SGX

Social OTC Trading

Product & UX Design

Project Details

  • Client

    Singapore Stock Exchange

  • Team

    OTC Trading

  • Date

    Winter 2016

Real-time conversation and commodity trading concept

UX lead and product designer for the experience design team responsible for researching, concepting and prototyping a visionary social trading platform for SGX. Following on the success of Titan OTC, a redesign of SGX's commodity trading platform, research indicated that moving a step up the service journey – where commodities trades were being originated – would increase engagement from a previously ignored and poorly understand user group. Traders themselves are highly social and responsive to subtle changes in the market, and this concept brought together everything a commodities trader needs into one social feed: real-time market news, discussion tools, data analysis and micro-actions that lead directly to trading activity.

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Co-Design

The discovery phase began with four in-depth interviews with actual OTC traders at their workstations, offering critical insights into their workflows and habits. Following that was a half-day co-design workshop held at the agency's shophouse, where the entire SGX OTC trading team participated. The workshop featured two parts: expert presentations on adapting existing platform functionalities into the new Titan OTC tool, followed by sketching sessions and brainstorming activities. This process generated actionable ideas, with participants refining each concept in real time. The sketches produced during the workshop directly informed the prototyping phase, ensuring that user-driven insights shaped the foundation of Titan OTC.

SGX - Workshop 01
SGX - Workshop 02

SGX team sketching and presenting

SGX - Workshop 03
SGX - Workshop 04
SGX - Workshop 05

Sharing and discussing features

SGX - Workshop Team

SGX team with the office mascot

SGX - Analysis 01
SGX - Analysis 03

Analyzing and synthesizing

Sitemap

A card sort workshop held at SGX headquarters engaged leadership in structuring the Titan OTC platform. In this collaborative exercise, participants grouped and labeled features to organize the platform's main sections—welcome, trading, blotter, accounts, and admin. These insights were translated into a sitemap, mapping all pages of the platform. Additionally, over 15 detailed user flow diagrams were created in Axure, visualizing essential processes such as trading and profile updates. This structured approach ensured that the platform's architecture was intuitive, functional, and aligned with user needs.

SGX - Card Sort 01
SGX - Card Sort 02
SGX - Card Sort 03

Results from card sort workshop

SGX - Sitemaps 01
SGX - Sitemaps 02

Sitemaps for each hub section

Prototype

The Prototype phase brought the research and discovery efforts to life through interactive Axure prototypes. Starting with basic wireframes and evolving to high-fidelity visual mockups, each iteration added depth and detail. Axure’s advanced prototyping tools allowed for the creation of realistic navigation, menu systems, component states, and trade flows, complete with loading sequences and error handling. The Trade Blotter, the most intricate prototype, mimicked a real-time trade list with advanced filtering and searching capabilities. These robust prototypes provided a near-real experience, supporting thorough design reviews and user testing.

SGX - Wireframes 01
SGX - Wireframes 02

Hub and product login screens

SGX - Wireframes 03
SGX - Wireframes 04
SGX - Wireframes 05

Hub and product welcome screens

SGX - Wireframes 06
SGX - Wireframes 07

Updated sign-in flow

SGX - Wireframes 08
SGX - Wireframes 09

Registering a new trade

SGX - Wireframes 10
SGX - Wireframes 11
SGX - Wireframes 12

Trade legs and confirmation

Visual Design

Visual design for Titan OTC was built on the Axure prototypes, progressing alongside the prototyping and review process. An initial style guide defined navigation, buttons, and form components, establishing a consistent design system. This system-based approach enabled efficient creation of full page designs, including dynamic component states. As the prototype matured, it seamlessly doubled as the final visual design, eliminating functional differences. This integration ensured that design reviews and user testing reflected the platform's highest fidelity, providing stakeholders with confidence in the end product.

SGX - Mockups 01
SGX - Mockups 02

Sign-in and Trading experiences

SGX - Mockups 03
SGX - Mockups 04
SGX - Mockups 05

Notifications and multi-leg trades

SGX - Mockups 06
SGX - Mockups 07

Trade Blotter and registration ticket

Social Wall

Following the successful launch of Titan OTC, SGX turned its focus to fostering a vibrant trading community. Recognizing the evolving landscape of social commerce, SGX sought to enhance engagement and platform loyalty by integrating dynamic community features. The vision was to modernize data sharing, consolidate internal and external content, and create "stickiness" by capturing trader interactions. The solution materialized as a concept for the Social Trading Wall—a prototype showcasing how SGX could facilitate discussion and connection within the trading community.

Features included an interactive social feed, tools for trade reviews, and discussion capabilities, allowing users to join groups, share news, and comment on trades. Four detailed user flows illustrated journeys such as email-to-wall interactions, product trading, and broker-client collaborations. This innovative approach demonstrated SGX’s commitment to fostering community and engagement while maintaining its competitive edge in OTC trading.

SGX - Wall Laptop

Social Trading Wall concept

SGX - Wall 01
SGX - Wall 02

Strategy and flows for the Wall POC

SGX - Wall 03
SGX - Wall 04

Mobile Wall and Article pages

SGX - Wall 05
SGX - Wall 06

Trade confirmation and newsletter

I’m currently leading the User Experience team at Taoti in Washington, D.C.

As Director of UX Design I'm looking after (and growing) an innovative, lean and effective team that delivers value to our clients. Get in touch with me to discuss speaking engagements and other professional opportunities.

My full work history is available on LinkedIn at btiny.link/linkedin

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