Reimagining banking for the people of Myanmar, a cash-based society disrupted by Covid

One of the world's most innovative architecture companies was appointed to lead the urgent design and implementation of a reimagined branch network for Yoma bank in 2021. Ghost was commissioned as their human-centred design partner, tasked with ensuring the redesign would meet the rapidly changing needs and expectations of the people of Myanmar, a largely Buddhist society.

Our challenge was to create a guiding set of audience insights, design principles, and practical tools that balanced both bank and customer needs in the physical and digital banking environment.

Our recommendations were translated into a physical branch 'kit of parts' that would give the physical redesign the greatest chance of success and minimise regretful investment. Due to pandemic travel restrictions, this was done remotely; working through local researchers and helping to grow Yoma's nascent customer experience capability — something Ghost was well positioned to lead as a natively remote team.

We played a key role in helping Yoma's leadership group align on their shared vision. Together, we established priorities, helping Yoma move away from their current teller-heavy model of physical branches, to a more open modular approach, better suited to the preferences of their customers.

Our approach included a range of core branch layouts with adaptable elements that could be easily replaced depending on the pace of digital uptake in a location and its subsequent growth. We developed a framework for branch refits, offering flexible options for branches depending on location, audience (urban or rural) and security requirements (for branches located in Myanmar's politically unstable regions).

Despite the challenges of working with a geographically distant client, we successfully managed our remote engagement with researchers and employees both inside and outside of Myanmar's conflict zones, while ensuring a consistent regard for the Buddhist principles embraced by the majority of Yoma Bank's audience concerning personal finance.

Yoma were in the process of rolling out the first 'hero' branch in it's largest city Yangon when a military coup destabilised the country. As a result, New Zealand severed all ties with the illegal regime in Myanmar and our work with Yoma Bank came to an end.