Is There a Future in Retail Banking? Part II

BankUnited defines itself as a Network Bank by creating a cohesive multifunctional environment that integrates meeting and event space with traditional banking functions. Photo © Christopher Payne.

The bank should be about human interactions, not transactions. When talking about shopping and brand loyalty, Gen Z is looking for real, authentic experiences… and these can’t happen online without forging relationships. With the greatest intergenerational transition of wealth in U.S. history anticipated, your bank brand needs to focus on connecting with these young generations. And it better respond quickly if you want to be on the forefront consumers’ minds.

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Is There a Future in Retail Banking? Part I

In this retail bank, concierge style service desks allow service professionals to have a one-on-one meeting with clients that feels personalized to their needs, rather than a long, transaction-oriented teller line. Photo (C)Tim Griffith.

When I tell my friends that I’m a retail designer they get excited… assuming I’m working on an exciting NYC flagship store or a top name clothing brand. When I say I focus on retail banking I’m greeted with a raised eyebrow. The most common phrase I hear is, “Who even goes to the bank anymore?”

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New Forms of Payment

Image © Tim Griffith

There is a transformation underway, and not just in how we shop but in how we pay for the items we buy.

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Suburbia - A Wasteland No Longer

Photovoltaic panels (pictured on the left) generate electricity at PNC Bank’s net-zero energy bank in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Image © Jasper Sanidad and Gensler

As you drive through suburbia and see the bank buildings, restaurants, and strip malls that dot the commercial landscape, it is clear that design is often an afterthought. The aesthetics are hardly groundbreaking, and rarely do developers, designers, or retailers think about maximizing environmental and economic impacts.

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When Does LED Work for You?

Image © Gensler/Jasper Sanidad.

This article expands on ideas presented in the 23rd edition of Gensler’s Dialogue magazine, which explores the intersection of cities, brands, and consumers. Click here to view Dialogue 23 online.

The LED fixture industry is one of the fastest growing technologies that currently affects renovation and design projects undertaken by businesses and other organizations. But any organization considering LED for its building(s) has many questions to address: How do you choose a fixture? When is it appropriate to abandon older technologies? Halide, fluorescent, or incandescent? Are they worth it?

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