Swell Investing: Building a Radically Transparent Investing Platform
Company Swell Investing
Introduction Date May 16, 2017
Project Website https://www.swellinvesting.com/portfolios
Why is this project worthy of an award?
When most people think about planning for the future, they think of contributing to their employer’s 401(k) or stashing money in an IRA. Many of those dollars go into mutual funds or ETFs--baskets of securities made up mostly of stocks and bonds. Once that money is set up and stowed away, investors often don’t give it a second thought. But the companies whose stocks are in those portfolios stand to benefit from those investors’ money. This happens regardless of the company’s focus and industry, so those retirement dollars could very easily be supporting companies the investor doesn’t necessarily believe in. What happens if an investor likes to shop at the farmer’s market, believes in responsible corporate policies, and never uses single-use plastic bags when out shopping? How can they be sure that their investments are ethical? In order for those consumers to take a look in their funds and find out whether their investments line up with their values, they would be required to reach out to their retirement provider and request a prospectus for those funds. Often, even in socially responsible funds, they will find companies like Wells Fargo, Monsanto, and ExxonMobil, among others. When Swell Investing launched in May of 2017, it introduced an entirely different way for the retail investor to plan for the future, without sacrificing returns. In addition to offering taxable accounts, Swell offers IRAs and 401(k) rollovers into six portfolios, which not only do not include companies in negative industries like tobacco and firearms, but actually map to the UN Sustainable Development Goals--meaning each company is making money by solving social and environmental challenges. Since long-term trends like moving towards renewable energy and the need for clean, safe drinking water aren’t going anywhere, the portfolios are also poised to drive returns. In fact, the combined performance of the portfolios (https://www.swellinvesting.com/portfolios) beat the S&P 500 from inception 9/30/2016 through 3/31/2018. One of Swell’s innovative features is the fact that investors can actually see each company they’re invested in and why Swell included it. For example, in the Zero Waste portfolio, there is a company called Mohawk Industries which makes carpets out of recycled plastic water bottles, saving them from our landfills and oceans. In the Clean Water portfolio there are companies that use Internet of Things technologies to track and manage water use in municipalities. The platform makes it possible for investors to connect with the companies they’re invested in to an extent that hasn’t been seen before in the retail market. Not only can consumers invest seamlessly online, but they can also connect their capital personally to each company in the same way they do when they make responsible choices like refusing to buy plastic water bottles or choosing to ride a bike versus drive to work.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
Founder Dave Fanger took a unique approach when designing Swell by teaming up with design thinking firm IDEO and using their principles to build out the product. Each feature within Swell begins as a prototype. Then, each subsequent iteration is tested with current and prospective investors to gather feedback and incorporate it into the product. This human-centered approach means that each update to the product is intuitive and easy to use for the investor. Swell is also unique in the investing world because, unlike a mutual fund or ETF, Swell offers separately managed accounts (SMAs). During consumer research with IDEO, the Swell team learned that investors want customization in their investments. With SMAs, investors can deselect up to three companies from their Swell “mix” in the event that they find a company name that doesn’t align with their personal values. Traditionally, SMAs have been used by high net worth and institutional investors. Swell makes them available to nearly anyone for a $50 minimum. A recent example of user insights determining the direction of the product was Swell’s new account experience released in January of 2018. In research, the product and design team discovered that Swell investors wanted to learn more about their individual investment performance in the context of larger market movements. They wondered how broader financial news was specifically impacting Swell’s thematic portfolios, and wanted to dig into the companies in their portfolios. Swell’s product, design, and engineering team worked with investors to build out a new account experience that includes weekly market commentary and more information on each portfolio from news articles to performance graphs. Investing can seem complicated and intimidating. Swell’s team works to make sure that it’s as simple and approachable as possible. Within minutes, it’s possible for even new investors to sign up, link their bank account, and fund their account for as little as $50. And further, each investor can easily dive into their Swell portfolios and actually see the impact that each company is making on the world, helping them double down on their positive impact.
Who worked on the project?
Dave Fanger, CEO and Founder of Swell Investing
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Texas Monthly
Company Upstatement
Introduction Date January 24, 2018
Project Website https://www.texasmonthly.com/
Why is this project worthy of an award?
Texas Monthly has chronicled life in contemporary Texas since 1973, reporting on vital issues such as politics, the environment, industry, and education. The magazine is known for astute political commentary and compelling longform narrative nonfiction.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
Like many legacy publications, Texas Monthly maintained two largely distinct staffs for print and web. The core of this magazine and website redesign was a reorganization of Texas Monthly's editorial teams around content verticals rather than medium. Now, whether you’re leafing through physical pages or scrolling through digital pages, you’ll feel like you’re reading Texas Monthly.
