorth", then "TD Banknorth", and now "TD Bank". Maybe the reason their rates are so poor is because they've spent millions of dollars on re-branding the institution two times in the past three years.

Based on my terrible experience with them today, its blatantly obvious that not only have they switched brand identities, but they have also changed some of their processing systems to become "America's most convenient bank". Its also obvious that I know more about the inconveniences that those systems can create than some of the call center operators do.

I went online today to go through the 2 minute process of ordering deposit slips for my personal checking account. That 2 minute process became a 45 minute one. I went to the online banking site, logged in, and then found the "re-order" checks link. I selected the account I wanted to order for, and was blasted with a popup window that said "ERROR" in bright red text... "NO HISTORY FOR THIS ACCOUNT". I looked up in the left corner... I saw a logo that said "Harland Clarke". I thought "oh great."

Consistency is More Important than Creativity

What Really Matters for Credit Union Websites: REVISITED - Part Four

OK, now we are getting down to the nitty gritty of website design for credit unions. Just a pre-cursor to this article... I'm never one to discourage creativity, but always enforce how it is used on a website. The original article speaks for itself and is just as relevant now as it was when written.

Google Drops Support of IE6, L9 follows

Some of us got an email from Google this morning that was a delight to see. It said, among other things "...over the course of 2010, we will be phasing out support for Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 ​as well as other older browsers that are not supported by their own manufacturers."

Google claimed good reasons for discontinuing support of IE 6, including the introduction of HTML 5, but I still think the best reason was "browsers that are not supported by their own manufacturers." That made me think of the question, "what browsers does Microsoft really support?" I've had hundreds of problems with Internet Explorer over the years, and I think I can safely assume that Microsoft could care less about that. If I started sending emails to Microsoft asking them to build a browser that actually understood CSS like the other top browsers, they would probably give me a response that was similar to the one that email designers got when they told Microsoft that Outlook 2010 is broken... that it's that way for a reason.

The Benefits of Good Brand Representation

What Really Matters for Credit Union Websites: REVISITED - Part Three

In the original white paper about "What Really Matters for Credit Unions Online", I touched on the importance of brand presence on credit union websites. The intention was to emphasize that a good user experience makes for a good impression of your brand. This applies to every little detail on your site.

L9 Encourages You to Donate to Haiti Relief

I don't need to tell you how devastating the Haiti earthquake is. Its all over the news. However, I encourage you to donate to one of various relief funds that have been established. Credit Unions have joined the relief effort to support Haiti's strong credit union presence, and many other organizations are accepting donations to help with the efforts.

To Help Credit Union Employees and Members in Haiti:

CU Aid Activated for Credit Unions and CU Members to Help Victims of the Haiti Earthquake Port-au-Prince, HAITI (January 13, 2010) - The National Credit Union Foundation in conjunction with the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) has activated the online disaster relief system CUAid.coop to raise money for credit union employees, volunteers and members affected by the powerful 7.0 earthquake that has devastated much of the capital city, Port-au-Prince.

Donate Via iTunes or Google:

iTunes is supporting the Red Cross relief effort by allowing iTunes account holders to donate via the iTunes store. For the cost of an album, you can help the Red Cross. Follow this link to donate via iTunes.

There is also a lot of good information on the Google Crisis Response page. There are not only links to places you can donate, but also videos, maps, and a "people finder" resource to help locate missing loved ones in Haiti.

Please consider making at least a small donation to the relief. Thanks from the L9 team.