Designing your next branch with member engagement in mind

When you think about designing a branch with member engagement in mind, what do you think of first? Do you think of colors and interior design elements that reinforce your brand? Or maybe you think about making sure you’re in compliance with any local CC&Rs?

Those things are important, to be sure, and should be included in the branch design process. But those kinds of things aren’t the best place to start. Here are 4 things to keep in mind as you design your next branch. If you do these well, your branch will drive the kind of measurable financial results you’re looking for.

Understand your members’ expectations

Start by understanding your members—specifically the members in the area surrounding the branch. What is their expectation as far as technology? What is the local demand for the types of products and services they’re most likely to need?

Leveraging available data sources can provide you with the insights necessary to understand stage of life, range of income, and level of education. If you’re working with a design-build partner on designing your branch, this is something you should look for—a partner who will do the work of extracting important insights about your potential members to guide your design decisions.

Determine the best branch type for your specific location

Every branch should be sized and optimized based on its specific location. If it will be in a location with a huge opportunity for deposit and loan growth, build a flagship branch with all the bells and whistles. If the opportunity for growth is more modest, size the branch down so it’s calibrated to the size of the opportunity. Maybe you should be looking to build a storefront or micro-branch location.

Again, your design-build partner should offer clear recommendations based on the projected performance of your location. Whoever you work with, make sure they provide the necessary information to drive the design, layout, and size of your branch.

Consider the full member journey when creating a floor plan

Before you start choosing finishes and colors, think through every step of the member journey from the time they pull into the parking lot to when they walk back out to their car. What will they see? What do you want them to experience?

For example, some credit unions opt for a welcome desk right inside the front door because they encourage members to make an appointment whenever possible so they get personalized service for exactly what they need that day. Others opt for a more open floor plan where members can easily see teller pods and into any office space so they can quickly identify where they need to go to accomplish their task for that visit.

And, what will happen at each stage of the visit? What kind of technology will credit union team members need to access during a visit and how will that be woven seamlessly into the layout of the branch? Will any handoffs between credit union team members be necessary? If so, how will those handoffs work? Once a member has completed their visit for the day, what will they see and experience on their way out the door? Should we plan a design element that creates a memorable impression as they are leaving?

The only way to consistently deliver a high-quality member experience is to curate that experience from start to finish. That means considering the floor plan as a key element of creating a deeper sense of engagement with your members.

Add your brand-specific and community-driven elements as the finishing touch

With member expectations, branch type, and floor plan and technology decisions made, you can move on to design finishes. This is where you bring in your brand colors and shapes through creative elements—signage (including digital signage), architectural features (both interior and exterior), textures, and materials.

For the exterior, consider including a bold, memorable design feature that can remind people of your brand 24/7—your version of McDonald’s golden arches. For the interior, consider colors and surfaces that are consistent with your brand and what you want members to feel while they’re in the branch.

Remember to include elements that will connect each branch to the specific community where it’s located. What will communicate to members and potential members that this branch was custom-designed for this community in this location?

To design a branch that drives member engagement, every nuance and detail must be considered and handled with care. If you do that, you’ll serve your members and the surrounding community well and set up your branch to produce predictable, long-term growth.