Who worked on the project?
Tito Bottitta - Creative Director Kim Miller - Lead Designer Jon Heller - Lead Engineer Ali Aas - Designer Cameron Stewart - Producer
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The new Walmart.com: A Clean and Modern Digital Shopping Experience
Why is this project worthy of an award?
Shopping at Walmart is now faster and easier than ever before because of the new Walmart.com. Every single day, millions of people trust the world's largest company to make their life better through a seamless shopping experience, both in store and online. The new Walmart.com does just that, translating the best parts of the retailers stores–like the friendliness of its greeters and the local preferences of its shoppers–for the web. The new look and feel features a modern, clean design, relatable photography, more local and personalization elements and specialty shopping experiences. The design evokes the emotion of a high-end lifestyle brand and appeals to anyone, whether you're shopping for fashion, diapers, laundry detergent or a new dining room table. On the back-end, it balances algorithmic recommendations with human curation. Something Walmart is especially well positioned to deliver customers given its 4,700 stores across the country. New specialty shopping experiences allow customers to conveniently shop specific categories from groceries and household essentials to those looking for a new couch that want to be inspired while browsing the different options. And while it looks different, Walmart’s commitment to offering low prices remains as strong as ever through services like two-day shipping and free in-store pickup.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
The redesign is about more than form, it’s also about function. One of the key changes made was to add more local and personalized elements, something that Walmart is especially well-positioned to do in light of its more than 4,700 stores across the country. In fact, the majority of the homepage is personalized in some way. A new section showcases top-selling items in a customer’s location, features a customer’s local store profile, including availability of services such as Online Grocery, order status, and Easy Reorder, which lets customers easily repurchase the items they buy most frequently in stores and online. Walmart also introduced specialty shopping experiences because customers shop differently depending on what they are purchasing. Customers shopping for groceries and household essentials want to quickly re-buy what they always purchase, while those looking for a new couch want to be inspired while browsing the different options. Walmart launched a home specialty experience as well as introduced a destination for fashion, which features relevant, bold imagery and seasonal stories. The Lord & Taylor flagship store is part of this new fashion destination and is taking the fashion shopping experience to the next level. It introduces more than 125 new premium brands to Walmart customers. Walmart wants each category to feel like you are shopping a specialty store. There will be both everyday brands, where millions of affordable and fabulous on-trend items will live, and premium brands from Lord & Taylor.
Who worked on the project?
Paul Llanos - Director of Virtual Design Ujjal Pathak - Principal Product Manager
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The Prince Estate
Why is this project worthy of an award?
Prince was a musical visionary. He was also an internet visionary. In 1997–long before Napster, MySpace, or iTunes—he released Crystal Ball exclusively online. Between 1994 and 2013, he launched 17 websites. And in 2006, he was recognized with a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award for "tapping the power of the web to forge a deeper connection with his fans and push the boundaries of technology and art." We too tried to push the boundaries—the boundaries of how to present an artist's life and work, and celebrate their legacy. The result is a series of digital experiences that each explore Prince through a new lens, and together showcase the man's many dimensions. Prince2Me (prince2me.com) and Discography (princeestate.com), released this April in honor of the second anniversary of Prince's passing, are the first of several to come. Prince2Me (prince2me.com) looks at Prince through his fans—who, tellingly, he preferred to call "fams." It enables them to build dynamic digital tributes, while visualizing the great, global web of minds he inspired and hearts he touched. Within the first 10 days, 2,400 fans created emotional mementos from far and wide: Ohio to Austria, Capetown to Kyoto. Discography, Annotated (princeestate.com) is the first comprehensive collection of Prince’s musical oeuvre. Insights from collaborators, friends, and experts illuminate the music in ways refreshing for existing and new fans alike. One quote says it all: "Prince’s understanding of life shown in his writing and music, so magnificently told with insight. We now might begin to understand the true measure of his expansive world. Your work opens our eyes into his soul. Thank you."
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
We began, as always, with research. We turned to our favorite legacy artists—like Jimi Hendrix and Michael Jackson in music, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring in the visual arts—only to find them presented by their Estates in ways that failed to honor, or downright undermined, their work. We were determined to do something different for Prince. Something that didn't just catalogue his work (like a dressed-up Wikipedia) or mimic his visual style (as if we were the artist). Something that added to the conversation and furthered his impact. We thus let his work do the talking, layering in insights and narrative that only the Estate can provide. This system of individual, inter-connected experiences gives The Prince Estate a platform that is infinitely expandable and always evolving—just like Prince himself.
