Genesis GlobalProduct design

Built with traders, not for them.

An eFX and fixed income hedge trading platform for ChinaFICC, from streaming price tiles to swap tickets and a unified trade blotter.

Role: Head of UX and Trading Product Design
Timeline: Genesis Global, May 2020 – Dec 2024
Client: ChinaFICC
Scope: FX and bond hedging, swap tickets, blotter

USDCNY spot and forward price tiles above a unified bonds and FX blotter, with an order ticket docked on the right

Overview

Hedge bonds and FX in one place.

At Genesis Global I designed an eFX and fixed income hedge trading platform for ChinaFICC. Traders watch streaming USDCNY spot and forward prices, hedge bond positions and manage everything from one unified blotter.

Problem

Everyone had a different idea of the ticket.

Traders wanted the old-school forms they knew from Bloomberg. Developers reached for a modal. Neither would let a trader enter an order while still watching prices stream.

Research & Discovery

Bring the evidence into the room.

I shared research on form design: labels placed above their fields give the eye a straight path down the form, while side-by-side labels force it to zig-zag and make missed fields more likely.

Then I mocked up alternatives live with the traders, so the conversation moved from opinions to something they could react to.

Annotated story of the order ticket design, from a Bloomberg style form and a modal to a side panel ticket with labels above fields — The ticket story, from "make it like Bloomberg" and "I'll put it in a modal" to a side-panel ticket traders could scan.

Design Approach

A ticket that never gets in the way.

The new ticket docks beside the price tiles instead of covering them. Labels sit above inputs for a clean scan line, and order types, expiry and liquidity provider are one tap each.

Price tilesSpot and forward tiles with large pips, sparklines and depth, built for fast reading.

Order and swap ticketsMarket, Limit, OCO and If Done, with ESP and RFS in the same panel.

Unified blotterBonds, FX orders, FX trades and positions in one blotter, with ESP, RFS and order actions on every row.

Rapid Prototyping

Mock it up on the fly.

Working in Figma and Axure, I prototyped changes in the session with traders and got immediate feedback before anything went to development.

Wow, it's easier for me to scan this form. It also doesn't interrupt my trading experience, as I can still see streaming prices.

Trader feedback on the new order ticket

Outcome

A better ticket and a better way of working.

Faster to scanLabels above inputs gave traders a straight eye path and fewer missed fields.

Prices always visibleA docked ticket instead of an intrusive modal kept the market in view.

One blotterBond and FX activity unified in a single view.

Design with tradersA habit of mocking up together on the fly before anything is built.