Who worked on the project?
Creative Direction – Min Lew • Digital Direction – Mirek Misenbaum • Brand & Digital Strategy – Robert Levine • Brand Identity – Inva Çota, Peter Sunna, Dan Peterson • Digital Design – Catherine Uhlrich, Ross Sokolovski, Louis Hoebregts, Gina Shin • Project Management – Amy Jacobus • Development – Panagiotis Thomoglou, Sergei Heguy, Andrey Starkov
View the project video: https://vimeo.com/268881971/3b1c58c172
TicToc by Bloomberg
Company Bloomberg Media Group
Introduction Date December 1, 2017
Project Website https://twitter.com/tictoc
Why is this project worthy of an award?
TicToc by Bloomberg is the first and only global news video network built for Twitter. Bloomberg set out to create the most modern news experience, one that marries the appeal of the breaking news experience and real-time reaction on Twitter with the resources of the world’s most trusted, global, data-driven news organization. Powered by Bloomberg's vast network of 2,700 journalists and analysts in 120 countries, TicToc by Bloomberg provides 24/7 live streaming coverage of breaking news, live events, top stories and trending general interest news around the globe. Unlike traditional news coverage, this is delivered without a news anchor. TicToc uses voice, text and visuals to offer an entirely new way to consume news via social media, with the added option of engaging in the conversations taking place around the news. TicToc by Bloomberg is worthy of an award because it sets out to reinvent television and reimagine streaming video with a completely new modern viewing experience for news. It delivers a fast, verified and interactive news experience for the next generation of on-the-go consumers. More than ever, people are getting their news from social media, and via digital video. Yet, there's a credibility problem with fake news and unverified content on social platforms, especially on Twitter. It has become increasingly difficult to navigate and filter what is newsworthy. TicToc solves for this. Additionally, TicToc by Bloomberg is a unique example of a successful partnership between a publisher and a social media platform. In the age of the duopoly of Facebook and Google, Bloomberg's partnership with Twitter is one that is mutually beneficial to both publisher and platform. Key stats: as of May 8, 2018, TicToc by Bloomberg averages 750,000 daily viewers, and 1 million daily views, and has gained 227,000 followers in less than 5 months since it launched in December 2017.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
TicToc's design and technology enables split-second editorial decision-making based on real-time events. Its uniquely flexible system allows editors to sequence stories and share with various people at different times, based on social velocity data. TicToc's custom control and automation system allows the editorial team to surface and tweet video clip content within seconds of when it first surfaces in TicToc's live stream coverage, reaching consumers of different types according to when and how they engage. Additionally, custom automated video production empowers TicToc teams around the world--whether in regional control rooms or in the field--to sequence live sources, graphics and archive video seamlessly. TicToc by Bloomberg transcends the chatter and creates a curated news stream to help simplify the Twitter experience. The average person spends less than two minutes on Twitter each visit but returns frequently. Bloomberg built TicToc to fit this growing need for an interactive video news experience that updates just as frequently as people check their Twitter feed. Working at the speed of Twitter, powered by the vast data and journalistic integrity of Bloomberg, consumers get video news they can trust. At the top of each hour, TicToc by Bloomberg provides a 6-10 minute video roundup of top news stories from around the world. It includes reporter commentary, analysis from the scene, verified Tweets for viewers to get quick, easily digestible news updates throughout their day. At any given time, TicToc's video stream goes live on Twitter when there is major breaking news, providing a real-time distillation of the event as it develops, while also pulling in relevant tweets to the video screen. TicToc also goes live for scheduled live news moments such as political events, sporting events, award shows, rocket launches and more from around the world. And unlike traditional news, this is done without a news anchor. TicToc uses voice, text and visuals for an entirely new way to consume news via social media, with the added experience of engaging with the conversations taking place around the news. On a mobile phone, seeing one or three talking heads on a screen doesn’t translate. TicToc puts information, visuals and data on screen to maximize the mobile screen space to show what's happening - so that with or without sound, users can know what's going on quickly, especially in a breaking news moment. Another key difference is that the new network is not trying to fill 24 hours in traditional linear fashion. TicToc goes live when it needs to be live – when there’s breaking news. When there’s not something that needs to be talked about in a live way, audiences will get bite-sized information on a variety of trending general news topics.
Who worked on the project?
M. Scott Havens, Global Head of Digital, Bloomberg Media Group Mindy Massucci, Global Head of Content, TicToc by Bloomberg Catherine Taibi, Senior Editor, Audience, TicToc by Bloomberg
View the project video: https://vimeo.com/264117461/2f0304e2ca
